BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 2 Auburn Tigers (10-1) head just up the road to Birmingham Saturday to take on the No. 16. Purdue Boilermakers (8-3). The Tigers a searching for a nation’s best sixth quad one win.
Coming off a win over Georgia State, a game Auburn played 37 minutes of without All-American center Johni Broome due to a shoulder injury, Bruce Pearl’s team is looking to add to what is already the best résumé in the country. Wins away from home over Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina, Memphis, and Ohio State have put the Tigers squarely in the spotlight and painted a large target on their backs.
Purdue, a national powerhouse in recent years and during much of Head Coach Matt Painter’s 20-year tenure, enters this game with a strong résumé of their own. Early-season wins over Alabama, NC State, and Ole Miss have shown how good the Boilermakers can be.
Junior forward Trey Kauffman-Renn leads Purdue in scoring and rebounding, with 18.2 and 6.5 per game respectively. Junior guard Braden Smith adds 13.4 points and 4.9 rebounds to go with a staggering 8.5 assists per game, good for fourth in the nation. Those two are vital to Purdue’s success. In the Boilermakers’ three losses, the duo has significantly underperformed their season averages.
On the other side, Johni Broome remains a game-day decision. He is cleared medically, but may sit or see limited minutes if his shoulder is not feeling 100 percent. In his absence against Georgia State, senior forward Chaney Johnson filled the Tigers’ needs, putting up 26 points, eight rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, all team highs.
Alongside Johnson, Auburn expects big performances from its dynamic backcourt including Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chad-Baker Mazara, and Tahaad Pettiford, all of whom have given the Tigers big-time performances in multiple games this season.
The Tigers and Boilermakers tip off at Legacy Arena in Birmingham at 3:30 p.m. Listen on the Auburn Sports Network or watch on ESPN.
