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New Mexico State Basketball: 3 reasons why Aggies will beat Auburn in Round of 64

By Connor Hope

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: New Mexico State Aggies mascot Pistol Pete performs during a semifinal game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Mexico State won 79-72. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: New Mexico State Aggies mascot Pistol Pete performs during a semifinal game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Mexico State won 79-72. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 15: Johnny McCants #35 of the New Mexico State Aggies celebrates after winning a semifinal game against the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Mexico State won 79-72. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 15: Johnny McCants #35 of the New Mexico State Aggies celebrates after winning a semifinal game against the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Mexico State won 79-72. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) /

They Will Outrebound Auburn, Book It

New Mexico State attacks the glass with a passion. Auburn does not. While the level of talent played has certainly been different, that does not take away from the Aggies outrebounding their opponents by 325 during the season, while Auburn was outrebounded by 12.

Auburn isn’t a very big team, with Austin Wiley being the only player over 6’8” tall. They take a lot of threes, and missed shots tend to go to the other team. This may not be an issue when Auburn is hitting their shots, but when they are missing, the Tigers will struggle to get second chance points.

The Aggies love to attack the defensive glass, but it is their offensive rebounding that is where they really shine. They collected the ninth most offensive rebounds in the country, even though they had a top 100 field goal percentage. This means that solid portion of their missed shots turn into second opportunities, giving them a ton of second chance opportunities.

Next. Teams with upset potential on each seed line. dark

Now to the matchup between the Tigers and the Aggies. This does not bode well for Auburn. The Aggies may not be huge, but they are tenacious and Auburn will need to be at their best, or we will see the Aggies end plenty of possessions with second chance points. That is one way to ensure a first round upset.