The inevitable finally happened. The No. 1 Auburn Tigers dropped an SEC game.
Their first loss comes to the No. 6 Florida Gators, who walked out of Neville Arena with a 90-81 win over the top-ranked Tigers on Saturday behind a strong, all-around effort on offense.
Florida shot 48% from the field and connected on 13 three-point shots. The Gators were led by Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 19 points in his return from an ankle injury that he suffered in Florida’s loss to Tennessee one week earlier. Five of Florida’s eight-man rotation reached double-figures in points. For Auburn, Miles Kelly scored 22 points while Johni Broome notched another double-double by scoring 18 points and securing 11 rebounds.
Not only did Auburn fall, but the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils also suffered a road loss at Clemson on Saturday. How did Saturday’s results affect the Tigers’ standing in the KenPom? Here is a look at the latest KenPom rankings ahead of Sunday’s action in college basketball.
Overall: No. 1
Despite dropping its first SEC game of the season, Auburn remains No. 1 in the KenPom. The Tigers hold a slight edge over Duke, +35.88 to +35.53. in overall efficiency margin. Florida moves to No. 5 following its win over Auburn.
Offensive efficiency: No. 1
Auburn’s offensive efficiency remains worlds ahead of every other team in college basketball. Auburn holds an efficiency rating of 130.3, nearly five full points ahead of No. 2 Kentucky. No. 1 Auburn’s gap with No. 2 Kentucky is the same gap between No. 2 Kentucky and No. 15 Illinois.
Defensive efficiency: No. 16
After flirting with a top-10 defensive efficiency ranking, Auburn slides to No. 16 in Sunday’s update. Auburn holds a defensive efficiency rating of 94.4, which ranks fourth among SEC teams.
Adjusted tempo: No. 116
Auburn rises in adjusted tempo from No. 123 following its win over Oklahoma last Tuesday to No. 116 after its loss to Florida. Auburn has found ways to create more possessions this season, and its KenPom ranking is finally reflecting it. The Tigers built 70 possessions on Saturday but scored on just 38 of them.
Strength of schedule: No. 1
Auburn’s strength of schedule remains the best in the nation after the loss to Florida. Auburn’s opponents boast the No. 4 offensive efficiency with a 114.4 rating, and the best defense with a rating of 98.6.
Vanderbilt overview
Auburn begins a tough two-game road trip on Tuesday at Vanderbilt. The Commodores have flirted with a top-25 ranking all season and own home wins over Kentucky and Tennessee. Here is a look at where Vanderbilt stands in Sunday’s KenPom update following its win over Texas in Nashville on Saturday.
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Overall: No. 48
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Offensive efficiency: No. 36
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Defensive efficiency: No. 72
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Tempo: No. 49
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Strength of schedule: No. 67
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: How Auburn’s loss to Florida affects its Kenpom ranking
