Baylor vs. Auburn: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Date: Saturday, January 30, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Arena: Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.

The SEC/Big 12 Challenge gives some of the best teams battling it out, with the Big 12 winning majority of the series. There are a number of good games on Saturday, including Oklahoma vs. Alabama and Texas Tech vs. LSU.

The best matchup, in terms of a player vs. team, has to be Sharife Cooper vs. Baylor. Sharife Cooper has played with his hair on fire since he was granted eligibility in early January. In just six games with the program, he’s averaging 22.3 points, 8.7 assists, and five rebounds per game.

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His passing is an elite trait and reminds some people of how well Trae Young passed the ball in 2017-2018. His turnover rate is just as high, averaging four turnovers per game.

Cooper is not a good three-point shooter, hitting just 18 percent of his shots from that range. However, he is an above-average defender and is elite at finishing near the rim and creating contact.

A good indication of his ability to get to the free throw line was on Saturday against Missouri. Cooper went to the free throw line 21 times and made 18 of his shot there.

Apart from Cooper, Auburn has been below average on the season. Prior to Cooper’s arrival,  Auburn was just 6-5 and had a four-game losing streak, including losses to Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Justin Powell is the team’s leader from beyond the arc, hitting 44 percent of his three-point shots. Allen Flanigan is efficient in the paint and the team as a whole rebounds well, ranking fourth in the SEC in that category.

Auburn does not defend particularly well, especially inside the three-point arc. They rank 266th in points per game allowed in the NCAA with 74.3. They also give up 50 percent from inside the arc and foul quite often at 20.8 per game. That is among the highest numbers of fouls per game in the country, ranking 324th.

For Baylor, it has been a train that has not lost momentum. The Bears are 15-0 and have won by an average margin of 25 points. The Bears run continued on Wednesday, when they pounded Kansas State, 107-59.

Davion Mitchell hit on a career-high 31 points on 7-9 shooting from beyond the arc. He is the second different player to hit 30 points for the Bears as nine days prior, Jared Butler got 30 points against Kansas.

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It is almost a homecoming for Mitchell on Saturday. The lockdown defender was a Tiger at one point, including during their 2017-2018 SEC Championship run.

He averaged just 3.7 points on 28 percent from beyond the arc. Three seasons later, he is averaging almost 13 points, shooting 47 percent from beyond the arc and 2.2 steals per game.

According to KenPom, the Bears are ranked No.1 in the country with the top-ranked defense and the third-ranked offense. They have four players shooting 40 percent or better from beyond the arc. MaCio Teague even has shot a respectable 38 percent from that same range.

The Bears had three players named to the finalists’ lists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. The Tigers will have their hands full and then some with Baylor. However, the Bears will face a team and player that is unique to all others in College Basketball.

There are multiple keys for the Tigers, but a major factor will be limiting turnovers. Baylor is fantastic at causing turnovers, ranking fifth in the NCAA with averaging 9.9 per game. With the Tigers struggle to keep the ball, the Tigers have to limit mistakes.

For Baylor, they cannot let Auburn get into the lane. The Tigers are excellent at causing fouls and getting to the free throw line. The Bears perimeter will have their toughest challenge yet, in keeping the duo of Flanigan and Cooper away from near the basket.

The college basketball season has been led by the Big 10 and Big 12. There is unknown surrounding the ACC and consistency has been tough for any team in the SEC. An SEC team that will have to bring their best game yet will be Auburn.

Even with that, Cooper will be the main focus of the game and his toughest challenge yet. Baylor will overwhelm the Tigers and advance to 16-0.

Baylor 77, Auburn 64