The Auburn Tigers have soared to the top of the college basketball world. Earlier this week, they were ranked the top team in the AP Poll. Now, they hang tight at the top of ESPN’s power rankings.
Despite missing their star player in forward Johni Broome, it hasn’t stopped the Tigers from handling the early part of SEC play.
“No Broome, no problem,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote. “Auburn battered Mississippi State by 22 points in its first full game since Broome suffered a sprained ankle that should keep him out at least a couple of weeks.
A standout talent in the eyes of Borzello is senior forward Chaney Johnson.
In the dominant win over Mississippi State, Johnson nailed seven of 10 shots, making his lone three-point shot on the night. He made both of his free throws. He finished the day with 17 points and eight rebounds.
Along with Johnson, Chad Baker-Mazara had a big game, putting up 20 points against the Bulldogs. His eight for 11 on field goal attempts is better than Johnson’s (72% to 70%).
Three other players also had double-digit points: freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford (12) and senior guards Miles Kelly and Denver Jones (13 each).
Safe to say Auburn was able to put together a solid team effort in the absence of Broome.
It was revealed on Sunday that Broome suffered a non-surgical, ankle sprain in the win over South Carolina. He’s not expected to miss an extended period of time, but there is always the chance that missing your best player will sting as adjustments are made.
At least against Mississippi State, that was not the case for Auburn.
Bruce Pearl and company currently stand 16-1 on the season and stand at 4-0 in SEC play. Their nine-game winning streak is more than twice as long as the next best in the SEC – No. 21 Ole Miss is on a four-game winning streak after upsetting No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday night.
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