Auburn vs New Mexico: 2019-20 Legends Classic game preview, TV schedule

Off to a hot start this year, Auburn faces their second true test of the year against the New Mexico Lobos in the first round of the Legends Classic early season tournament.

Who: 19. Auburn Tigers (5-0) vs. New Mexico Lobos (5-1)

When: Monday, Nov. 25th at 9:30 PM ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

TV Schedule: ESPNews

After winning their first five games of the year, the Auburn Tigers are off to their fastest start since  2003-04. Despite losing several key players, last year’s Final Four team has been blazing hot recently. In their last game against Colgate, the Tigers started 5-5 from the field, 3-3 from three, and finished the first half with a 32 point lead. The Tigers will look to keep the momentum going in the first matchup of this years Legends Classic at Barclays Center.

For their part, the New Mexico Lobos are also off to a solid start to the year. Their lone loss on the year came in a 66-63 at UTEP. The Lobos rebounded, pulling off a tight 78-77 road victory over in-state rival New Mexico State. Right now, New Mexico currently sits third in a very strong Mountain West Conference. The Lobos have only faced Auburn once previously, losing 83-78 in 2015.

The Lobos stand as the arguably the toughest test yet this year for the Auburn Tigers. Facing New Mexico (Kenpom: 90) in a neutral site will provide a good measuring stick for where Auburn truly stands this year after facing a fairly weak opening schedule to begin the year. In their previous team against a top-100 Kenpom team, Davidson (Kenpom: 70), the Tigers pulled out a solid 10-point win at home. Though their early season schedule has left something to be desired, nothing out of the ordinary for most teams this year, the Tigers have looked very good this year in following up their tournament run last year.

Currently ranked 19 in the polls, Bruce Pearl’s Tigers have a much different look this year compared to last. An experienced team, five of the top six scorers on the team are seniors. The team is led by senior Samir Doughty (18.8 ppg) and top freshman recruit Isaac Okoro (14.4 ppg). Doughty, currently shooting 44% from three, is off to by far the best season of his career and provides strong perimeter shooting for Auburn. Paired alongside Danjel Purifoy (44.8 3FG%), the duo provides good spacing for the team in expanded roles this year.

New Mexico, in coach Paul Weir’s third season leading the team, is looking to rebound after a losing season last year, and maybe even get back to their first NCAA tournament since 2013-14. The Lobos are led by a trio of seniors, all of whom transferred to New Mexico at some point in their careers. JaQuan Lyle (19.8 ppg) and Corey Manigault (12.3 ppg) lead the team in scoring and Carlton Bragg Jr., the most recent transfer of the three, leads in rebounding with 9.8 per game. New Mexico will need a strong performance from all three to match Auburn’s superior depth and talent.

With both teams in the top-25 in the nation in points per game, the matchup should have no shortage of scoring. Auburn has lots of weapons, with five players scoring in double digits, compared to the Lobos who have a more top-heavy approach. The Tiger’s talent and length will be tough to overcome for the underdog New Mexico.

The winner of this game will go on to face the winner of Wisconsin vs. Richmond in the championship of the Legends Classic. The losers will face each other in the consolation game.

Final Prediction: Auburn – 94, New Mexico – 81