Auburn Basketball took care of business Saturday by beating Missouri, 84-68, to open SEC play on a high note.
Five players reached double points, led by Johni Broome’s 24. The Tigers also shot 57 percent from the field and scored 22 points off Missouri turnovers. Defensively, Auburn pulled down 23 rebounds and held Missouri to just 38 percent shooting from the field.
Auburn found itself near the top of the KenPom rankings throughout the season. How much did their win against Missouri affect their position in the analytics rankings? Here’s a look at where Auburn stands in each major category measured by KenPom ahead of Sunday’s college basketball games.
Overall: #1
Auburn remains No. 1 in KenPom heading into Sunday’s action. However, the margin between them and No. 2 Duke continues to shrink. Auburn holds a NET rating of +36.71, just over a point and a half higher than the Blue Devils, who check Sunday’s rating at +35.06.
Adjusted offensive efficiency: #1
Auburn remains the most efficient offensive team in the country by a comfortable margin. According to KenPom data, Auburn is projected to score 130.5 points per 100 possessions, nearly six points more than the No. 2 team, UConn. Four of the top five offenses heading into Sunday call the SEC home. Florida, Alabama and Kentucky join Auburn among the four most efficient offenses in the country.
Adjusted defensive efficiency: #14
Auburn fell one spot to 14th in the adjusted defensive efficiency category after its win over Missouri. KenPom projects Auburn will allow its opponents to score 93.8 points per 100 possessions, which is third-best in the SEC behind Tennessee (No. 1) and Texas A&M (No. 5).
Adjusted tempo: n°169
Auburn is good at creating 68.9 possessions per game according to KenPom, which ranks No. 169 nationally. Auburn fell short of its average on Saturday, building just 67 possessions, 37 of which ended in points.
Strength of planning: No. 14
Auburn maintains a top-15 schedule as conference play heats up across the country. Auburn’s opponents collectively rank 17th in offensive efficiency and 8th in defensive efficiency. Missouri enters Sunday ranked 37th in offensive efficiency, and its defense ranks 86th.
Texas Overview
Auburn begins a two-game road trip Tuesday night when it faces new SEC member Texas in Austin. Texas A&M blew the Longhorns‘ first game Saturday with an 80-60 victory in College Station. Here’s a look at where Texas ranks in key categories measured by KenPom:
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Overall: No. 41 (No. 9 in SEC)
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Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 49 (114.3)
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Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: No. 38 (97.5)
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Adjusted tempo: No. 219 (67.8)
This article was originally published on Auburn Wire: How Auburn’s win over Missouri affects its KenPom rankings
