Auburn has faced some terrific guards this season. That will again be the case on Wednesday night when the No. 2 Tigers host Vanderbilt and star Scotty Pippen Jr. in Auburn Arena. Voted the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, Pippen hasn't disappointed, leading the conference in scoring with 18.9 points per game and racking up assists (3.8) and rebounds (3.5) for the Commodores.

"He's just got great tempo," Bruce Pearl said of Pippen. "He's got great I.Q., great feel. He can really score it from two. In other words, he gets in the paint. He's not in a rush."

Shooting 42.5 percent from the field (31 percent from three), the 6-foot-3 guard gets his points in several ways, including going to the free-throw line. Pippen has shot 177 free throws, 59 more than K.D. Johnson. He tends to have the same bullish attitude as Johnson once he gets a head of steam and enters the paint.

"He doesn't mind traffic in the paint," Pearl said. "And, of course, he's a real threat from the perimeter as well. So just a real dangerous player with the ball."

That danger continues on the defensive side of the ball. Pippen ranks eighth in the SEC with 1.8 steals per game while averaging 31.7 minutes on the floor. It will be a big test for Zep Jasper and Wendell Green, both smaller than Pippen, to keep the turnovers to a minimum.

"He's got great hands, so defensively, he will strip and rip you," Pearl said.