sec basketball – Syndication Server

ESPN predicts winner of Saturday’s Auburn vs. Purdue game

Will No. 2 Auburn hold off No. 17 Purdue without Johni Broome?

The final ranked nonconference game of the season is on the horizon for the No. 2 Auburn Tigers, and it could be without its biggest weapon.

It is still uncertain if three-time SEC Player of the Week [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] will play in Saturday’s game between Auburn and No. 17 Purdue. If he is unavailable, how will his absence affect the Tigers?

Broome exited Tuesday’s win over Georgia State with a shoulder injury. An MRI later suggested that surgery would not be required and that his healing time will be less than previously expected. After his departure, forward Chaney Johnson stepped up to score 26 points by shooting 12-of-14 from the field. He also logged eight rebounds and four assists.

Johnson, along with several others, are great supporting cast members to Broome, which is why ESPN remains confident that Auburn will earn another critical win on Saturday.

According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has a 79% chance to beat Purdue on Saturday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.

Outside of Broome, Auburn holds an advantage over Purdue in every major statistical category. Auburn outscores Purdue, 88.5-77.2, allows five fewer points per game, and outrebounds the Boilermakers by 6.3 boards per game.

A healthy mix of its stat advantage and a de-facto home game will help Auburn’s chances to earn another ranked win over a quad-1 team. The Tigers and Boilermakers square off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn forward Chaney Johnson embraces ‘next man up’ mentality in Auburn’s win over Georgia State

Johnson delivered a career-defining performance Tuesday in the absence of Johni Broome.

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers suffered a critical blow in Tuesday’s win over Georgia State as forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] was removed from the game due to a shoulder injury.

The task of taking on Broome’s production is tall, but it was a role that senior forward [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] filled beautifully.

“First off, all of the glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because without him I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t have been able to drop 26 points,” Johnson said postgame. “It’s a great feeling to have a team believe in you and the work finally paying off. Finally, not being in early foul trouble.”

In 30 minutes of play off the bench, Johnson built a stat line of 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Johnson reached a career-high in points by shooting 85% (12-of-14) from the field and connected on 2-of-5 free throw opportunities.

Johnson said he was prepared for the challenge despite unexpectedly taking on the new role.

“We always have the ‘next man up’ mentality. With Johni (Broome) going down, I knew I had to take a little more of the workload,” Johnson said Tuesday. “BP (Coach Pearl) would give me the ball in the right spots and my teammates would find me in the right spots.”

Pearl complimented Johnson’s work ethic by expressing pride in his performance. Pearl says Tuesday’s game was a by-product of the work put in by Johnson and assistant coach [autotag]Ira Bowman[/autotag].

“Ira Bowman is in the gym with him all the time and they’ve created a really nice inside-out game,” Pearl said. “He hasn’t shot the ball from the perimeter yet. Wait until he can shoot it and we can get that aspect going.”

At the time of this post, it is unclear whether or not Broome will be able to play in Auburn’s key game with No. 17 Purdue on Saturday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Should he not, expect Johnson to play a major role in Auburn’s final test of nonconference play.

In photos: Auburn basketball crushes Georgia State, 100-59

Check out the best photos from Auburn’s blowout victory over the Georgia State Panthers on Tuesday at Neville Arena.

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers claimed its 10th win of the 2024-25 season Tuesday night by crushing Georgia State, 100-59 at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Production was heavy and plenty as three players reached double-figures in points while four players recorded at least four rebounds. [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] was the star, scoring 26 points and registering eight rebounds off the bench. [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] tied [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag]’s record of 34 straight made free throws by connecting on all 11 opportunities, and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] went 5-for-7 from three-point territory en route to a 17-point night.

Those players had incredible nights in the absence of [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who exited the game less than three minutes in with a shoulder injury. Following the game, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shared that Broome would be re-evaluated on Wednesday, which should provide a clearer picture of his status for Saturday’s game vs. No. 17 Purdue in Birmingham.

Re-live Tuesday’s big win by checking out the photo gallery of Auburn’s 100-59 win over Georgia State.

Johni Broome injury: What is the latest update?

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl shares an update on forward Johni Broome, who suffered shoulder injury in Tuesday’s win over Georgia State.

This story was updated to add new information regarding Johni Broome’s injury status.

Auburn basketball recorded another convincing win on Tuesday, taking down Georgia State, 100-59.

Auburn outscored the Panthers, 57-28 in the second half and closed the game on an 11-0 run. However, the biggest takeaway from the game was Auburn’s ability to earn the dominating win despite being without [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] for most of the game.

On Wednesday, Auburn Athletics announced great news for Auburn fans: Broome will not require surgery and will start his rehabilitation right away. The release stated that Broome will undergo daily evaluations by the team’s medical staff and physicians.

Broome exited Tuesday’s game with a shoulder injury at the 17:42 mark in the first half after recording two points and two blocks. Following the game, Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shed light on how severe Broome’s injury was, and how long the team could be without him.

