AUBURN, Ala. – Not only is No. 12 Auburn undefeated through its first nine games, the Tigers also possess the 12th-best strength of schedule in the country. They are one of only eight teams in the nation to amass five wins away from home this season.
That schedule doesn't get any easier this week with North Carolina State coming to Auburn Arena on Thursday night. The Wolfpack are fifth in the country in offensive efficiency and 17th in scoring with 82.5 points per game. They returned six of their top seven scorers from last year's team that beat Auburn, 78-71, in their building.
"It's like we've been talking about all season, it just seems like the next one gets to be tougher," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "That's sort of the case with NC State. You go back and look at our game against them last year, and they really handed it to us."
"They were making a lot of shots, making a lot of 3s (last year)," added Auburn guard Samir Doughty said. "I'm not sure the exact number, but I'm pretty sure we turned the ball over about 26 or 27 times. We can't beat any teams like that in the country turning the ball over that much. So that's something that we're going to focus on."
The Tigers turned the ball over just seven times in Saturday's 67-61 win over Saint Louis. They also clamped down on the defensive end, holding the Billikens to their second-lowest scoring output of the season. That will be a point of emphasis again Thursday against North Carolina State, especially with conference play right around the corner.
"Right now, there's not a team in the SEC firing on the offensive cylinders that this (NCSU) team is firing on," Pearl said. "This will be as good of an offensive team as we'll play. So it will help expose us and get us ready for SEC play."
Thursday's game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes on the call.
Holiday bleacher games
Please note for the Dec. 19 (NC State), Dec. 21 (Lehigh) and Dec. 29 (Lipscomb) home games that there will only be a Stadium Deck parking shuttle. There will not be a shuttle running from the facilities lot. With students on holiday break, fans are encouraged to park in the Coliseum, Athletics Complex, Stadium Deck and Campus Safety lots.
Fans who plan on entering or exiting campus from Shug Jordan Parkway for the Dec. 19 (NC State) and Dec. 21 (Lehigh) home games are encouraged to use Wire Road as West Samford will be closed due to construction.
Player to watch: Isaac Okoro
Auburn freshman Isaac Okoro is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game while shooting at an efficient .570 clip from the floor. The Powder Springs, Georgia native has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. Okoro became just the second Tiger freshman since 1990 to accomplish the feat.
Inside the series: North Carolina State
The Tigers and Wolfpack have played against each other nine times in the all-time series with NC State holding a 6-3 advantage. Auburn has won the two previous meetings on The Plains.
NC State won the first game of the home-and-home series last year in Raleigh, 78-71, where Auburn turned it over a season-high 25 times.
Getting NET-ty
Auburn appeared at No. 7 in the NCAA's first release of the NET this season. It is tied for the highest rating achieved by the Tigers, matching their NET on Dec. 8, 2018.
Auburn has appeared in the top 25 of the NET every day since Jan. 29 of last season. The Tigers, along with Tennessee, are the only two teams in the SEC to be inside the top 25 in every NET ranking since Jan. 29, including this season.
The Tigers ended the season last year at No. 13 following their run to the Final Four.