No. 1 Auburn at LSU, How to Watch, News, Notes

The No. 1 Auburn Tigers hit the road to take on LSU after an emotional win against Tennessee. Can Auburn avoid the trap game in Baton Rouge?
Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome was named SEC Player of the Week in his return from injury against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome was named SEC Player of the Week in his return from injury against the Tennessee Volunteers. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 1 Auburn Tigers (18-1, 6-0 SEC) vs. LSU Tigers (12-7, 1-5 SEC)
January 29, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215) | Baton Rouge, La.
TV: SEC Network

The Auburn Tigers men's basketball team continues to roll along after a heart-stopping two-point win over Tennessee on Saturday night. On the back of that thrilling victory, they make the trip to Baton Rouge to battle LSU (12-7, 1-5) at the Maravich Center. 

As with just about all SEC games, Auburn (18-1, 6-0) will need to ready themselves against an LSU squad that will play their best game against the nation’s No. 1 team. To a man, the players from Louisiana State, have not said much. Yet, while trap games exist, Auburn doesn't want to falter down the stretch on the road to the unranked Bayou Bengals. 

As a result, that makes this game a tough matchup despite LSU’s losing record in the conference.

The Return

When Johni Broome went down with an ankle injury, fear arose that the team would struggle on both sides of the court due to his absence. Yet the team didn't miss a beat and held the metaphorical fort while he recuperated going 3-0 in his absence (including a comeback win vs. South Carolina where he was hurt).

Now Broome rejoins the team, adding back their leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. In his first game back, Broome tallied a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. He was named SEC Player of the week for his efforts.

An already deep team gets even deeper. Those players that stepped up in Broome's absence gained valuable floor time that will help the team in the long run. 

Threat from LSU

Averaging 17.6 points per game, senior guard Cam Carter serves as the engine of the team. A late-bloomer as a scorer, Carter developed his game in two other spots, Mississippi State and Kansas State before heading to Baton Rouge. 

Not shy with the trigger, Carter is a volume shooter that never hesitates. This season he definitely improved both his shot percentage and selection. At 43.8%, Carter creates his own shots, fluctuating between three and attacking the rim. When he does get to the free throw line, Carter converts at a 90% clip, which makes fouling him a foolish endeavor. 

Overview

Now that Johni Broome is back in the fold and productive, Auburn appears at full strength. However, they will see Carter attempting to shoot his team into the lead. As mentioned, volume scoring from him means that he will definitely be a point of focus. 

Although heavily favored to leave Louisiana victorious, Auburn cannot play down to LSU's level. Instead, they need to act like the Bayou Bengals are Tennessee or Alabama, and start the game with furious abandon. The Tigers cannot allow opponents to stay close.

» Top-ranked Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) travels to LSU (12-7, 1-5 SEC) for the first of two road contests this week on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers will travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on No. 23 Ole Miss on Saturday.

» Auburn can match the best 20-game start in program history with a win – 19-1 during the 2021-22, 1998-99, 1958-59 and 1927-28 campaigns.

» AU and Alabama are the only two league teams that are undefeated on the road in SEC play with matching 3-0 marks.

» Wednesday’s matchup is another Quad 1 game for Auburn as LSU is 67th in the latest NCAA NET Rankings (Top 75 road wins are Quad 1).

» The Tigers are currently on a SEC-leading 11-game winning streak (fifth longest among all NCAA Division I teams).

» At 18-1 (.947), Auburn has the best record in college basketball against KenPom’s top-rated schedule.

» Auburn is the SEC’s only remaining undefeated team in league play at 6-0. This is the fourth time in the last eight seasons the Tigers are the last remaining undefeated team in SEC play.

» The Tigers are also one of 12 schools still undefeated in conference play including one of only four in a power conference (Duke, McNeese State, Houston, Michigan State, Saint Mary’s, Akron, Omaha, Utah Valley, Bryant, Southern and Yale).

» Auburn has defeated seven Top 25 opponents this season – two more Top 25 wins than the entire ACC has combined.

SCOUTING LSU

» LSU is led by senior guard Cam Carter, who ranks seventh in the SEC averaging 17.6 points per game (first averaging 19.0 points per game in league games only). He played his freshman season at Mississippi State (2021-22), before transferring to Kansas State (2022-24).

» Auburn is the fourth ranked team LSU has faced in the last five games. The Tigers lost the previous three, all on the road, 77-65 at No. 23 Ole Miss, 68-57 at No. 11 Texas A&M and 80-73 at No. 4 Alabama.

» LSU had the lead in the second half and was within five points with under four minutes left against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

» The Tigers are 10-1 at home with just one setback against Vanderbilt (L, 72-80) in their SEC opener on Jan. 4. They beat Arkansas, 78-74, in their last home game at the PMAC.

INSIDE THE SERIES

» LSU leads 87-71 in the all-time series with Auburn. However, the Auburn Tigers have won the last three-straight meetings (all by at least 15 points).

» In games played in Baton Rouge, LSU leads the series, 48-25, including 31-15 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The two teams have split the last 10 games in Baton Rouge.

» Auburn won the lone meeting between the two teams last season, 93-78, at Neville Arena.

» The last time the two schools met at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Auburn won 67-49 in 2023. It was the Tigers’ largest win in Baton Rouge since a 102-86 win in 1976 and their second-largest road win in series history. This does not include a 98-75 victory in 2017 that was later vacated by the NCAA.

COACHING SIDEBARS

» Bruce Pearl is 12-7 lifetime against LSU including 7-4 while coaching Auburn. He is 2-2 when coaching Auburn in games played in Baton Rouge. Pearl was 5-3 against the Tigers while at Tennessee including 2-1 in Baton Rouge.

» Coach Pearl is 5-0 against LSU head coach Matt McMahon including 2-0 since his tenure on the Bayou. All five games on the sidelines have come against Pearl’s squads at Auburn. The Tigers won 67-49 at LSU in 2023 and 93-78 in Neville Arena last season.

» Auburn won all three matchups against Murray State under McMahon, defeating the Racers, 81-77, on the road in 2017 and 93-88 and 71-58 at home in 2018 and 2021.

LOCK DOWN DEFENSE

» Auburn held No. 6 Tennessee to 51 points on Saturday, which is tied for the third-fewest points the Tigers have held an SEC opponent to under head coach Bruce Pearl. It was also the fewest since the Tigers held Arkansas to 51 points in last year’s SEC opener.

PLAYER TO WATCH: JOHNI BROOME

» For the fifth time of his career and fourth time this season, senior All-American Johni Broome is the reigning SEC Player of the Week. After missing two games (Mississippi State and at UGA) in SEC play with a left ankle sprain, he came off the bench against No. 6 Tennessee to record his 71st career double-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in 33 minutes of action.

» Broome currently ranks 19th all-time in career scoring in the school record books with 1,345 career points to date. However, he has amassed 2,329 points to date in his five-year career combined at Auburn and Morehead State.

» The big man on campus is also third all-time in program history in career blocked shots (203) with 47 of those this season.


Published
Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Senior Editor/ Podcast Host, Full Press Coverage, Bleav, Member: Football Writers Association of America, United States Basketball Writers Association, and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, National Football Foundation Voter: FWAA All-American, Jim Thorpe, Davey O'Brien, Outland, and Biletnikoff Awards