The Battle in Birmingham will play host to #2 Auburn (10-1) taking on #16 Purdue (8-3) on Saturday afternoon.


This is the first of a two game semi-neutral site agreement between the two programs. Coach Bruce Pearl and his Auburn Tigers will take the trip up to Indianapolis next year as part of the Indy Classic.


This game will be a showdown of two of the country's best offenses though both teams come in hobbling. Purdue's injuries have been on the scoreboard where it's lost two of its last three games, including a semi-neutral loss to Texas A&M in this year's Indy Classic.

For Auburn, its injury is a literal one, with Auburn star Johni Broome suffering a shoulder injury last game and unlikely to be available in this one.


But both teams enter as two of the most tested teams in the country. Auburn has already faced the likes of: Houston, Iowa State, Memphis, Duke, and Ohio State.


For Purdue, the Auburn game finishes off a daunting non-conference slate: Alabama, Marquette, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.


Now two high powered offenses will go head to head in a semi-neutral setting as one of the marquee matchups of the college basketball season.

AuburnSports provided an update on Auburn's Johni Broome's injury two days ago: When asked for an update postgame, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl said on radio that Broome will undergo an MRI on Wednesday and added that he "can't imagine" Broome will play on Saturday against No. 16 Purdue.

"Obviously, his right shoulder kind of came out. Came right back," Pearl said postgame. "He did it a year ago, so he's had some experience with it. We'll take a look at it tomorrow and tell you more, but we hope he’s going to be okay."

Broome is Kenpom's #1 rated player and the likely favorite to win National Player of the Year if the season were to end today. Broome is averaging 19.7 points and 12.7 rebounds a game. The dynamic left-handed big has been one of the most dominant forces on one of the nation's most dominant teams.

With Broome injured, Chaney Johnson stepped up against Georgia State with a career-high 26 points after Broome left with a shoulder injury three minutes into the game. Johnson, a long, capable defender, showed off his offensive upside and will likely draw the Trey Kaufman-Renn matchup to start the game.

With Auburn out its best bigs, look for the talented collection of guards to be even more formiddable. Auburn's offense isn't the highest ranked offense in KenPom history because it's just one player. Auburn has a bevy of shooters and Denver Jones has dropped 31 points in the last two games heading into the show down in Birmingham.

Purdue's defensive efforts have been uneven throughout the start of the season. It starts on the perimeter where Purdue's abillity to stay in front of the ball has been a consistent issue.

"Not a little bit of a problem," Painter said Thursday when asked if part of the problem has been containing the dribble. "It's been a problem. We have to have guys concentrate better."


Purdue's defense has been tested. Purdue has been tested, but not even Alabama has the firepower that Auburn's had to start the year. Auburn is not just a one way offense.


"The combination of their front line and ability to score the basket in different ways with straight up quickness and athleticism," Painter said of how Auburn’s team attacks defenses. It's not just Auburn's starters either. "Very few people can sub and be better and they can."


That depth will be checked for the first time this season with Auburn's star big Johni Broome to miss his first game of the season with a shoulder injury he suffered at the start of the Georgia State game.

"Well they still have great physical players down there," Painter said about Auburn replacing Broome's replacement.



Still, for college basketball fans, Broome missing the game and the matchup with Trey Kaufman-Renn will rob viewers the pleasure of watching one of the best big matchups available in the country.

"Just the careless turnovers," Matt Painter said about what he saw on film in the A&M game and what his team focused on with the week to prepare for Auburn. "The ones that had nothing to do with who we were playing."


It's been a simple recipe for Purdue. Purdue has three losses this season, and in all of them, it got closer to 20 turnovers than 10.


Now, Purdue has its toughest test of the season against a #2 Auburn team that's only lost to Duke. The frustrating thing about Purdue's turnovers is its proven its capable of protecting the ball. Against Alabama, who was the #2 team in the country at the time, Purdue had just 3 turnovers. Purdue won the game.


Purdue will need to be nearly as flawless, on both ends, but especially with the possession battle. Purdue's offense has been good enough to make up for or outscore everyone its played this season. That's going to be hard to do against an Auburn team with a historically good offense.