No. 1 Auburn hosts No. 6 Florida in Saturday Showdown – Auburn Tigers

On By Littum

Auburn, ala. And For No. 1 Auburn’s opponents, scoring points at Neville Arena are no small task.

Between the noise level and the skill level there are rarely light buckets that exist.

“The ninety -nine percent of that is the jungle. It’s like having a sixth defender out there, ”said Auburn Senior Guard Miles Kelly, whose former Georgia Tech teammate Jalon Moore got his first taste of Neville Arena on Tuesday in Auburn’s 98-70 win over Oklahoma. “He could hardly hear the play call.”

The top ranked tigers will look for any benefit they can find Saturday when they host No. 6 Florida in a matchup of SEC’s two top programs in scoring margins. Auburn Outscores opponents of a league-best 18.4 points per Match, while Gators is next at 17.6.

“They really improved defensively a year ago,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “They have a large size everywhere. They have always played really hard. They are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country. Of course we have our hands full.

“I think the game has consequences for a conference championship. I am excited about the opportunity to play such a good team. “

Gators’ Backcourt trio by Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard represent Florida’s top three scorers that combine to average 46.1 points per year. Match.

“This backcourt is as good as any backcourt we’ve played against,” Pearl said. “It’s a fantastic matchup in Backcourt. Both backcourts have veteran players, great size, dynamic abilities. “

“They play super hard and they are very versatile,” Kelly said. “We have to put the tone, squeeze them and make them uncomfortable, make their looks hard and pay attention to the scout.”

Auburn Center Dylan Cardwell, coming out of a six-block, 4-for-4-downfest against The Sooners.

“No matter what role I can have in Auburn to influence winning and, lord willing, win a national championship, I will be able to do,” Cardwell said. “We have potential and I want to help us stay together, win a national championship or compete for one. As long as we win, I am grateful for this role. “

Looking for his 15th win in a row, Auburn (21-1, 9-0) plays his fourth top-10 opponent of the season, No. 6 Florida (19-3, 6-3), Saturday at. 15.00 CT in Neville Arena on ESPN2.

Jeff Shearer is a senior author at Auburnigers.com. Follow him on x: @JEFF_SHEARS