Tigers vs. Tigers in NCAA Tournament's Round of 32
Clemson and Auburn will face off in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament tonight at 7:10 PM on TBS.
Tonight's game will be the first game between the two teams since a 72-61 Clemson win in December of 2014. Auburn leads the all-time series 15-12.
Earlier this season, the two would have met in Charleston, but Temple played the role of spoiler and knocked off Auburn before taking Clemson out in the tournament finals.
In addition to the Owls, Clemson and Auburn both faced Hofstra, Florida, and South Carolina. Clemson beat all three of those foes, while Auburn beat the Pride, lost to the Gators, and split their series with the Gamecocks.
Both teams enter the game with similar resumes and expectations.
Bruce Pearl has quickly changed the complexion of Auburn hoops, and the Tigers are looking like the teams from the Plains that were coached by Cliff Ellis in the late-90s. AU enters Sunday's game after escaping 13-seed Charleston 62-58.
Speaking of Cliff Ellis, before his stint at Auburn he was Clemson and he led both programs to the Sweet Sixteen. In 1990 it was a Tate George buzzer-beater that sent Clemson packing. His run to the Sweet Sixteen is just one of Clemson's three trips to that round in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
At Auburn, Ellis' trip to the Sweet 16 in 1999 was the fourth visit to that round for AU.
Auburn opened as a one-point favorite over Clemson, but the line quickly moved, and now it's Clemson who is favored.
Given the returns from Clemson's guards against New Mexico State and Auburn's lack of size on the interior, it's easy to see why Clemson is now felt to be the more likely team to advance.
Unlike Auburn, Clemson took control of their opening round game and never looked back in a 79-68 win.
The Tigers' guards led the way combining for 60 points while shooting a combined 25-42 from the field. Shelton Mitchell scored a season-high 23 points while Gabe DeVoe chipped in with 22 and Marcquise Reed put 15 in the books.
Brad Brownell was asked about his guards and their relationship.
"I think as much as anything, when you really like the guys you're playing with, you're willing to sacrifice more," Brownell said Saturday. "That's something we talk a lot about at Clemson is being unselfish in nature and having a willingness to want to sacrifice for the good of the team."
If Clemson is going to advance, they need to be disruptive against Auburn's Mustapha Heron and Desean Murray. The two combined to score 27 points against Charleston and slowing one of the two would go a long way towards helping Clemson advance.
Keep your eye on AU's Bryce Brown as well. He has a sluggish opening round game but has the ability to score in bunches. Brown topped 25 points this season six times and most recently scored 29 points against South Carolina on February 17th.
In our San Diego Regional Preview (which we've now made free to everyone) we said: "Looking ahead, Auburn nor College of Charleston seem to present a significant threat in the Second Round. In fact, I've been in the "Auburn is overrated" camp for a few months." That continues to be our belief.
The Tigers have won a lot of ways this season and a staple has been "Clemson Grit," and we expect that mindset to carry the Tigers. Brownell touched on where the term came from.
"Grit, passion, and perseverance toward a long-term goal and that can be applied to many things," Brownell noted. "I think that's something I wanted to challenge our players with because I don't think young people really, long-term isn't how they think."
Auburn is absolutely more than capable of beating Clemson, but in our estimation, this one goes to the "Gritty" Tigers by 6-12 points.
We will take you "Inside the Numbers" at noon.