#auburn fast

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Russell Costanza-USA TODAY Sports

How do the national champions follow up an incredible 2019 season?

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be taking a quick look at every Auburn opponent on the 2020 schedule.

2019 Record: 15-0

2020 Signing Class: 4th (3rd SEC)

Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (5th Season)

Key Departures:

QB Joe Burrow - 402/527 (76.3%) 5,671 yds 60 TD 6 INT

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire - 215 carries 1,414 yds 6.6 avg 16 TD 55 rec 453 yds 8.2 avg TD

WR Justin Jefferson - 111 rec 1,540 yds 13.9 avg 18 TD

TE Thaddeus Moss - 47 rec 570 yds 12.1 avg 4 TD

LT Saahdiq Charles

C Lloyd Cushenberry

DT Rashard Lawrence - 28 tackles 6.0 TFL 2.5 sacks 3 PBU FR FF

OLB K’Lavon Chaisson - 60 tackles 13.5 TFL 6.5 sacks 2 PBU FF

LB Jacob Phillips - 113 tackles 7.5 TFL sack PBU FF

LB Patrick Queen - 85 tackles 12.0 TFL 3.0 sacks INT 2 PBU FR

S Grant Delpit - 65 tackles 4.5 TFL 2.0 sacks 2 INT 7 PBU FR FF

Key Returners:

WR Ja’Marr Chase (Jr) - 84 rec 1,780 yds 21.2 avg 20 TD

WR Terrace Marshall Jr (Jr) - 46 rec 671 yds 14.6 avg 13 TD

LB Damone Clark (Jr) - 50 tackles 4.0 TFL 3.5 sacks

DB Kary Vincent Jr (Sr) - 47 tackles 2.0 TFL 4 INT 8 PBU

CB Derek Stingley Jr (So) - 38 tackles TFL 6 INT 15 PBU FR

S JaCoby Stevens (Sr) - 92 tackles 9.0 TFL 5.0 sacks 3 INT 6 PBU

Preview

On September 30th, 2017, Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers lost at home to Troy. It was the 2nd loss in three weeks and things were starting to get uncomfortable for Coach O just five games into his first full season as the Tigers’ head coach. Rumors of infighting between the head man and offensive coordinator Matt Canada were rampant. With a trip to the Swamp up next and Auburn coming to town a week later, it sure seemed like a possible Ole Miss redux was underway in Baton Rouge. Ed O was once again the joke of the SEC.

But not for long.

LSU has lost exactly five games since that Troy upset. They rallied to beat Florida and Auburn in successive weeks and finished 9-4 in 2017. LSU followed up with a 10 win season in 2018. Then in 2019, Coach O and the Tigers went out and won the whole damn thing behind the most prolific offense in college football history.

Ain’t no one laughing now except Coach O.

What LSU accomplished in 2019 was remarkable. Joe Burrow transformed from mediocre QB that needed max protect every other snap to a Heisman winner who excelled at getting his playmakers the ball behind 5 man protections. It was an offense that was downright unstoppable, only scoring less than 35 points once in 2019. But even in that one contest against Auburn’s stout defense, LSU still put up over 500 yards of offense.

I mean just look at those numbers. Joe Burrow threw SIXTY touchdown passes. Ja’Marr Chase caught TWENTY touchdowns. Justin Jefferson had ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN receptions. Terrace Marshall missed 3 games and still caught THIRTEEN touchdowns. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for more yards than any AU running back last season and would have finished #2 in receiving for Malzahn’s Tigers. Just insanity.

But can they do it again? Joe Brady, former no name NFL analyst turned offensive wunderkind, is gone to the NFL. Long time stud defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is now the head coach at Baylor. Fourteen members of the 2019 national champions were drafted in the NFL.

Winning championships is hard. Winning multiple championships is much harder. Just ask Larry Coker, Gene Chizik, Mack Brown, Jimbo Fisher and countless others who reached the mountain top only to see their programs crumble underneath them. Will Coach 0 join them or is this only the start of his ascension?

Fortunately for LSU, elite talent remains, it’s just unproven. Myles Brennan has the daunting task of replacing Joe Burrow. A former blue chip prospect, Brennan has patiently waited his turn and folks in Baton Rouge think highly of his upside. But he won’t be as good as Burrow this fall. The question is how big a step back does LSU’s offense take from Burrow to Brennan?

