West Virginia and Auburn Square Off in Big 12/SEC Challenge
Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (12-8) meet the Auburn Tigers (16-4) as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge Saturday with tipoff set for noon and the action airing on ESPN.
Auburn had its five-game winning streak snapped following a 79-63 home loss to a hot Texas A&M squad on Wednesday. It was only the second loss the Tigers have suffered in the last nine games.
“They got great athleticism, and they got a great post player – he gave us fits when he was freshman,” said West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins.
Johni Broome posted 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks as a freshman for Morehead State in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament but the Mountaineers moved on with a 84-67 win.
Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) blocks Texas A&M Aggies forward Julius Marble (34) as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Texas A&M Aggies defeated Auburn Tigers 79-63.
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
Broome leads a Tigers squad regarded as one of the one of the best shot blocking teams in the country, ranking third in the NCAA with 6.1 blocks per game. Broome is swatting 2.7 blocks per game, which ranks eighth in the county. Broome is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game and his team-leading 8.5 rebounds per game places him second in the SEC behind former Mountaineer Oscar Tshiebwe’s 13.9 rpg.
Wendell Green Jr. leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game while dishing a team-best 4.3 assists per game. Green averaged 17.5 points in the last six games and six assists.
Jaylin Williams is third on the team in scoring at 10.7 ppg and nabbing 5.7 rebounds per game. In five games in which Williams did not hit double figures since December, Auburn lost four of them.
West Virginia is coming off its first Big 12 Conference road win in nearly two years (Feb. 23, 2021 @TCU) with a 76-61 win over Texas Tech Wednesday night with a pair of sophomores coming off the bench and producing career-highs.
Their opportunities arose early after all five starters were pulled from the game after committing five turnovers in the opening minutes of the game.
Guard Seth Wilson went for a a career-high 15 points with a career-mark 5-11 shooting from the three-point line.
“Seth, without a question, has earned playing time, but that’s not just the last game, he’s played well in prior games,” said Huggins.
Forward James Okonkwo grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds in the win over Texas Tech while playing a career-high 22 minutes.
“I’ve been trying to get James to step up a little bit more,” said Huggins. “James is such a good guy that he kinda steps back and lets other people take some minutes that he probably deserves. He’s our most athletic big. He’s probably our most talented when it comes just to overall athletic talent.”
Jan 18, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joe Toussaint (5) shoots during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at WVU Coliseum.
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Five Mountaineers have led West Virginia in scoring this season, with senior guard Joe Toussaint being the latest, putting up a career-high 22 points, behind 12-14 shooting from the free throw line, on Wednesday night.
Toussaint's minutes may increase against Auburn with starting point guard Kedrian Johnson is day-to-day with an ankle injury.
The West Virginia, Auburn series is split 2-2. The Mountaineers won the last meeting 88-59 during Huggins first season at WVU during the 2007-08 campaign.
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