5 Things to Know Before WVU vs. No. 15 Auburn

West Virginia will host No. 15 Auburn in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday. Let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

Meet the Opponent: Auburn

Auburn heads into Morgantown with a 16-4 record and a 6-2 start in the SEC to set them up in the top 15. The Tigers have notable wins over Arkansas, Northwestern and Florida.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl lost the No. 3 draft pick Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler but went into the portal and picked up Morehead State transfer Johni Broome. Broome faced West Virginia in the 2021 NCAA Tournament where WVU won 84-67.

Broome averages 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Mountaineers Banged Up

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins mentioned on Friday afternoon that Kedrian Johnson and Emmitt Matthews are banged up. Huggins said that Matthews did not participate in activity on Thursday but would have an answer on everyone after Friday’s practice.

Johnson was visibly limping in the second half against Texas Tech and didn’t return to the game. Matthews played in limited minutes against TTU.

Last Edition of SEC/Big 12 Challenge

Saturday marks the last edition of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge as the series will conclude once the Big 12 extends to 14 schools. The SEC is moving on to a series with the ACC starting in 2023-24. The Big 12 still has the challenge with the Big East to look forward to every December but may look to replace with another conference.

Big 12 leads the all-time series 4-3-2 since the challenge started in 2013-14. The SEC has won the last two series.

West Virginia is 2-7 all-time in the series against the SEC schools.

Betting Lines

The spread for the West Virginia-Auburn game is WVU -4.0. The over/under is set at 140.2.

Where to Watch

West Virginia and Auburn will tip off at 12 p.m. inside the WVU Coliseum on Saturday. ESPN will carry the broadcast.