Luckily for LSU’s new starting QB, plenty of skill talent remains. Yes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson and Thaddeus Moss are all gone. But the nation’s best wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is back as is former 5-star Terrace Marshall Jr. LSU also returns two former 5-star running backs in John Emery and Tyrion Davis-Prince along with former blue chip Chris Curry. There’s also an assortment of young WR talent that looks poised to make an impact including 5-star freshman Kayshon Boutte.

Oh and they signed one of the freakiest athletes of the 2020 class in Arik Gilbert. Seriously, this kid is absurd and will be a bone fide stud in LSU’s offense.

Probably the most underrated piece of that LSU offense last season was its offensive line. The Tigers often relied on only 5 man protections and this unit was outstanding all year HOLDING up against elite pass rushes. However, four starters have departed with right tackle Austin Deculus the lone man returning. There’s definitely plenty of talent up front it’s just about getting it to gel quickly enough to execute the Tigers RPO heavy offense.

On defense, Dave Aranda is gone and a familiar face has returned to roam the Tigers sidelines. Bo Pelini is back in Power 5 football following five years as head coach at Youngstown State. He took the Penguins to the FCS National Championship his 2nd year but was unable to replicate that success in his following 3 campaigns. Under Pelini, LSU will be transitioning back to a four man front meaning some pieces on this defense will have to adjust to new responsibilities and positions this fall.

Up front, LSU is loaded as always. K’Lavon Chaisson, Rashard Lawrence and Breiden Fehoko are all gone but plenty of talent returns. The Tigers have some big fellas to eat up the middle in guys like Tyler Shelvin, Saiki Ika and Glen Logan. On the edge, LSU will have to make some adjustments transitioning from 3-4 OLBs to 4-3 DEs. There are a lot of different faces that will get looks at this position but keep an eye on former JUCO TE prospect T.K. McClendon. Ed O has been consistent in praising his development and the scheme change better fits his skillset. He could be a breakout player for this Tiger defense in 2020.

One of the positions hardest hit by attrition was linebacker where Patrick Queen and Jacob Phillips both decided to leave for the NFL following the 2019 season. Luckily for LSU, they landed one of the premier grand transfers on the market in former North Dakota State star Jabril Cox. He will likely earn a starting role on the outside while someone like Damone Clark takes over at the MIKE.

Two starters depart in Thorpe Award winner (lol) Grant Delpit and cornerback Kristian Fulton. But arguably the nation’s best corner, Derek Stingley Jr, returns along with nickel back Kary Vincent Jr and safety JaCoby Stevens. Former Auburn commit Cordale Flott looks to be the incumbent at the corner spot opposite Stingley while former AU target Maurice Hampton likely fills in for Delpit at safety. The Tigers also signed the #1 CB in the nation in the 2020 class in Elias Ricks who could easily see time early on the back end of LSU’s defense.

2019 was a magical season for LSU. They put a fun brand of football on the field and used it to obliterate most every opponent that stood in their way. But 2020 will likely provide a few more stumbling blocks. So much production is gone and with two brand new coordinators, it’s hard to see LSU repeating in 2020. Auburn gets the defending champs at home this fall. If Gus Malzahn is ever going to beat Ed Orgeron, it better be this year.

War Eagle!

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Auburn’s trip to Starkville has been postponed till mid-December. (Photo by Acid Reign.)

     War Eagle, everybody. We have made it to or beyond the mid-season in this year’s SEC slate of action. This week, there have been quite a few cancellations or postponements due to the COVID 19 pandemic. In addition to Auburn at Mississippi State being canceled this week, Alabama at LSU, Texas A&M at Tennessee, and Georgia at Missouri have all been cancelled due to virus tests and contact tracing. At noon on Friday, checking the FBS big board for this week, 22 games across the nation have been sidelined this week.

     As of Wednesday of this week, it was reported that 9 Auburn players tested positive, as well as 3 staff members, causing the pausing for a couple of days of team activity. Auburn has since resumed practicing with the positive folks and close contacts quarantined for the requisite periods. I am thankful to the Auburn administration and head coach Gus Malzahn for being transparent on numbers. Most of the rest of the league has played test information much closer to the vest.

     From my understanding, the vast majority of player scratches from SEC active rosters has been due to contact tracing, not positive tests. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was quoted this week saying that the test positivity rate for players was only 0.005 percent. Sankey went on to say that the contact tracing protocols were a matter decided by public health officials, and not by the league.

