Takeaways from Auburn Basketball’s loss vs. Georgia

Auburn played their first SEC road game Wednesday against Georgia in Athens. The first half did not go well for the Tigers. Outside a couple of runs, Auburn struggled on both ends. The Tigers played scrappy at times in the second half, but poor shooting and poor help defense ultimately were too much to overcome. Here are some takeaways from tonight’s game.

The Tigers had a rough first half

This years squad can beat anyone, but is capable of some really bad basketball. The shooting was atrocious, but the effort was also bad out there. It came across as an undisciplined high school scrimmage. Playing on the road is tough, but the Tigers were their own worst enemy in the first half.

Auburn Misses Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler

It can be hard to fully appreciate a good thing until it’s gone. Auburn fans were excited about the newcomers this year and may have overlooked just how great last years front court  was. Walker Kessler may lead the NBA in block rate as a rookie and Jabari Smith looks like a better pro than college player. Hats off and salute to last years standouts. You took Auburn to the top of the mountain and fans will never forget it.

This team is struggling on the road

Auburn struggled both under the bright lights in Atlanta against Memphis and against Georgia in Athens. The first halves were rough and the team looked out of sorts. There have been a Jekyll and Hyde component to this years team. Even within a single game, there are great runs and horrible stretches. I think this team will be good at home. Auburn was undefeated at home in the entire year of 2022. That is extremely impressive and a huge testament to what Bruce Pearl and staff have built. This team will hopefully win a lot of close ugly basketball games this year, but if Auburn starts losing a few, Auburn fans may start looking back fondly at last year and to the future that looks bright from a recruiting standpoint. Whatever happens, this season is looking like it may be a roller coaster ride in a lot of really positive and negative ways

Finally, here are some twitter reactions and highlights from tonight’s game