“Obviously, his right shoulder kind of came out, came right back in. He did it a year ago, so he’s had some experience with it,” Pearl said postgame. “We’re going to take a look at it tomorrow, and we’ll tell you more. Hopefully, he’s OK.”

Broome leads the Tigers in all major categories including points per game (18.1), rebounds per game (11.5), and assists (3.5). He was also named the co-SEC Player of the Week for the third time this season after dropping 21 points and securing 20 rebounds in Auburn’s 91-53 win over Ohio State last Saturday.

Next up for Auburn is a trip to Birmingham to face No. 17 Purdue at Legacy Arena. Auburn’s deep roster is filled with plenty of candidates to fill Broome’s shoes should he be unable to play. In the second half of Auburn’s win over Georgia State, [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] scored 26 points, dropping 13 in each half. [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] added 19 points and six assists while connecting on all 11 free throw tries. [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] also had a strong night by shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc en route to a 17-point outing.

The Tigers and Boilermakers will square off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on ESPN.

ESPN predicts winner of Tuesday’s Auburn vs. Georgia State game

What are No. 2 Auburn’s chances of earning a confidence boost ahead of Saturday’s showdown with No. 17 Purdue?

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers return to Neville Arena on Tuesday to face the Georgia State Panthers in a tune-up game before Saturday’s showdown with No. 17 Purdue in Birmingham.

Is Auburn on upset watch? Or will the Tigers prevail convincingly? ESPN’s final forecast indicates that the latter is a firm possibility.

According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has a 99.0% chance to beat Georgia State on Tuesday to improve its record to 9-1 in the waning days of its nonconference slate.

Tuesday’s game will feature two teams on the opposite side of the momentum spectrum. Auburn has won four of its last five games by 27.3 points. Georgia State, however, is 1-4 over its last five games, with its closest game being a four-point loss to crosstown rival Kennesaw State.

Auburn scores an average of 13 more points per game than Georgia State (87.4-74.3). Auburn also allows just under 13 fewer points than the visiting Panthers (65.7-78.0). Auburn has five players to average double-digits in points per game while Georgia State has four.

The matchup to watch tonight is between Auburn forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and Georgia State forward Zarique Nutter. Both players lead their teams in scoring with 19.7 and 17.9 points respectively. Broome holds the advantage in field goal percentage with 55.8% compared to Nutter’s 48.2%.

According to NET standards, Georgia State is a quad-4 squad. Auburn is 2-0 against quad-4 teams this season, beating Vermont and Richmond by an average score of 47.5 points. Georgia State is 0-2 against SEC teams Mississippi State and Kentucky, which join Auburn as quad-1 teams. Georgia State allowed both opponents to score over 100 points while committing 35 total turnovers.

Auburn faces Georgia State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Click here for a preview and a broadcast guide to Tuesday’s game at Neville Arena.

Where did Texas A&M basketball land in the US LBM Coaches poll after Week 6?

Texas A&M continues to stack wins and has won 9 of the last 10 games including several Quad 1/2 wins along the way.

Aggie basketball has only been getting better during their non-conference schedule and has a 9-2 record. It was mainly due to their top-ranked defense and ability to get to the free-throw line. In the Indy Classic against Purdue, they took another step forward with one of their better shooting games of the season in the 70-66 win.

Tennessee, Auburn, and Iowa State held on the top three spots with Marquette falling out of the top five down to No. 9. The Aggies are now on a five-game winning streak, and leaped seven spots to No. 11 and are one of eight SEC teams in the Top 25

Below is the most recent US LBM Coaches Top 25 Poll after Week 6:

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Tennessee	10-0	765 (22)
2	Auburn	9-1	744 (9)
3	Iowa State	9-1	708
4	Kentucky	10-1	664
5	Duke	8-2	638
6	Florida	10-0	610
7	Alabama	8-2	601
8	Kansas	8-2	518
9	Marquette	9-2	496
10	Oregon	10-1	454
11	Texas A&M	9-2	368
12	Houston	6-3	363
13	UConn	8-3	337
14	Gonzaga	7-3	328
15	Oklahoma	10-0	308
16	Ole Miss	9-1	282
17	Purdue	8-3	264
18	UCLA	9-1	263
19	Michigan State	8-2	178
20	Cincinnati	8-1	146
21	Michigan	8-2	113
22	Memphis	8-2	111
23	San Diego State	7-2	110
24	Dayton	9-2	92
25	Mississippi State	9-1	92

Schools Dropped Out

No. 16 Clemson; No. 22 Wisconsin; No. 25 Baylor;

Others Receiving Votes

Clemson 87; Baylor 79; Illinois 50; St. John’s 48; Drake 44; Utah State 40; Arkansas 31; Maryland 29; Georgia 23; Wisconsin 22; Pittsburgh 21; Missouri 18; North Carolina 9; West Virginia 5; Creighton 5; Texas Tech 3; Penn State 2;

Texas A&M will return home to face Houston Christian at Reed Arena on Dec. 20 at 1:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN+/SECN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

Where does Auburn basketball land in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll after its win over Ohio State?

