Notre Dame’s lack of post presence exploited in loss to Georgia

That 6-1 start is feeling more like a distant memory.

After Notre Dame lost to Syracuse in its ACC opener, Orange coach Jim Boeheim said that the Irish don’t really have a post presence. While we don’t know if Georgia coach Mike White read or heard that quote from the Hall of Famer, he opted to exploit that deficiency in the Irish’s makeup when his team played them during Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. The plan worked, and a 77-62 loss means the Irish have dropped three of four so far in December.

The Irish (7-4) saw the Bulldogs (8-3) start a three-guard lineup, but it was the two starters down low that did the most damage. Center Braelen Bridges and forward Matthew-Alexander Moncriffe combined to go a perfect 15 of 15 from the field and score 18 and 15 points respectively. That undoubtedly contributed to the Bulldogs’ 40-22 advantage in points in the paint. If that wasn’t enough, the Bulldogs won the rebounding battle, 35-25.

The post wasn’t the Irish’s only kryptonite in this game. [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag]’s decision to have only seven players in his rotation once again became a disadvantage. Five of the six Bulldogs who came off the bench played at least 10 minutes, and they made of the most of their time on the floor. Jabri Abdur-Rahim had 12 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds, and the Bulldogs’ reserves outscored the Irish’s, 27-4.

[autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] led all scorers with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] scored 15, and [autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] added 14.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Tigers of the Game: Broome, Moore provide strong effort despite loss

Auburn suffered its first loss on Saturday but two players stood out in the game in different ways

Well, the first one is out of the way.

The No. 14 Auburn Tigers suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to Memphis, 82-73 at Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Auburn did not exhibit a strong showing defensively in the loss, which has been its’ bread and butter this season as the offense continues to develop. Neither side performed particularly well in the game, as Auburn shot 38% from the field, while only blocking two shots and pulling down 32 rebounds.

Head coach Bruce Pearl says that his opponent was more experienced than Auburn. As a result, Pearl is taking responsibility for Auburn’s lack of preparation.

“This is the first time that defense didn’t carry the day for us. I knew the offensive would be challenged, but we weren’t very well-prepared,” Pearl said following the game. “We didn’t play with the effort and energy we have on defense. I have to take ownership of that. It’s on me.”

Despite the loss, Auburn saw strong production from Johni Broome, as well as Chris Moore. Their efforts have earned them “Tigers of the Game” honors.

Here is a look at who writers Taylor JonesJ.D. McCarthy, and River Wells voted for as their “Tigers of the Game” following Auburn’s loss to Memphis.

Auburn Basketball has 63% chance to beat Memphis on Saturday

Auburn will face its toughest challenge to date on Saturday but is expected to earn the win.

The No. 14 Auburn Tigers travel to Atlanta on Saturday to participate in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks.

Awaiting them will be their toughest challenge to date, the Memphis Tigers.

Memphis enters with a 7-2 record, earning wins over Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and Nebraska. Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] says that his squad will need to continue the trend of playing strong defense in order to pull out the win on Saturday.

“Our kids have been excited about playing defense,” Pearl said during his preview press conference on Thursday. “I think they recognize that defense has got to carry us. They have not taken many possessions off. We spend a lot of time on the defense, and on game plans and preparation.”

There is no doubt that Auburn and Memphis will play a tough, defensive game on Saturday, but it is a game that Auburn is projected to win. According to the latest matchup predictor from ESPN, Auburn has been given a 62.6% chance to beat Memphis on Saturday. The game is among the top games for Saturday according to ESPN, with a matchup rating of 86.8.

Entering Saturday’s game, Auburn is No. 19 in the latest ESPN Basketball Power Index rankings, which is fifth-best in the SEC. For Memphis, they check in at No. 39 and are behind only No. 1 Houston in the American Athletic Conference rankings.

Auburn will battle Memphis on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Mark Morgan and Dane Bradshaw will have the call live from State Farm Arena.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[listicle id=58585]

Auburn vs. Memphis: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Saturday’s game in Atlanta

Here’s all of the key information that you need to know for Saturday’s neutral site action between Auburn and Memphis.