     It sure seems to me that if the teams have enough testing measures to check every player 3 times a week, they could certainly do a few extra tests on contract-tracing victims. If Bama head coach Nick Saban can test positive on Tuesday, then pass virus tests on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and coach Saturday night; it should be possible to likewise test affected players in that manner. In speaking to several health professionals, it seems false results on these tests, both positive and negative are an issue. This would enable more games to be played, and players would have to spend less time locked inside 4 walls. I can’t see a negative consequence of the proposed re-tests.

     As much as I’m hating the 2 week Auburn layoff, I do have to admit that it comes at a good time for the Tigers. Quite honestly, Auburn definitely looked the part of a team that had no spring practices when the season started. I would say Auburn had a huge issue trying to replace 7 of 9 starters on the lines, and 4 out of 5 secondary players. As the season has worn on, Auburn was showing big improvement in those areas. Now with an additional 3 weeks of practice, not to mention getting injured players healed up, Auburn stands to come out of the break playing its best football. The Tigers hope to return to the field on Saturday, November 21. They’ll be hosting the Tennessee Volunteers, with an evening kickoff.

     It’s a thin slate for the SEC this weekend, with only 3 games left being played. At 11:00 AM Central Standard Time on the SEC Network, Vanderbilt visits Kentucky. Kentucky is one of the league’s best defensive teams, and Vanderbilt has played well on defense in stretches. Both offenses have been dismal. In fact, Kentucky has only scored 13 total points in their last 2 games. This one might be a low-scoring game. I’ll take the Wildcats at home, in this one.

     At 6:00 PM on ESPN, Arkansas visits Florida. Arkansas has played everyone tough this season, and has shocked the world with their 3-3 record at this juncture. Florida has had a few defensive issues this season, but honestly those seem to have diminished of late. The Gators held Missouri to 17, with one of those being a garbage-time touchdown. Georgia scored 28 on Florida, but one score was off a turnover, and another in the kicking game. I suspect Arkansas will find similar tough sledding. Meanwhile, no one has stopped the Florida offense this season. Texas A&M and South Carolina both held Florida to 38 points each, and that has been the lowest output of the season for the Gators. I think Florida wins by double digits.

     In Oxford, Mississippi at 6:30 PM, Ole Miss hosts South Carolina on the SEC Network. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has done a good job keeping his team ready to play hard this season, despite being outmanned on the defensive end. Meanwhile, South Carolina has flat-lined in recent weeks, giving up 100 total points in their last couple of games. That is not a good look, going up against a Rebel offense that is among the best in the SEC. I think Ole Miss wins big.

     I had thought about putting up an open thread on Saturday, but will have to nix that idea. I’ll be out of the house a good bit of the day it turns out, hopefully getting a lot done. I’m hoping to get back to sitting in front of the TV all Saturday later in the season.

The post An Extended Bye Period. appeared first on .

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://trackemtigers.com/an-extended-bye-period/

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December 21, 2019 - Auburn Arena

RECAP

Sitting at 10-0, Auburn basketball was on top of the world. Where blue bloods were dropping left and right to mid-majors, Auburn remained undefeated, the last of the power conference teams to do so. After a couple of solid non-conference opponents in Richmond, Furman, St. Louis, and NC State, Auburn was slated for some easy home action against one of the worst teams in one of the worst conferences. Lehigh, out of the Patriot League, was supposed to be the pre-Christmas feast this team had earned.

But it’s never that easy, is it?

This game was a slog through most of the first half, with neither team shooting particularly well (33% from the field for Auburn, 36% for Lehigh). Things were so bad that at one point, with around seven minutes left in the half, Auburn was down 20-13.

Luckily, a 14-0 run spurned on by a Samir Doughty three led Auburn into the half with a 27-20 lead.

After the break, Auburn seemed to figure things out on the offensive end, but was never able to put the game away until late. Just as in the St. Louis game, J’Von McCormick took over on offense, with a 13 point second half that included three 3’s on three consecutive possessions. That flurry with around 5 minutes left effectively marked the end of any shot at a Lehigh comeback, stretching the lead from 55-42 to 61-44.

While the game wasn’t the blowout win we were hoping to see, it did deliver one of my favorite moments of the 2019-2020 season.

