Michigan State basketball defeated Ole Miss on Friday night and was followed up by Auburn defeating Michigan in Atlanta. With the Spartans and Tigers taking both Sweet 16 games in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament, it has set up an Elite 8 matchup between the top two seeded teams in the region.
Coming into the contest, Auburn very well could be the most talented team the Spartans have seen all season long. Auburn ranks absurdly well in almost every metric available, and will surely give Michigan State all that they can handle on Sunday.
The No. 1 seeded Tigers have the full attention of the Spartans, and coming into the game at 31-5, there is a ton to look at when analyzing how the Spartans could potentially win this game.
Check out the key trends, and analyze the Spartans upcoming matchup with Auburn:
Star power
It is not really much of a secret, Johni Broome is a certified stud, averaging 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Following the All-American and National Player of the Year contender is four guards all averaging more than 11 points per game, headlined by Chad Baker-Mazara.
At the end of the day, Auburn has all the star power they need, with one of the best bigs in college basketball and a slew of guards who can beat you on any given night.
Offensive rebounding
This is a battle of two teams that are known for excelling on the offensive glass. Michigan State will come into the game ranked No. 21 in offensive rebounding percentage, while Auburn is close behind at No. 31. Keeping each other off of the offensive glass will play a big factor in any separation that is found between these two teams.
Of note, Michigan State is No. 8 in defensive rebounding percentage, while Auburn sits at No. 109 in that category.
Three point shooting
It is a trend in the SEC this year, but it is something that is going to rear its head once again, defending the three point line will be of the upmost importance. Auburn ranks 56th in three-point percentage, while they sit at No. 7 in three-point defense percentage.
Michigan State most notably sits at No. 1 in the country in three-point defense, but with Auburn's three-point defense being so strong, the 328th three-point shooting team in the country is going to have a tough time finding three pointers.
Turnovers
Despite how it looked against Michigan on Friday, Auburn does not turnover the basketball at that high of a rate. Only averaging 9.2 turnovers per game, Auburn ranks 10th in the country in turnovers per game.
The Tigers are going to make the Spartans defend and rebound, with gifts not being likely.
Defense
If you haven't noticed the trend by now, Auburn is very good in almost every statistical category, and that includes defense. Ranking No. 8 in America in adjusted defense, it seems daunting, but there are vulnerabilities MSU can take advantage of.
First, Auburn's defense will not be as chaotic as New Mexico and Ole Miss in the previous two outings, ranking at No. 149 in opposition turnovers per game. They will get into you and defend, but it is not as pack-line, going for the ball type defenders.
Lastly, Auburn fouls a ton on defense. With 18.4 fouls per game, Auburn sits at No. 305 in fouls per game in America. Michigan State is No. 15 in the country at drawing fouls, showing that this is a spot in the game that MSU needs to take advantage of.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire:
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