Auburn’s first road test of the season took place on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was a test that they did not pass.
The Tigers visited Appalachian State, a team that was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference preseason rankings behind another strong club in James Madison. Everything that went wrong for Auburn went right for Appalachian State, which ultimately lifted the Mountaineers to a 69-64 victory.
Free throws and three-point shooting were the obvious aspects of the game that stood out the most. Appalachian State took 23 shots from the free throw line and connected on 74% of those attempts, compared to Auburn who made just 9-of-19 shots. Appalachian State also had a great day shooting from beyond the arc by connecting on 8-of-17 attempts. Auburn, however, could not buy a shot as they made just 3-of-27 attempts.
How did Sunday’s efforts affect their standing in the KenPom rankings? Here’s a look at where Auburn will begin the week in every major category measured by KenPom analytics.