Auburn Daily

How Auburn Has Attacked Guards During Tournament Play, Plan for Gators

If there is one team that has a shot at shutting down Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., it's the Auburn Tigers

Auburn Daily Staff

Auburn has to shut down Calyton to advance to the National Championship game
Auburn has to shut down Calyton to advance to the National Championship game / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
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In a month in which the Florida Gators have been propelled by good guard play, most famously the play of Walter Clayton Jr, the Auburn Tigers have found their success in stopping it.

In four tournament games for the Tigers so far, their opponents’ top scoring guards on the season have averaged just 12.75 points against the viscous Auburn defense, one point lower than their combined average over the season. The list, made up of Jaden Akins, Tre Donaldson, Steven Ashworth and Amarr Knox, shot just around 37% from the field.

Against Ashworth and Donaldson specifically, the two best three-point shooters of the list, Auburn managed to avoid letting the shooters make an impact from range. Both shot over one attempt less than their average on the season from deep while making less shots from that distance as well, showing a possible focus on not letting the Gators star get up looks from behind the arch.

“Clayton can't be the best player on the floor again for us to win the game.” Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl said in his media conference before the final four matchup. “He was when we played them in Neville Arena.”

The Tigers will not be unfamiliar with being lined up against the All American, playing him this year in a February matchup in which Clayton showed out.

In the Gators 90-81 win over Pearl and the Tigers, Clayton went for a team leading 19 points while playing a shocking 40 minutes, showing the country what Florida fans already knew.

“I think things that we internally already knew about him was kind of realized by everybody outside watching that he was, if not the best, one of the best guards in America.” Gators head coach Todd Golden said about the performance. “He certainly displayed that over the back half of the season as well.”

While Auburn has found success in getting the ball out of their opponents top scoring guards, Clayton will clearly be the best they have faced in the tournament yet.

Over the season, the Gators leading scorer averaged more points-per-game than any of the four previously mentioned players, beating their combined average by 4.35 points. He also shot better from the field and from three.

“It's hard to recognize a more complete point guard than Walter Clayton Jr.” Pearl said about the Gators top threat.

While Florida has other options ready to perform, the battle of Clayton versus a defense that has found its success against talented guards will surely be one of the bigger matchups tonight in a game that has a chance to be one to remember.

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