By Jackson Love
The second half of Auburn’s conference schedule tips off Tuesday night at 6 p.m. with a crucial meeting with rival Georgia (10-6, 3-6 SEC). Auburn (10-8, 4-5 SEC) has won six of the last seven meetings in the series by an average of nearly 15 points, and another win Tuesday night will secure a season sweep over the Bulldogs for the third time in four years.
Here’s how both teams stack up:
Georgia
Surprisingly, the Bulldogs are actually better than Auburn in a number of key categories. They rank 24th in tempo according to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, are 21st in crashing the offensive glass, and rank in the top 50 in steals per game.
All of that being said, they turn the ball over more than the Tigers with 17.4 per game, and though the Bulldogs play fast, their offensive rating is not nearly as strong as it needs to be, and it has cost them more than one game in the SEC. In all six of its conference losses, the Bulldogs have allowed no less than 83 points per game, including over 90 points in four such games.
Georgia is led by sophomore guard Sahvir Wheeler, who leads the team in both points and assists per game. Wheeler’s shooting numbers are erratic, coming in at 37.3% from the floor and jumping all over the place from game to game. Still, Wheeler scored 19 points and dished five assists last time out against Auburn, so he can do damage if Auburn isn’t careful with him.
Toumani Camara anchors the Bulldogs’ frontcourt. He’s a talented scorer, finishing in double figures in all but 3 games this season, but his ability to rebound is often key to Georgia’s chances at winning. In three conference wins, Camara nabbed 7.3 rebounds per game—in six losses, just 5.2 per game.
Auburn
When Auburn first faced off with Georgia, it was 0-4 in the SEC. Now, it has the chance to crack .500 in the league. Though currently at eighth place in the conference standings, the Tigers are separated by just 2 games from finishing as high as second in the league. Sharife Cooper will have a second shot at Georgia, having dropped 28 points and 12 assists in the win over the Bulldogs last time.
Cooper will need assistance from Allen Flanigan to topple the Bulldogs a second time. Flanigan is in a bit of a slump, having made just six of his last 22 field goal attempts after torching South Carolina with an all-but-perfect performance. In the frontcourt, Jaylin Williams and JT Thor combine for 19.7 points per game. The two were a bright spot in Saturday’s loss to Baylor, so look for Auburn to call their number more and more through the last stretch of the season.
The Tigers were outgunned at the three-point line on Saturday, but there should be no such issues against Georgia. Still, Auburn will need to be smart with its shot selection. Winning the rebound battle will also be key to prevent second chance points and keep the Bulldogs from staying in the game.
Prediction
The loss at No. 2 Baylor was a tough one, but not entirely unexpected. Tuesday night, Auburn will have the advantage again. Georgia will play much better than it did in its last meeting with the Tigers, but a return to the home court and home crowd will be enough for Auburn to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
Neutralizing Camara and outrebounding Georgia will be a challenge, but Auburn has Sharife Cooper, and the Tigers are a totally different team for it. He probably won’t go for 28 points and 12 assists again, but Cooper’s skill will do what it did for Auburn last time against Georgia and create openings for the players around him to score and secure the season sweep.
