In a season where defense has been the Achilles' heel for the Auburn Tigers, Wednesday night's clash with Mississippi State spotlighted those struggles in dramatic fashion. Facing off against a Mississippi State squad that leans heavily on Josh Hubbard for scoring, Auburn found themselves in a defensive nightmare.
Hubbard was nothing short of electric in the first half, sinking 9 three-pointers and racking up 35 points on his own. It's the kind of performance that demands a defensive shake-up-perhaps double-teaming Hubbard and switching to a zone defense to prevent one player from dominating.
Letting a single guard control the game, especially one of this magnitude, is a recipe for disaster. Hubbard finished with a staggering 46 points, including 10 three-pointers.
This game added to a worrying trend for the Tigers, who've consistently struggled to contain opposing guards. Isaac Trotter highlighted this issue, noting previous standout performances against Auburn: Labaron Philon's 25 points for Alabama, Tyler Tanner's 25 for Vanderbilt, and Darius Acuff's 31 for Arkansas. However, Hubbard's display was on another level, nearly rivaling the 55 points Auburn allowed to Pete Maravich back in 1968.
The second half initially saw a revitalized Auburn defense. The Tigers clawed their way back, even securing a 7-point lead with less than four minutes remaining. But just as it seemed they might pull off a comeback, the wheels came off.