The Stretch 4: Does Auburn have more "neutral"-site magic?
Auburn might be down a man against Purdue. But it won't be that way in the stands at all — and the Tigers will lean on that Saturday.
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C Dylan Cardwell (Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)
AUBURN — Auburn might be down a man on the court Saturday against Purdue.
But the feeling in the stands will be the exact opposite for the Tigers.
On Saturday afternoon, Auburn will square off with Purdue in Birmingham for the last of its massive matchups in the toughest non-conference schedule in program history.
The Tigers have gone 5-1 so far in those valuable Quad 1 games. No one else in college basketball has five such victories, and no one even has four at the moment. (Memphis’ neutral-site win over San Francisco recently got downgraded to Quad 2.)
It kind of makes it feel like Auburn is playing with house money this weekend. Even with a Purdue loss, the Tigers could still have the argument for the strongest non-conference resume in all of Division I. It would be more understandable, too, if All-American center Johni Broome sits out with a right shoulder injury.
Still, even if Auburn doesn’t have Broome, it will outnumber Purdue in a different way. The Tigers will play just a couple of hours up the road at Legacy Arena, which seats nearly 18,000 fans. The vast majority of them will be wearing orange and blue.
“It's a blessing to play in front of those fans, because they're always passionate, and they're excited to come see us,” center Dylan Cardwell said Thursday. “And, sometimes, it's people's only chance to come see us play, at away games. For us to have a pro arena filled up… it’s just so fun.”
A week ago, in a neutral-site game against a Big Ten team in a pro arena not too far away from home, Auburn blitzed Ohio State with a 38-point victory that never felt remotely competitive. That crowd was almost all Auburn, too.
This Saturday’s matchup will be a different story, no matter Broome’s status. Purdue has been one of the nation’s most consistently strong programs under Matt Painter, and it’s just a year removed from playing for a national championship.
There’s no Zach Edey, but several of the key pieces that played on that team are back — including a pair of National Player of the Year candidates, per Bruce Pearl.
“Purdue's already beaten Alabama and Ole Miss in our league,” Pearl added. “They lost to Texas A&M. All those teams were ranked when they played them. They've got a great win over Maryland and one over NC State. They've played a really tough schedule.”
Purdue sits just outside the top 20 in KenPom and the top 30 in NET, yet it has a roster that can truly compete with anybody, anywhere.
Auburn will put that second part to the test Saturday afternoon, when it looks to improve to a perfect 6-0 at “neutral” sites.
“It's a blessing, man, to be part of a team and college where fans love you so much that they're willing to drive,” power forward Chaney Johnson said. “Birmingham's not too far, but there was a good bit of them at the Duke game, as well. Tickets aren't cheap. They bring great energy. Without them, we wouldn't be able to feed off the energy they give. It's a blessing to have fans that ride for their players and their team.”
For the latest on Broome and a full preview of Auburn vs. Purdue in Birmingham, here is this week’s edition of The Stretch 4.