Was Auburn’s dominating win over the Buckeyes enough to kick Tennessee out of the top spot?

Auburn basketball dominated Ohio State on Saturday, thus earning them a 91-53 win over the Buckeyes at Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Was the 38-point defeat of a quad-1 team enough for Auburn to claim the top spot of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they will remain at No. 2 in this week’s poll as the No. 1 team, Tennessee, defeated Miami and Illinois last week to remain unbeaten on the season.

Luck could change this week for Auburn as the Tigers will battle No. 17 Purdue on Saturday in Birmingham. Saturday’s game will provide an opportunity for Auburn to earn another quad-1 victory this season. Should the Tigers beat Purdue, Auburn will improve its record against quad-1 competition to 6-1 while Tennessee’s next quad-1 opportunity comes in January on the road at Florida. The Volunteers are currently 3-0 against quad-1 teams.

Five SEC teams are in the top 10 of this week’s coaches poll while four others round out the top 25. Kentucky checks in at No. 4 in this week’s poll, followed by Florida (No. 6), Alabama (No. 7), Texas A&M (No. 11), Oklahoma (No. 15), Ole Miss (No. 16), and Mississippi State (No. 25). Arkansas and Georgia received votes in this week’s poll.

In photos: Auburn basketball crushes Ohio State in Atlanta

Check out the best photos from Auburn’s 91-53 win over Ohio State at Holiday Hoopsgiving.

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers earned its fifth quad-1 win on Saturday by crushing Ohio State, 91-53.

The Tigers built the 38-point win by outshooting 46% to 35% and connecting on 86% of its free-throw attempts compared to Ohio State’s 58%. Auburn’s defense also turned eight Buckeye turnovers into 11 points.

[autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] put on a clinic by scoring 21 points and hauling in 20 rebounds in Saturday’s win, while [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] logged 10 points with eight rebounds. [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] trailed Broome in points with 14 and [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] scored 11 points off the bench.

Saturday’s win was stunning for the Auburn Tigers. Relive the key moments by checking out the photo gallery of Auburn’s win over Ohio State at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

ESPN predicts winner of Auburn vs. Ohio State

Will the No. 2 Tigers earn another “quad-1” win on Saturday?

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers will face the first of two Big Ten opponents in a week’s span this Saturday when they take on Ohio State at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the annual Holiday Hoopsgiving event.

Auburn has dominated eight of its nine opponents to this point of the season, with one tough loss at Duke. Ohio State, however, defeated then-No. 19 Texas to open the season but has lost two of its last three games. Who has the edge in Saturday’s neutral-site contest? ESPN’s predictions expect Auburn to win comfortably.

According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has a 77% chance to beat Ohio State on Saturday.

In two of its three losses, the Buckeyes failed to shoot above 40% and lost the glass battle by at least four rebounds in all three losses. Auburn will also need to keep an eye on leading scorers Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal, who consistently produce in wins and losses.

Auburn faces Ohio State on Saturday at noon CT. Click here for a full broadcast and betting guide to Saturday’s game in Atlanta.

Where does Auburn rank in this week’s USA TODAY Coaches poll?

How much did the Tigers’ midweek loss at Duke affect its place in the latest coaches poll?

The Auburn Tigers suffered its first loss last week, falling to No. 9 Duke on the road, 84-78. However, they rebounded by blowing past Richmond on Sunday to return to the win column.

Did last week’s 1-1 record affect the Tiger’s place within the USA TODAY Coaches Poll? The good news is that Auburn did not drop in the polls, but they failed to rise. Auburn remains at No. 2 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll heading into week six.

Tennessee is the poll’s big winner by jumping to No. 1 and dethroning last week’s No. 1, Kansas, after defeating Syracuse in the ACC-SEC Challenge, 96-70. Kansas falls to No. 9 after losing to unranked foes Creighton and Missouri.

Five SEC teams make up this week’s top 10. Joining Tennessee and Auburn are Kentucky (No. 5), Alabama (No. 7), and Florida (No. 8), while Ole Miss (No. 15), Oklahoma (No. 17), and Texas A&M (No. 18) round out the top 25. Mississippi State, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas are outside of this week’s poll in the “receiving votes” category.

Here is a look at this week’s USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Tennessee	8-0	745 (25)
2	Auburn	8-1	709 (5)
3	Iowa State	7-1	673
4	Marquette	9-1	633
5	Kentucky	8-1	630
6	Duke	7-2	613
7	Florida	9-0	530
8	Alabama	7-2	525
9	Gonzaga	7-2	462
10	Kansas	7-2	449
11	Purdue	8-2	424
12	Oregon	9-1	377
13	Houston	5-3	304
14	Michigan	8-1	258
15	Ole Miss	8-1	249
16	Clemson	9-1	237
17	Oklahoma	9-0	233
18	Texas A&M	8-2	194
19	Michigan State	8-2	166
20	UConn	7-3	152
21	UCLA	8-1	137
22	Wisconsin	8-2	129
23	Cincinnati	7-1	124
24	San Diego State	6-2	105
25	Baylor	5-3	99