Iowa State @ Auburn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 2, 2013 ) Auburn 70, Iowa State 99

Auburn responded to a pair of dispiriting losses with a strong effort last time out and the 16th-ranked Tigers may have found another offensive weapon as they prepare to host Iowa State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Freshman guard Devan Cambridge scored a season-high 26 in Auburn’s 80-67 victory over visiting South Carolina on Wednesday after losses to Alabama and Florida by a combined 41 points.

The Tigers, who have won 13 in a row at home, collected 17 assists against the Gamecocks compared to just 15 total in the previous two losses while Cambridge drained 6-of-9 shots from 3-point range and 10-of-14 overall after managing just four points combined in the previous five games. “(Cambridge) certainly was feeling it,” Pearl told reporters of the 6-6 Tennessee native. “I have said that, someday, he could be our best player. … But it was kind of time for him to step up a little. He picked a pretty good time.” Iowa State, which has made the NCAA Tournament seven the past eight seasons, is led by talented sophomore guards Tyrese Hailburton and Rasir Bolton, a duo that poured in a total of 41 points to help beat Oklahoma State 89-82 on Tuesday after the Cyclones dropped five of the previous six contests. “When Tyrese and Rasir play well, we’re a different team,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm told the Des Moines Register. “. … We’re going to need that Saturday. We’re going to need to put those guys on top, spread (Auburn) out, drive and penetrate.”

TIME: Noon. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT IOWA STATE (9-9): Haliburton leads the team in scoring (15.9) and rebounds (5.9) while topping the Big 12 in both assists (7.4) and steals (2.5) after recording 20 points Tuesday - his highest output in five games. Bolton is the top scorer for the Cyclones in league play (14.8), just a smidge over his season average (14.7), and junior forward Solomon Young led the way with a career-high 27 points against Oklahoma State to improve his overall mark to 8.9. “That’s probably his best game he’s had since he’s been here,” Prohm told reporters of Young. “He was active, he was athletic, he guarded out of his area. He was terrific.”

ABOUT AUBURN (16-2): Cambridge boosted his season average to 4.3 points with his breakout performance and told reporters: “I felt like I brought the energy today. … (Pearl) told me to play with confidence, and I came out today and did that.” Senior guard Samir Doughty tops the team in scoring (14.4), but has struggled with his shooting since the calendar turned to January - making just 28.8 percent from the field the past six games. Freshman forward Isaac Okoro is second on the team in scoring (12.6) despite failing to reach double figures three of the past four games and senior center Austin Wiley leads the Tigers on the glass (9.2).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Iowa State is third in the Big 12 in free-throw shooting percentage (72.3), led by Bolton (83.5) - fourth in the league.

2. Auburn senior PG J’Von McCormick averages 11 points and a team-high 4.8 assists, but shoots just 39 percent from the floor.

3. The Cyclones have a 2-1 lead in the all-time series and won the last meeting back in 2013.

PREDICTION: Iowa State 72, Auburn 69