Mailbag 201: What does Auburn need to hit its ceiling?

This week: Complete performances, potential 8/9 matchups, having fun, jerseys, jerseys, Cuban sandwiches and The Oscars

(Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)

AUBURN — Welcome back to the mailbag. Here’s the first of the next 200 editions, right?

Once again, I’m not going to get into a long, drawn-out introduction this week. There were a lot of big-picture questions about this Auburn basketball team that’s on the verge of a legendary SEC championship season.

We’ll start with my pick for the biggest non-Johni Broome factor for Bruce Pearl and his team, and we’ll continue by looking ahead to potential NCAA Tournament matchups and where this squad might rank in the history books.

Towards the end, we have some fun with the Braves, sandwich etiquette, The Oscars and the always popular Jersey Night inside Neville Arena.

Thanks as always for subscribing and supporting The Observer. I can’t wait to cover another game inside Rupp Arena this weekend, and it’s all thanks to y’all. Let’s go.

Outside of Johni, what is the single most important aspect for this team to hit its ceiling night in and night out?

Pablo

My first instinct was to go with something on the defensive end of the floor. I have about as much faith in Auburn’s offense as possible.

This team has five double-digit per-game scorers who aren’t the National Player of the Year frontrunner. It turns the ball over at one of the lowest rates in the country, rebounds its own misses at one of the highest rates in the country and has a top-50 3-point attack. It just shredded a defense that wants to press and create as much havoc as possible for its most efficient performance in at least 28 years.

When you have an offense that efficient and that battle-tested, you’re going to want to pair it with a defense that just doesn’t give up points in bunches.

So, when I think about what has Auburn operating at the peak of its powers this season, I think about its ability to defend 3-pointers.

Auburn’s two losses this season have come in the games where it has allowed the second- and third-highest 3-point percentages: Florida (39.8%) and Duke (40.9%).

The only one higher was Memphis, which hit two-thirds of its 3-pointers but was never in the game because it only shot nine. If you look at some of Auburn’s closest calls this season — Iowa State and Texas immediately come to mind — you’ll find games when the opponent shot and hit triples at good rates, too.

For Auburn to hit its true ceiling, it needs the Denver Jones Torture Chamber operating at full capacity. It needs the likes of Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara to show why Auburn’s combination of length and experience has made this a different defense compared to seasons past. It needs Chris Moore to JYD it up. It needs Tahaad Pettiford to continue to fight hard on that end of the floor as well.

When Auburn is clamping down opponents on the perimeter, it’s putting up some of its best wins of the season. The Alabama victory and the Ole Miss wins are perfect examples, as well as the Tennessee nail-biter and the comfortable Missouri opener.

The last thing you want to see in March is an opponent become a postseason darling by raining 3-pointers all over you. (Auburn felt that last season against Yale.) In order to keep up with Auburn’s offense, opponents usually have to shoot and make triples at good clips.

Auburn is at its very best when it can limit that. When the Tigers’ perimeter defense is locked in, they can turn close games into comfortable wins — or even blowouts.

(Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)

Auburn hasn't played a complete 40 minutes of basketball yet this season, in my opinion, but I think there are a few games that could have arguments made for them being the best so far. Which game do you think has been Auburn's most complete game?

Prior to Wednesday, I would've said the Alabama game, and I may still lean in that direction, but the game against Ole Miss is definitely up there as one of the best games all season as well.

James

Honest question: If Auburn hasn’t, who has played a complete 40 minutes of basketball this season?