What does Auburn do well?

Two games into the season, we have a little bit of an idea of what Auburn does well. To this point it is mostly what we expected coming in:

• Shoot from 3 - To this point, Auburn is shooting 42.4% from outside. Most of that was from a good first half against Kennesaw State, but the talent is there for this to continue. This is a strength for Frankie Sullivan and Kenny Gabriel. Courtney Denson isn't the worst at it either, and Varez Ward should hit his open looks. Allen Payne has started the year 1 for 4, but I doubt he'll continue to take many shots. AP's value lies elsewhere
• Backcourt pressure - Auburn has a lot of speed. The best way to harness that on the defensive end is to be aggressive, and hope that the speed allows you to recover if an opponent gets past you. This active defense led to several early turnovers that got McNeese State behind the 8-ball early. It worked fairly well against Kennesaw State as well, but Auburn couldn't hold on to the ball themselves.
• Fastbreaks - Auburn's active defense leads to a lot of steal opportunities, and the speed that the Tigers have has allowed them to get out ahead on fastbreaks. If Auburn can continue this, they will be in any game. Converting easy baskets is going to be the best way to make sure that you get the most out of the turnovers you cause.

Coach Barbee has done a great job to this point with getting Auburn into offensive and defensive strategies that fit his personnel. The next thing to see is what happens when Auburn faces at team with equal or better talent. Auburn won't be able to run every team into the ground every night, but hopefully they can turn their positives into several wins this season.

Songs of the post:
1. "Rhiannon" - Fleetwood Mac
2. "Statesboro Blues (Live at Fillmore East)" - Allman Brothers Band
3. "Trial Time" - The Last Mr. Bigg
4. "Long Haired Country Boy" - Charlie Daniels Band
5. "Hey Ya" - Outkast
6. "Anna-Molly" - Incubus