N must be for No one else in town lol this is so rad. pic.twitter.com/mAcenkGsMR

— Drew Crowson (@SonOfCrow2) December 22, 2019

No way!

Our very own Son Of Crow was the Celebrity Letter N for this game! I told my wife that seeing this again might be the most “there’s no way that happened less than a year ago” moments of the entire year for me, but nevertheless. “We’ve Got Jared” will always play an integral part of many Auburn fans’ memories of the Final Four run, and it was nice to see our pal get some recognition.

With the Tigers playing losing in the closing minutes, it led to a little bit of fun. There were a couple of dunks off Lehigh turnovers, and alley-oops (including one TO J’Von), but nothing was better than Devan Cambridge once again destroying a rim.

My goodness. @KingMcCormick_5 OFF THE GLASS to @DevanCambridge! #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/gqTogyvmZo

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 22, 2019

I can’t wait to watch him develop this season...

While it wasn’t flashy by any means, I can’t finish this recap without mentioning Austin Wiley. The big man ate against a significantly smaller Lehigh team, finishing his night with 14 points and 15 rebounds. This was part of a trend where we saw Wiley being able to dominate teams that didn’t have center’s to match his size, and (for better or worse) it became a staple of this Auburn offense into conference play last season.

HIGHLIGHTS

W. "We play unbelievable defense. That's our brand."#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/Hv0i7FxNuk

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 22, 2019

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/11/13/21563876/tip-off-countdown-17-12-auburn-74-lehigh-51

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John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

A strong finish gave Auburn it’s first 10-0 start in 21 years!

December 19, 2019 - Auburn Arena

A year earlier, I stood in PNC Arena in Raleigh as I saw Auburn lose to these North Carolina State Wolfpack. Auburn looked to repay the favor as the Wolfpack became the first ACC school to visit Auburn in the Bruce Pearl era.

The unfortunate thing about this game though was that the officials made this game about themselves as they combined to call FIFTY, yes 50 fouls, on the two teams. This game also featured a bad beat as well (for folks who care about that stuff) as Auburn was favored by 7.5 points and gave up a layup at the buzzer to win by just 6.

As for the game, N.C. State led most of the game’s first 8 minutes but Auburn would go on a 12-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 26-16 midway through the first half. Jamal Johnson knockdown a pair of 3-pointers, and converted a 4-point play on one of those.

A 17-2 run from N.C. State gave the Pack a 5-point lead before Samir Doughty’s first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer stopped the run as Samir began a personal 7-0 run as Auburn regained the lead right before halftime, a lead that was 38-37 at the break.

The second half was a back and forth affair as the lead changed hands a few times and never got higher than 6 for either team.

With 5 minutes to go, N.C. State led 64-62 but Samir Doughty put the Tigers on his back to finish off the game. Doughty’s layup with 4:33 to go would tie it and an Austin Wiley dunk off a N.C. State turnover on the next possession put Auburn up for good.

Doughty was 6-6 from the free throw line in the game’s final 4 minutes while also knocking down the dagger 3 in the final 30 seconds to put this game on ice for the Tigers.

I can’t stop thinking about this shot. pic.twitter.com/BAlmtLvnDt

— Auburn Hoops Fan Account (Jay) (@aubawn) December 20, 2019

Samir scored 24 points and had 4 assists and 4 steals as well. J’Von McCormick had 14 points while Austin Wiley added 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Here are the highlights!

The Tigers are 10-0 for the first time since 1998-99. Short turnaround, we'll see you again on Saturday! #WarEagle

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 20, 2019

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With a high of 76F and a low of 49F. via IFTTT

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SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN

Alexander’s commitment likely finishes up Auburn’s 2021 recruiting class.

BOOM!!

Over the past few years, Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Basketball program has had great luck in both Georgia and Arkansas bringing in some extremely talented players. This time though, Auburn went into uncharted territory to land their second commit of the class of 2021.

6’4” Shooting Guard Trey Alexander from Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City has committed to the Auburn Tigers!

Alexander is currently the 61st ranked player in America for the Class of 2021 according to 247 Sports. He is the top player out of the state of Oklahoma and the 11th best Shooting Guard in this class. He chose Auburn over Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Ole Miss.

