Auburn vs Saint Louis: 2021-22 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Dave Ascoli
The #13 Auburn Tigers will look to keep it rolling on Saturday night when they head to Saint Louis to take on the Billikens.
Game time: Saturday, December 18, 9:00 p.m. ET
TV schedule: CBS Sports Network
Location: Chaifetz Arena, Saint Louis, MO
As non-conference play winds down across college basketball, top power five teams are trying to hold down their rankings before entering the gauntlet. Meanwhile, top mid-major teams are looking to grab any big wins they can before they hit their conference schedule. And that’s exactly the scenario that will play out Saturday evening when the #13 Auburn Tigers face off in a tough road match-up with the Saint Louis Billikens. It’s a big one for both teams with a lot at stake. Here’s what to expect.
The Tigers have been rolling lately at 9-1, including wins over Loyola-Chicago, Syracuse, and UCF. Their only blemish was a 115-109 double-OT loss to fellow Top 15 foe UConn on a neutral court. Since that one, Bruce Pearl and company have rattled off six straight — all but one of them double-digit victories. But Auburn has played just one true road game to date… and the opponent (South Florida) isn’t close to being on the level of Saint Louis. Their biggest non-conference test of the season is on the horizon.
Like most Top 25 teams, Auburn does a ton of things well. They defend, they block shots, and they don’t turn it over. Oh, and they can score the ball. That’s led by forward Jabari Smith and his 16.9 points per game. The freshman also leads the way in rebounding with 6.9 per game while shooting it at 44 percent from three. Sophomore guard K.D. Johnson is averaging 14 points a game, and also leads the team in steals with 2.2 per contest. The other thing to note about the Tigers is that they love to speed things up. If this game gets into the 70s and 80s points-wise, that’s advantage Auburn.
Saint Louis comes into the weekend at 8-3 on the year, with their biggest win coming on the road against Boise State. But their two most recent losses (UAB and Belmont) have come at Chaifetz Arena, but the Billikens are 5-2 overall at home this year. If they want to send their fans home happy for a sixth time, their best bet is to attack and get to the line. SLU is 8th in the nation in free throw rate, and they’re shooting an impressive 76 percent from the stripe.
Following the injury to Javonte Perkins prior to the start of the season, Saint Louis has needed other guys to step up. Enter Gibson Jimerson. The sharp-shooting guard is averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from three.
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Point guard Yuri Collins is one of the best passers in the country, averaging 7.9 assists per game and adds 2.2 steals per contest. SLU’s depth took a hit with the loss of Perkins, but they’re not short on weapons. Will it be enough to pick up their biggest win of the season?
Prediction: Auburn 80 – Saint Louis 68