Where Auburn stands in KenPom rankings following loss to West Virginia
It was a week to forget for the No. 16 Auburn Tigers.
The week began with a 16-point loss to Texas A&M, which snapped their 28-game home winning streak, the nation’s longest at the time. Then, followed that with a three-point loss to West Virginia in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
Auburn hopes to get back into the win column this week, but the task will be a challenging one. The Tigers welcome Georgia to Neville Arena for a Wednesday night showdown in hopes to get revenge on the enhanced Bulldogs after they pulled off the upset in Athens on Jan. 4.
The road gets even tougher for Auburn after their midweek tilt, as they will travel to No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.
Taking a look at the latest KenPom rankings, Auburn has suffered a drop in several categories, while receiving a boost in others. Here’s a look at how Saturday’s loss to West Virginia affected Auburn’s place in the latest KenPom rankings.
Overall Ranking: No. 29
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
As expected, Auburn has dropped out of the top 25 following two-straight losses to unranked teams. West Virginia was able to take advantage of winning two games last week, as they move into the No. 20 spot.
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: No. 61
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the loss to West Virginia, Auburn improved its’ offensive efficiency ranking from No. 65 to No. 61. Auburn is projected to score 111.0 points per 100 possessions. Marquette leads the nation in this category by scoring a forecasted 121.0 points per 100 possessions.
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: No. 19
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn’s defensive efficiency took a hit following the West Virginia loss, as they fall four spots to No. 19. The Tigers are projected to allow their opponents to score 93.2 points per 100 possessions. Tennessee leads the nation in the category by allowing a forecasted 84.1 points per 100 possessions.
Adjusted Tempo: No. 142
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers were able to create more possessions in the West Virginia game, which moves their place in the rankings to No. 142, up from No. 146 after the loss to Texas A&M last Wednesday. Auburn is expected to produce 67.8 possessions per a 40 minute contest. UT- Rio Grande Valley has more offensive possessions than anyone in the country, as they create 74.0 offensive opportunities per 40 minute game.
Strength of Schedule: No. 40
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn played two teams in the top-30 of the KenPom last week, which boosted their strength of schedule from No. 44 to No. 40. According to the latest KenPom data, Kansas has the nation’s toughest schedule, while St. Francis (NY) plays the easiest schedule.
Georgia overview
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Georgia Bulldogs visit Neville Arena on Wednesday in hopes to earn the season sweep of the Auburn Tigers. The Bulldogs are 4-4 in SEC play, and are coming off of an 81-78 overtime win over South Carolina. Here is where the Bulldogs stand heading into the week:
