Auburn dominates Nebraska to open Holiday Hoopsgiving.
By: Nicolas Rioja
The first game of Holiday Hoopsgiving took place this morning as Auburn, coming in at 8-1, squared off against the 5-5 Nebraska Cornhuskers in State Farm Arena. Auburn was in an unusual situation today, operating without head coach Bruce Pearl who was serving part of a two game suspension handed down by the NCAA.
The Tigers, however, didn’t miss a beat, and it was clear from the opening tip that they were the better team. With a 10-9 lead in the first half, guard Wendell Green hit a jumper for Auburn that sparked a 13-0 run, and they never looked back.
Freshman and Atlanta native Jabari Smith was the headliner with 21 points on 7-13 shooting and 3-6 from behind the arc. The combination of size, athleticism, and shooting ability has NBA scouts salivating and his draft stock continues to rise. He is a rare case in that after watching him for only 5 minutes, you can tell he has the potential and raw tools to be an NBA star. Transfer Wendell Green was stellar as well, dropping 19 points and 6 assists with a few NBA range threes. Devan Cambridge wowed with several emphatic alley-oops and KD Johnson pitched in 12 points.
For Nebraska, 5 star freshman Bryce McGowens made some impressive plays and crafty moves en route to a 14 point showing, while Arizona State transfer Alonzo Verge had 10.
The biggest difference in the game was on defense, where Auburn used their athleticism to create 20 turnovers which in turn led to easy buckets. In the halfourt, the Tigers manufactured quality looks and had 26 assists as a team, shooting over 50% on 39 made field goals. You will not lose many games with 26 assists on 39 made field goals. For Auburn, the hot start to the season has shifted the focus, which is no longer on just making the NCAA Tournament, but on contending for a top 4 seed and a deep run. The Tigers will finish up their non-conference slate with games against North Alabama, Saint Louis, and Murray State before starting SEC play. Nebraska takes on conference foe Kansas State at 6 ET on Sunday.
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