Iowa State and Auburn are arguably the top two teams in the Maui Invitational and will be opening up against each other. Which team will reign supreme?
TV schedule: Monday, November 25th, 9:00 pm ET. ESPNU
Arena: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii
One of the great features of Feast Week is the number of quality matchups we'll get featuring ranked teams. It's hard to get better than this one, with two teams currently ranked in the top 5 of the AP poll playing in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational. Auburn (4-0) already has a top-5 win, beating Houston 74-69 in the first week of the season.
The Tigers can make the argument of being the best two-way team in the country, ranking in the top-20 in most offensive and defensive categories. They're led by Johni Broome, the star big man who is averaging 20.0 ppg and 11.3 rpg. Four others are in double figures, including Chaney Johnson (12.5 ppg) and Denver Jones, who is producing 11.3 ppg and 4.0 apg.
Their opponent is Iowa State (3-0), who had dominated inferior competition. They also have five double-digit scorers, led by Curtis Jones with 15.0 ppg. Keshon Gilbert is averaging 7.0 apg, while Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has a big impact inside, averaging 10.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg.
On paper, these teams are two of the best defensive units, so points may be hard to come by. They also have opposite strengths on offense, with Auburn's frontcourt and Iowa State's backcourt being the best in the country. This could very well come down to which team can counter the others' opposing strengths.
In the end, Broome is the best player on the court and in a game where points may be at a premium, look for him to get enough to get the Tigers past the finish line.
Prediction: Auburn 68, Iowa State 65