The Tigers were looking for a guard to pair with Jabari Smith in the upcoming class and the two were teammates last weekend at the Pangos All-American Camp in Arizona. Alexander averaged 17.5 PPG against some of the best players in the country.

- Trey Alexander looked comfortable in the PnR and working off-ball around the perimeter. Loved his craft as a handler and around the rim. Really good shooter. One of the better showings I’ve seen from him.

— Ross Homan (@Ross_homan1) November 11, 2020

Here’s some highlights from that tournament last weekend.

.@TrickyTrey23 is a certified Bucket! Put on a shooting display @PangosAACamp this weekend! Still deciding between Auburn, Kansas, & Arkansas #WhereWillHeGo?@trigonis30 @RonMFlores @FrankieBur @LimitLesSports @FCPPangos @areacodes @TeamGriffinEYBL pic.twitter.com/4ISXIOqEoc

— BALL DAWGS (@balldawgs) November 9, 2020

He has played on the Nike EYBL Circuit with Team Griffin (Blake Griffin’s squad) in Oklahoma and their 16U team won the prestigious Peach Jam event in 2019.

Alexander may also be one of the first players, if not the first player, from the state of Oklahoma to play for Auburn. There haven’t been any players from the Sooner State on the Auburn roster since 1970 (that’s as far as I could go back).

With Smith and Alexander on board for the 2021 class, that should complete Auburn’s class for 2021. The Tigers got their scoring guard and big man for next year’s class and look poised to be loaded in the 2021-2022 season. Auburn will likely now turn their full attention recruiting wise to the 2022 class where Auburn is in on several highly touted prospects.

We are 2 weeks away from this current season starting against Saint Joseph’s on Thanksgiving Day.

Welcome to the Auburn family Trey and War Eagle!

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December 14th, 2019 - Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex

RECAP

Before we talk about anything on the court, I want it to be remembered what this game is all about. Auburn has taken part in the Mike Slive Invitational in each of its first two seasons, which, from the Mike Slive Foundation Website, is “... a marquee matchup played in celebration of the life and impact of former SEC and Conference USA Commissioner Mike Slive, while raising national awareness in the fight against prostate cancer”.

It’s an event near and dear to Bruce Pearl’s heart, as along with supporting the Slive Foundation, he has brought the AUtlive initiative to Auburn, as well as supporting and volunteering time with Children’s Harbor. During this weekend last December, the team spent some time at Children’s Harbor, and Bruce was honored with a token of their appreciation.

What an incredible day it was at @ChildrensHarbor with a special surprise for @coachbrucepearl!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/ccdx703h6u

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 14, 2019

New Team. Same Goal. Make History.#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/VIP0fzY5jR

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 14, 2019

After one of the tightest games of the 2018-19 season, Auburn came back to Birmingham, this time to play the St. Louis Billikens out of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Things were sloppy out of the gate, with the Tigers spotting the Bills a 9-0 lead thanks to six missed shots and two turnovers in the first 4+ minutes. Auburn quickly snapped back, though, with a Danjel Purifoy transition bucket and two J’Von McCormick big time threes.

The first half was streaky for both teams. McCormick would end up with a big first half, with 12 points and generally looking like he was ready to fully assume the point guard role for a team with tournament aspirations. The Auburn defense clamped down after the first 9-0 run, as the half time score was just 28-21 Auburn.

The Tigers never gave up the lead in the second half, but the lead constantly bounced double digits and one possession, with Auburn never fully able to put St. Louis away. At the narrowest point, right around the 8 minute mark and the score 47-44, McCormick made a ridiculous hustle-steal at midcourt, which led to a transition three for Okoro. Moments later, we got to see one of the first glimpses that Devan Cambridge was an absolute freak at the rim.

DEVAN. CAMBRIDGE! Bounceman, Bounceman, Bounceman. #WarEagle x #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/0sbhSVqqNa

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 15, 2019

If I don’t see the Devan Cambridge put back dunk really high on the @SportsCenter #SCTop10 tonight then what are we even doing? @AuburnMBB #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/2jjFOgOIbB

— Pablo Escobarner (blue check) (@PabloEscobarner) December 14, 2019

From here out, the Billikens were never really in striking distance again.

J’Von McCormick was far and away the MVP of this game, finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and just a single turnover. Behind him, though, was very little - Auburn shot a combined 35% from the field and 46% from the charity stripe. The defense was significantly better, toting five steals and eight blocks with with no starter picking up more than two fouls.