The No. 14 Auburn Tigers play the Memphis Tigers on Saturday as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Auburn’s game with Memphis is slated to be the headlining game of this year’s Holiday Hoopsgiving event and will be Auburn’s toughest game to date.

Auburn and Memphis are both ranked in the top 30 of the latest KenPom rankings, are both in the top 40 of the ESPN Basketball Power Index. When it comes to human rankings, Auburn ranks in the top 15 of both the Associated Press poll, as well as the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while Memphis is receiving votes in both cases.

Memphis has built a strong resume to this point in the season, earning wins over Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Nebraska. Auburn will be Memphis’ third SEC opponent this season, and they will play their fourth on Tuesday when they travel to Alabama.

Point guard Kendric Davis has been key to Memphis’ success, as he averages 17 points per game. [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] will go toe-to-toe with Davis on Saturday, and he says that he welcomes the challenge.

“It’s something you look forward to,” Green said of matching up with Davis. “Playing against guys that are up there with me and I’m up there with them, you know, same level, you just want to go out there and show who’s better. But at the end of the day, it’s not really about that matchup. It’s about which team wins and hopefully, we can do that Saturday.”

Below, you will find key information regarding Saturday’s game between Auburn and Memphis, including a how-to-watch guide, an injury report, and a projected starting five.

Clemson to take part in another Holiday Hoopsgiving

For the second straight year, Clemson’s men’s basketball team will be a part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. The Tigers will face Loyola Chicago on Dec. 10 at State Farm Arena as part of the event, which will be played on two dates. Auburn …

For the second straight year, Clemson’s men’s basketball team will be a part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta.

The Tigers will face Loyola Chicago on Dec. 10 at State Farm Arena as part of the event, which will be played on two dates. Auburn will play Memphis and Wake Forest will square off against LSU as part of a Dec. 10 tripleheader. The event will conclude Dec. 18 with a Georgia-Notre Dame matchup.

Clemson notched an overtime win over Drake in last year’s event.

This year’s game is the fourth known non-conference game on the Tigers’ 2022-23 schedule. Clemson will play host to Bellarmine as well as Penn State as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Tigers will also face Iowa to begin the Emerald Coast Classic during Thanksgiving week.

Auburn Basketball set for December matchup with Memphis in Atlanta

It will mark the second time in three seasons that Auburn will face Memphis at State Farm Arena in Downtown Atlanta.

As the months draw closer to basketball season, Auburn Basketball has learned that another opponent has been revealed for the 2022-23 season.

Jon Rothstein of College Hoops today broke the news Thursday that Auburn will face Memphis as part of the annual Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena in Downtown Atlanta on December 10.

This will be the third season in a row that Auburn will compete in Holiday Hoopsgiving, and their second time facing Memphis in the neutral-site affair.

In 2020, Auburn defeated Memphis 74-71 behind a 26-point, eight-rebound game from former Tiger [autotag]Justin Powell[/autotag]. All eleven players that saw action in the game scored at least two points. Behind Powell, [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] scored 16 points.

Last season, Auburn manhandled Nebraska in the event, 99-68. Five players reached double-digits in scoring, led by Jabari Smith’s 21 points.

With the announcement of the neutral site game in Atlanta, marks four locations where Auburn will play a non-conference game this season. Auburn will travel to compete in the Cancun Challenge on November 22 and 23, will play two true road contests on the west coast at USC and Washington on December 18 and 21 respectively, and will travel to West Virginia as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on January 28.

Auburn basketball schedules game with Big Ten opponent

Auburn faces this Big Ten opponent for the first time in history on the hardwood.

Auburn basketball will return to Atlanta for Holiday Hoopsgiving in 2021 and will play an opponent from the Big Ten.

On Thursday, the Tigers announced that they will be taking on Nebraska in the Peach State’s capital a year after playing Memphis in the same event.

The game is part of a quadruple-header on Dec. 11 and also features Georgia Tech vs. LSU, Ole Miss vs. Western Kentucky and Clemson vs. an opponent that has yet to be announced.

This will be the first ever meeting between the Tigers and Cornhuskers.