For Auburn vs. Tulsa, it's simple: Defense wins (NIT) championships

After five months and nearly 40 games, the Tigers have a fitting ending in Indy. If they want to win, they've got to dig deep and defend.

(Auburn MBB/Instagram)

INDIANAPOLIS — Let’s go back five months and 37 games ago.

Auburn officially opened its first season under Steven Pearl with almost a completely fresh-faced roster, save for Tahaad Pettiford. The Tigers knew they wouldn’t have the same level of elite defense from the last few seasons — there was too much newness and not enough continuity. The exhibition against Oklahoma State made that clear.

On the first game night of a new era, Auburn survived a tremendous scare from Bethune-Cookman. The visitors scored 90 points in what was an overtime shootout, going 12-22 from 3-point range to keep themselves in the game and give them a shot at an upset that the program would remember forever.

A lot has changed in what has nearly been half a year for this Auburn basketball team. The Tigers have had to ride the exhilarating highs and crushing lows. They’ve had to overcome adversity that started well before the opening tip of the season. They had to endure the disappointment of falling short of the NCAA Tournament and find a way to maximize an opportunity to keep playing basketball in the NIT.

But the work on the defensive end of the floor — particularly when it comes to combatting 3-pointers — has towered over this Auburn season. Want to know how well the Tigers did? You usually just need to look at their defensive numbers.

Auburn was 20-3 this season when posting defensive efficiency of less than 120, per KenPom. When it was above that mark, Auburn was 1-13.

Looking at 3-point defense alone, Auburn was 6-11 when opponents shot above 35% from deep in a game — and 15-5 when they were held below that. Auburn will enter its final game at 344th nationally in 3-point defense, allowing 37.1% for the season.

So, naturally, Auburn will play for the NIT championship in Indianapolis on Sunday night against Tulsa, one of the best 3-point offenses in all of college basketball.

Of course.

“As a team, they shoot close to 40% from 3,” Pearl said Friday. “And that’s something that’s been a struggle of ours and something we’re going have to look into.”

Tulsa ranks No. 12 nationally in 3-point percentage, officially at 38.3% from deep. The Golden Hurricane, which has won 30 games for the first time since Bill Self led them to the Elite Eight, has hit double-digit 3-pointers in 11 out of its last 14 games. Going back to its conference tournament, Tulsa has hit a dozen 3s in four of its last six games.

Remember how Illinois State, Auburn’s semifinal matchup Thursday night at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, surrounded big man Chase Walker with several elite catch-and-shoot weapons? Tulsa has even more snipers in its arsenal.