Despite the sloppy win, it propelled Auburn to a 9-0 start, and left them as one of just five remaining unbeatens. Not too shabby if you ask me.

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John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers got all they wanted and more from Furman.

December 5, 2019 - Auburn Arena

Back home. RT and share the hype! #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/U8UnC1B6qo

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 5, 2019

All roads do lead home. Auburn returned to Auburn Arena for the first time in 2 1⁄2 weeks to take on the Furman Paladins.

As for me personally, this was the first Auburn basketball game I attended as an Auburn alumni and it was definitely weird for me to not run in and go to my spot in the Jungle.

So this is different..... pic.twitter.com/FZrYBmiR4T

— Jaylin Williams/Simpson Fan Account (@ShootyHoopsWill) December 6, 2019

As for the game, let’s just say I got a whole lot more than I bargained for in this contest (plus a free 5 minutes).

There’s a lesson to be learned from this game if you are a team coming off of a Final Four appearance: You probably don’t want to schedule Furman.

During the 2018-2019 season, Furman knocked off Loyola-Chicago fresh off of their Final Four appearance. Last season, Furman came oh so close to doing the same to Auburn.

Auburn had a tough night shooting the 3, as they went 4-25 for the game from long range. Meanwhile the Paladins shot an Auburn-like 13-31 from 3-point range. Auburn also had 19 turnovers. So how in the world did they win this game?

Auburn had a huge advantage on the boards (+20) and free throws made (+10) and made some clutch baskets down the stretch to pull out the win.

Auburn made just one 3 in the 1st half, courtesy of Jamal Johnson, as Auburn led 17-15 halfway through the 1st. Auburn led by as much as 6 in the 1st half but the Paladins closed the 1st half on an 11-1 run and led Auburn 39-31 at halftime.

Things didn’t get much better to start the 2nd half either as Furman started the half on a 7-1 run and Auburn picked up a Technical foul. Furman led by 14, 46-32 with about 16 1⁄2 minutes to go.

But a 3-pointer from Anfernee McLemore stopped the run as the Tigers started to mount their comeback. An 8-0 run got Auburn with 3, 48-45 with 10 1⁄2 minutes to go but Auburn could never take the lead back.

Furman led 61-53 with 6 minutes to go before a 3 from Danjel Purifoy pulled Auburn with 5. And late in regulation, Auburn was finally able to get the ball to Austin Wiley and the big fella made some key plays down the stretch. A pair of buckets pulled Auburn to within 2 with 3 minutes left and then had a monster block on defense.

Auburn tied the game with a minute left but Furman got the lead back. As we would see later in the season, it was #VintageJVon time.

Tomorrow on the @CollegeAndMag Hoops Tip-Off Countdown..... #VintageJVon pic.twitter.com/wM71RRWfKT

— Jaylin Williams/Simpson Fan Account (@ShootyHoopsWill) November 12, 2020

McCormick made both Auburn baskets in the final minute and came extremely close to a walk-off circus shot at the buzzer after Isaac Okoro had forced a Furman turnover with 5 seconds left.

Okoro would give Auburn their first lead since late in the 1st half with a layup to start overtime. Furman would another 3 to lead 69-68 but Austin Wiley came up big once again.

Austin Wiley made some big plays late on both sides of the floor in the Tigers OT over Furman last year. We’ve got the wins over Furman and Saint Louis on the @CollegeAndMag Hoops Tip-Off Countdown. pic.twitter.com/2BVUuYHU4M

— Jaylin Williams/Simpson Fan Account (@ShootyHoopsWill) November 12, 2020

The sequence started a 7-0 run as Auburn took a 75-69 lead. Furman would get within 2 in the final minute but Samir Doughty’s bucket with 15 seconds left put Auburn ahead 79-75. Furman would hit a 3 to cut the lead down to 1 but Okoro made 2 free throws and Furman’s last gasp fell short but overall, it was an outstanding effort from Furman and a huge, albeit somewhat unexpected test for Auburn.

Okoro led the way for Auburn with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Austin Wiley had another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Samir Doughty also had 13 points. J’Von McCormick and Anfernee McLemore each had 9 points and Allen Flanigan scored 8.

Here are the highlights!

It was tough, but we fought through adversity and pulled it out. #WarEagle

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 6, 2019

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