The No. 2 Auburn Tigers learned plenty about themselves on Tuesday.
Star forward Johni Broome exited Auburn’s win over Georgia State early in the first half due to a shoulder injury, which led to several players stepping up to fill the void left behind by the three-time SEC Player of the Week. Chaney Johnson scored 26 points off the bench, followed by a 19-point outing by Chad Baker-Mazara and a 17-point game from Denver Jones.
As a team, Auburn connected on 57% of its shots from the field while scoring 30 points off of 20 Georgia State turnovers. The Tigers separated themselves from Georgia State in the second half by outscoring the Panthers, 57-28, over the final 20 minutes. Auburn shot 69.2% from the field and 54.5% from three-point territory in the second half while limiting Georgia State to a 35.7% field goal percentage and 1-12 from three-point land.
How did Auburn’s blowout victory affect its place within the KenPom? Here is a look at where Auburn stands in KenPom heading into Wednesday.
Overall: No. 1
Auburn’s win over Georgia State was strong enough to keep them at the No. 1 spot in the latest KenPom update. Auburn’s new efficiency margin is +35.36, just under four points higher than No. 2 Tennessee.
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 1
Even without the help of Johni Broome, Auburn managed to post 100 points on 57.2% shooting from the field. Auburn is projected to score 130.5 points per 100 possessions, five points more than No. 2 Gonzaga.
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 12
Auburn continues its pursuit to become a top-10 defense by checking in at No. 12 on Wednesday. Auburn’s defense is forecasted to allow opponents to score 95.1 points per 100 possessions, which is third-highest among SEC teams behind No. 1 Tennessee (88.3) and No. 6 Texas A&M (93.9).
Adjusted tempo: No. 183
Auburn climbed 11 spots in the adjusted tempo category after Tuesday’s win over Georgia State. According to KenPom, Auburn averages 68.1 possessions per game. Auburn had an above-average game in the stat line Tuesday by creating 72 possessions and scoring on 45.
Strength of schedule: No. 12
Auburn’s win over KenPom’s No. 264 team, Georgia State, dropped its strength of schedule five spots to No. 12. Auburn’s opponents have an offensive efficiency margin of 111.3 (No. 21) and a defensive margin of 100.5 (No. 6 nationally). The Tigers could climb back into the top 10 this weekend by beating Purdue.
Purdue overview
The Purdue Boilermakers entered the week at No. 17 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll with an 8-3 record. Matt Painter’s club is 2-1 against SEC teams this season after beating No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Ole Miss, but recently losing to No. 11 Texas A&M.
Here is where Purdue ranks in KenPom’s major categories heading into Wednesday.
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Overall: No. 21
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Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 9 (121.3)
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Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 64 (100.3)
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Adjusted tempo: No. 312 (65.4)
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Strength of schedule: No. 10
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: How Auburn’s win over Georgia State affects its KenPom ranking
