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Auburn vs UConn: 2021-22 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Thomas Giustino

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies reacts to his team against the Villanova Wildcats during the second half of a college basketball game at Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Connecticut 61-55. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies reacts to his team against the Villanova Wildcats during the second half of a college basketball game at Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Connecticut 61-55. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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The UConn Huskies take on the Auburn Tigers in a top-25 matchup. Which defense will prevail?

TV Schedule: Wednesday, November 24, 2:30 PM, ESPN

Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas

KenPom Rankings: UConn (22), Auburn (29)

The UConn Huskies enter the Battle 4 Atlantis undefeated (4-0) and ranked 22nd in the AP Poll. They take on the 19th ranked Auburn Tigers (3-0), led by Bruce Pearl. These two teams recently finished a home-and-home series in which the Tigers finished 2-0. Auburn leads the all-time series 2-1.

This will be the first real test of the season for both teams, although Auburn struggled a bit against South Florida.

The Huskies have dominated the opening 4 games of their schedule. Granted, this is what they were supposed to have done given the opponents. The same can be said about Auburn (at least in the second half of games). In their first 3 games, the Tigers took on weaker opponents and often struggled early before impressive second-half performances. Let’s look at the matchup.

The Offense

Per KenPom, the Huskies offensive ranks 31st in the country. They are ranked top 50 nationally in all categories on the offensive end, except free throw rate. UConn has an impressive 56.4 effective field goal percentage, limits turnovers, rebounds nearly 44% of their misses. The team is also shooting an impressive 39.3% from beyond the arc, led by the likes of Tyrese Martin (71.4%), Jalen Gaffney (61.5%), Akok Akok (71.4%).

Auburn isn’t far behind in many of these statistical categories, so we should be in for a close game that goes down to the wire. Offensively, the Tigers ranked 32nd nationally. They have an effective field goal percentage just under 50% and rarely turn the ball over (23rd nationally). However, the team struggles to shoot from deep, shooting just 29.3% as a team. However, the Huskies would be smart to stay home when guarding KD Johnson, Jabari Smith (a projected NBA lottery pick), and Zep Jasper, who can all shoot from deep. For the most part though, the guards/wings can play below the three-point line to cut off driving lanes and force Auburn to settle for long-shots.

The Defense

The UConn defense propels the Huskies offense and comes in ranked 21st in the country. UConn is holding opponents to an effective field goal percentage of just 37.4 (ranked 6th in the country) alongside a 30.2% turnover rate, good for 5th best in the country. UConn is also one of the best shot-blocking teams in the country, tied for 9th in the country, with 7 blocks per game. What about Auburn?

Auburn thrives on the defensive end, ranked 32nd in the country per KenPom. They have faced slightly better competition thank UConn, and are holding their opponents to an impressive 42.5% effective field goal percentage (41st nationally). In fact, Auburn opponents are shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. It doesn’t get much better inside, as Auburn ranks 5th best in the country, averaging eight blocks per game. We may be in for a defensive battle.

Next. 2021-2022 UConn Huskies Season Preview. dark

So who will come out on top? On paper, this is about as even as a matchup gets. Two deep teams with great defenses going. Ultimately, this one will come down to who can be more patient with the ball and limit mistakes. Both teams thrive in transition and generate offense from their defense. Turnovers will be key.

Prediction: UConn 68, Auburn 63