Stage set for MTSU vs. Auburn showdown at Bridgestone
The Blue Raiders are searching for revenge Saturday against Auburn at Bridgestone Arena.
MTSU takes on Auburn (4-1) in a unique matchup at the popular Nashville venue at noon. It will be the third time the Blue Raiders play at Bridgestone Arena.
Saturday?s meeting will be the fourth time these two teams meet with Auburn holding the 3-0 advantage.
One of the storylines of the game will be the homecoming of Auburn head coach and former Tennessee Vols coach Bruce Pearl.
?I hope Bruce Pearl brings a lot of people and I hope the crowd is half and half. I hope we have 15, 16 or 17,000 people. I think it will be home-court advantage for us, but we have to do our part.?
The Blue Raiders are 0-6 vs. Pearl-coached teams.
MTSU head coach Kermit Davis expressed his excitement for this game in the preseason because of Pearl?s presence and the venue.
?We had about 9,000 fans when we played Vanderbilt at Bridgestone (in 2012),? Davis said. ?I think there were 8,700 Blue Raiders, so it was a great home-court advantage for us.
MTSU is off to one of its better starts in years at 5-2 but they know the upcoming games are some of the more important on the schedule.
?Auburn likes to play up and down the court,? said center Darnell Harris, who is MTSU?s second-leading scorer with 12.1 point and is tied for the lead in blocks with eight.
?We?ve played good defense recently even in our losses to Murray State and Virginia Commonwealth. If we control the glass, rebound and play good defense, I think we?ll have a good game.?
The Blue Raiders will likely lean on scoring performances from Harris, forward Reggie Upshaw and guard Giddy Potts. Potts ranks in the top 30 in the nation for three-point percentage.
Following Saturday afternoon?s game, the crew at Bridgestone will prepare the arena for the Nashville Predators? game against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Blue Raiders are searching for revenge Saturday against Auburn at Bridgestone Arena.
MTSU takes on Auburn (4-1) in a unique matchup at the popular Nashville venue at noon. It will be the third time the Blue Raiders play at Bridgestone Arena.
Saturday?s meeting will be the fourth time these two teams meet with Auburn holding the 3-0 advantage.
One of the storylines of the game will be the homecoming of Auburn head coach and former Tennessee Vols coach Bruce Pearl.
?I hope Bruce Pearl brings a lot of people and I hope the crowd is half and half. I hope we have 15, 16 or 17,000 people. I think it will be home-court advantage for us, but we have to do our part.?
The Blue Raiders are 0-6 vs. Pearl-coached teams.
MTSU head coach Kermit Davis expressed his excitement for this game in the preseason because of Pearl?s presence and the venue.
?We had about 9,000 fans when we played Vanderbilt at Bridgestone (in 2012),? Davis said. ?I think there were 8,700 Blue Raiders, so it was a great home-court advantage for us.
MTSU is off to one of its better starts in years at 5-2 but they know the upcoming games are some of the more important on the schedule.
?Auburn likes to play up and down the court,? said center Darnell Harris, who is MTSU?s second-leading scorer with 12.1 point and is tied for the lead in blocks with eight.
?We?ve played good defense recently even in our losses to Murray State and Virginia Commonwealth. If we control the glass, rebound and play good defense, I think we?ll have a good game.?
The Blue Raiders will likely lean on scoring performances from Harris, forward Reggie Upshaw and guard Giddy Potts. Potts ranks in the top 30 in the nation for three-point percentage.
Following Saturday afternoon?s game, the crew at Bridgestone will prepare the arena for the Nashville Predators? game against the Colorado Avalanche.
