Attack the Aggies! (Auburn vs. New Mexico State Open Thread)
Tigers must be on upset alert against this team
(Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)
War Eagle, everybody! Today marks Auburn’s first game in the 2019 NCAA basketball tournament. Auburn drew a 5 seed in the Midwest bracket, and will face the New Mexico State Aggies in Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. This arena is the home of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise, and NBA players regularly complain about the lack of air in this venue as it is located more than 4200 feet above sea level.
I know that the naysayers will laugh about an apparent Auburn issue playing at altitude and will mention that New Mexico State has to play in it, too. Folks, the Aggie home court is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it is 4,300 plus feet above sea level. These guys practice and play in that environment nearly every day. It’s a huge advantage. Also, Salt Lake city is a long way from Alabama. I would point out that it’s also a really difficult drive from Las Cruses through a lot of switchback Rocky Mountain roads. The Aggie home is in south central New Mexico, they have to drive from there through the Four Corners area just to get to Utah, and Salt Lake is in the northern end of the state. This whole area is very rugged and beautiful. I’ve only seen it out of airplane windows.
Auburn won the SEC tournament due to depth, having to play 4 games in 4 days. Depth won’t save Auburn against New Mexico State. Those guys regularly play 13 men. The real hope is that the Aggies do not regularly play against players that have the size and speed Auburn’s guys do. Auburn was quicker than every SEC team it faced in Nashville in the SECt tournament, and I’m hoping that New Mexico State will have a hard time adapting as well.
The game tips off at 12:30 PM, Central Daylight Time, in Salt Lake City, Utah. It will be televised on the TNT network. That’s channel 781 if you have a Charter/Spectrum box. Not sure about other TV providers. If you have to stream it, your best bet is March Madness Live. I will be here, running an open thread. This will not be a strict play-by-play as there is no way I can type as fast as Auburn runs the offense! I will more be exclaiming on big plays, relating the score, and doing color commentary. War Eagle, and let’s smash those Aggies!
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