Auburn basketball walked into Vegas looking for another early-season test. Instead, the Tigers got hit with a freight train painted maize and blue. Michigan absolutely blitzed Auburn 102–72, handing the Tigers their first real gut-check moment of the season — and exposing exactly where this team MUST grow.
From the opening tip, nothing felt right. Auburn didn’t score a field goal for what felt like forever. Tahaad Pettiford finally got the Tigers on the board at the free-throw line…but the lid stayed on the rim far too long. Auburn shot just 35% from the field and barely 55% from the free-throw line. Even when they did get clean looks at the rim, the finish wasn’t there.
And when you’re not shooting it well? You’d better defend and rebound. Auburn didn’t.
Michigan was flat-out dominant everywhere — 51% from the field, 40% from three, 82% at the line, and they owned the glass 51–35. Auburn has been competitive on the boards all year, but Michigan’s size, effort, and physicality overwhelmed the Tigers. Even when Auburn forced a miss, they couldn’t finish defensive possessions consistently.
Coach Steven Pearl said afterward that Auburn allowed Michigan to feel “comfortable” all night. That’s the worst word you can use about a defense that prides itself on pressure, switching, and energy.
Who Stepped Up?
Honestly — not many.
But three Tigers deserve credit for at least making something happen:
• Keyshawn Murphy – Looked like the one guy whose energy matched the moment. 12 points, 5 rebounds, strong downhill drives, and Auburn’s best plus/minus of any major-minute player.
• Filip Jović – 13 points, 6 boards, and relentless effort in the paint. He battled, even if he was undersized and overwhelmed at times. Free throws (5–11) kept him from an even better night.
• Tahaad Pettiford – 16 points and finally found the three-ball (4–6), but the overall game wasn’t sharp enough. Auburn needs him to BOTH score efficiently and facilitate. One assist isn’t going to cut it as this team’s engine.
Who Struggled?
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Kevin Overton had a nightmare outing. 0-for-5 from the floor, 0-for-3 from three, missed his first two free throws, and wasn’t able to impact the game defensively either.
Auburn doesn’t need him to be perfect — they need him to give good minutes. That didn’t happen.
Bigger Picture
Depth — or lack of it — reared its head. Auburn doesn’t have enough bodies to survive multiple nights of high-effort basketball in tournament settings right now. Short rest, physical opponents, and limited rotations? Recipe for exactly what we saw.
Michigan was flat-out the better team. But Auburn also made it way too easy for them.
The good news? The schedule doesn’t stop, and Auburn has a chance to respond immediately.
Next up: St. John’s.
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