By Jacob Plecker. BOONE, N.C. — Riding a four-game winning streak, the App State Mountaineers (5-2) welcome the Auburn Tigers (5-1) to the Holmes Center for the venue’s first ever nationally televised contest on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
Sunday’s contest marks the first time since Nov. 2000 that a high-major opponent will visit the High Country when the No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels opened the building. The Mountaineers have never beaten a high-major opponent at the Holmes Center. The last time App State defeated a high-major opponent on their floor came back in 1993 when the Mountaineers toppled Nebraska at Varsity Gym.
This marks the 30th time that the Mountaineers will face a current SEC opponent and the first time since December 2020. The Mountaineers have beaten just two current SEC schools in their history with the last win coming against Arkansas in 2007.
With a win on Sunday against a Power Five school, the Mountaineers will have beaten a Power Five opponent in back-to-back years for the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. The Mountaineers dethroned ACC opponent Virginia at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico in 2006 before downing Arkansas on the road in 2007.
The Matchup
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- Who: App State vs. Auburn
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Sunday, December 3 // 1 p.m.
Tune In
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- Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+
- Listen: 97.3 WKBC, 96.5/1450 WATA, 790/93.7 WETB, 1250/103.9 WBRM
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
Renewing one of the longest rivalries in program history, the Mountaineers got off to a scorching start and took down the ETSU Buccaneers 72-61 last Wednesday. App State never trailed in the contest and led by as much as 20 points.
Tre’Von Spillers notched a game-high 15 points, recording the fourth consecutive game that he has tallied double figures, while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his first double-double as a Mountaineer. Spillers has had a tremendous start to his Mountaineer career as he led the team in scoring for the fourth time already this season on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers shot a remarkable 50 percent from the field again on Wednesday, marking the third time in four games that they have done that, while also holding ETSU under 40 percent from the field. App State hasn’t allowed a team to shoot greater than 40 percent from the field since Nov. 14 against Oregon State.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State comes into play on Sunday riding a four-game win streak, which is the second-longest active win streak in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers are outscoring their opponents by a combined 71 points during their streak and have beaten each opponent by at least 10 points. Additionally, App State has held at least a 20-point lead in four of their five victories this year.
The Mountaineers play a complementary style of basketball as they boast the third-largest scoring margin in the Sun Belt at 12.3. App State pairs the second-lowest scoring defense with the fifth-highest scoring offense in the conference.
Coach Kerns boasts one of the deepest squads of his tenure as nine players typically see the floor each night. The Mountaineers have seen at least nine players score a basket in four of their seven games to start the season. Fifth-year guard Donovan Gregory leads the charge, averaging 13.1 points per game, but seven players come into play on Sunday averaging at least seven points.
Defensively, the Mountaineers are one of the nation’s best teams at blocking shots this season, averaging 6.6 blocks per game, which is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the nation. App State currently has two players in the top three in the Sun Belt Conference in blocked shots in Abson (20) and Spillers (13).
Scouting the Tigers
Auburn comes to the High Country also riding a four-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Tech as part of the inaugural SEC/ACC challenge. The Tigers received the seventh-most votes of unranked teams in this week’s AP Poll.
Two players score in double-figures for the Tigers in Johni Broome and Aden Holloway. Broome leads the way, averaging 17.8 points per contest while also pacing the team in rebounding at 8.5. Auburn also carries a deep team as 10 players on the roster have appeared in every game this season and five players score at least eight points a game.
Tiger head coach Bruce Pearl is in his 10th season at the helm of the program and has led Auburn to four NCAA Tournament appearances and 178 wins. Pearl currently ranks No. 13 among active head coaches in NCAA Division I wins.
Series History
Sunday’s matchup marks the third battle between the Mountaineers and the Tigers. App State traveled to Neville Arena in Dec. 2020. This will be Auburn’s first trip to the High Country in program history.
Donovan Gregory and CJ Huntley are the only two players on the team to see the floor against the Tigers in their career. Gregory played 36 minutes in the 2020 matchup, scoring seven points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.
Switching sides, four current Tigers have played against the Mountaineers in their career. Jaylin Williams tallied a game-high 15 points in 2020’s matchup.
Next Up
Following action on Sunday, the Mountaineers will conclude their four-game home stand with a matchup against NCAA Division II opponent Central Penn on Tuesday as part of a doubleheader with the App State women’s team. The women’s game is scheduled to start at 5:30 with the men’s game to follow approximately 30 minutes after. The matchup can be streamed on ESPN+.
