Auburn suffered its third SEC loss of the season on Saturday, and it was the worst one to date.
No. 11 Auburn had not suffered a loss by more than six points before Saturday’s game at Florida but would depart Gainesville with an 81-65 defeat. Auburn found a way to trim the Gators’ lead to 16 points before the final horn sounded, as they were down by as many as 29 points at one point in the contest.
How does a tough loss on the road affect Auburn’s KenPom ranking? Surprisingly enough, not in as negative of a way as most would think. Here’s a look at where Auburn stands in the latest KenPom ranking ahead of Sunday’s action across college basketball.
Overall ranking: No. 5
Turns out, Auburn’s placement in the KenPom did not change much despite the 16-point loss to Florida. Auburn remains the top team in the SEC, with Alabama and Tennessee immediately behind them at No. 6 and No. 7 respectively.
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 14
Auburn’s overall ranking did not suffer a blow, but its adjusted offensive efficiency did. Auburn dropped out of the top 10 following the Florida loss to No. 14, which is No. 5 within the SEC. The Gators took a huge leap in the category, as they advance from No. 17 to No. 10.
KenPom suggests that Auburn can score 118.5 points per 100 possessions.
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 4
Auburn remains a top-five defense following Saturday’s action. Auburn’s defense remains the best in the SEC, and is one of two teams from the conference to occupy the top-10.
KenPom forecasts Auburn’s opponents to score 92.0 points per 100 possessions in its latest update.
Adjusted tempo: No. 75
Auburn saw their tempo drop slightly on Saturday, as they were only able to create 67 possessions in the Florida game. KenPom projects Auburn to earn 69.7 possessions per game.
Strength of Schedule: No. 54
As the SEC schedule continues, so does the difficulty of Auburn’s slate. The Tigers’ strength of schedule ranking has increased to No. 54, up from No. 65 following the Alabama game. Auburn’s schedule is considered to be 11th toughest in the SEC.
South Carolina overview
The South Carolina Gamecocks are the hottest team in the SEC currently, as they will enter Wednesday’s contest at Auburn with an 21-3 record, and a 9-2 record in SEC play. The Gamecocks most recently defeated Vanderbilt, 75-60, to win its seventh game in a row. Here’s where the Gamecocks stand in the latest KenPom update.
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Overall: No. 45
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Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 49 (114.2)
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Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 50 (98.8)
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Adjusted tempo: No. 355 (62.6)
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Strength of Schedule: No. 108
