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Syracuse will play its first opponent from the Southeastern Conference since Nov. 26, 2016, a loss to South Carolina, when the Orange face Auburn in the Battle 4 Atlantis’ fifth-place game. They defeated Arizona State last night and scored 92 or more points for the second time this season, while Auburn squeezed past Loyola Chicago, 62-53, after suffering an overtime loss against UConn in the tournament opener.

Cole Swider converted on 4-of-5 3-point attempts after he opened the season with just three makes in 22 attempts, while Jesse Edwards scored a career-high 21 points one day after fouling out in SU’s loss to VCU. Its offense shot 54.1% from the field, including 42.1% on its 19 3-point shots, and that happened despite only one make from Buddy Boeheim beyond the arc. Auburn, meanwhile, ranked No. 19 in last weeks’ AP Top 25 poll and opened its 2021-22 season with three consecutive wins before falling to the Huskies on Wednesday.

Here’s everything you need to know about Auburn (4-1) as the Orange (3-2) wrap up their stretch in the Bahamas and inch closer to conference play.

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 1-0

Last time they played

The No. 3-seed Orange avoided an upset by No. 10-seed Auburn in the Sweet 16 of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, defeating the Tigers, 79-78, en route to the program’s only national championship the next weekend. SU led by 17 at halftime, but it took Kueth Duany’s four late free throws to clinch the victory. Carmelo Anthony paced Syracuse with 18 points despite a scoreless first half facing Auburn’s triangle-and-two defense, Hakim Warrick added 15, and the Orange advanced to face Oklahoma in the Elite Eight two days later.

KenPom odds

KenPom gives Syracuse a 35% chance of winning, with a projected Auburn victory of 78-73.

The Tigers Report

Auburn has the 27th-best offense and 35th-best defense in terms of adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom, but only shoot 31.5% from 3 — relying on a balanced offense that finds ways to get to the foul line. K.D. Johnson draws 7.5 fouls per 40 minutes, the 22nd-highest clip in the country, while Jabari Smith also draws 4.8 per game, boosting Auburn’s free-throw total to 110 through five games this season. Syracuse, by comparison, has shot 91 free throws and is led by Buddy Boeheim drawing 4.6 fouls per game.

Johnson leads Auburn in scoring with 15.8 points per game while Smith averages 15.2 and shoots 40% from beyond the arc, and his 6-foot-10 frame makes it difficult to defend shots and disrupt his vision. Smith, a freshman, ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the country for his recruiting class, according to 247Sports, while slotting as the top recruit in Georgia and the highest-rated recruit in Auburn history. North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler’s 15.8 block percentage ranks 12th nationally, and his 7-foot-1 frame anchors Auburn’s presence in the paint, too.

The Tigers blew out Morehead State and Louisiana State to open the season, but their past two wins have come by nine or fewer points — with the loss to Connecticut sandwiched in between.

How Syracuse beats Auburn

Auburn defense’s forces turnovers and chaotic scenarios that throw offenses off their rhythm, and it’ll take a 3-point outburst that Syracuse hasn’t had this season to push past the Tigers and claim their first win against a ranked opponent this season. Its season-high for made 3-pointers in a game is 13, which the Orange made against Lafayette in the season-opener, and the most they’ve made in a game is eight.

Part of that, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said, stems from how defenses attack Buddy, Joe Girard III and Swider at the perimeter, limiting their open looks and forcing the Orange to beat them inside. They’ll need to find ways to create space and not rely on 21 points from Edwards again — returning to the 3-point shooting identity that was supposed to define this group throughout the season. Kessler’s size will make it difficult to generate points in the paint consistently, and Auburn’s 3-point defense that ranks 259th in the country (opponents have shot 36.2%) presents a window for SU to capitalize.

Stat to know: 6.5

K.D. Johnson’s 6.5% steal percentage ranks 11th in the country, according to KenPom, and he’s accumulated nine across two Battle 4 Atlantis games. Johnson’s presence and ability to create turnovers could impact Syracuse offensively because Girard has struggled in the Bahamas, recording 10 turnovers and just five assists, after serving as a key facilitator to open the season. The Orange lack guard depth at the point guard position too, and Kadary Richmond’s presence last year helped in situations like these because of his ability to drive to blocks, draw defenders and either finish at the glass or kick out to the wings where space had opened up.

Player to watch: Walker Kessler, Guard, No. 13

Kessler only played 16 combined minutes in two games against Syracuse last season while with UNC, but his role has expanded with Auburn through his first five games with Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. He’s started all five games, played 23 or more minutes in four games, and has blossomed at Battle 4 Atlantis — recording double-doubles, the second and third of his career — in both games.

In Auburn’s game against UConn, he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 boards, and he added a 13-10 statline the next day. His rebounding abilities will pose perhaps Edwards’ most difficult challenge yet this season, and the Orange need Edwards to stay out of foul trouble to avoid having to go small with Jimmy Boeheim at center or sub in 6-foot-10 Frank Anselem. Kessler does struggle at the free-throw line, though, making just 4-of-10 shots this season to hold the lowest percentage on Auburn.

Published on November 26, 2021 at 1:41 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew