Add Auburn’s recent streak of first weekend woes to the list and the pressure, the anticipation, and the anxiety rise even more.

If it’s gonna click for this Auburn then it has to now… and it just might.

Creighton is good enough to beat Auburn if Auburn doesn’t fix some of the intensity and execution issues it has dealt with lately, but I’ve still got some hope that those issues take a pretty significant step in the right direction. 

Not only is Creighton a new face, it’s the first game in a while that has mattered and that Auburn knows it can’t steamroll its opponent. 

That makes this game a little easier to get up for, compared to playing for two weeks in a conference you already won and following it up with Alabama A&M in round one.

There were also some positive developments that make me think more execution and intensity from those who need to show it will result in Auburn bouncing back even further than expected.

The question is: Can Auburn get enough out of the guys who haven’t been showing it?

Auburn isn’t at a point where it needs to peak now or go home, but the Tigers have to lock in and execute at a much higher level to even continue to survive and advance against Creighton. 

Here’s why I think that may happen…

Effort and intensity

It’s well documented, to the extent that Dylan Cardwell and Steven Pearl even called it out, that Auburn isn’t playing with the same level of effort and intensity that it started the season with.

It’s understandable that it fell off a little after wrapping up the SEC so early, but it would be unforgivable to not flip the switch in a couple of areas where it should be easy to. 

Getting some new opponents in front of them could go a long way, but I think Auburn’s leaders need to step back into those roles. Whether that’s firing Chad Baker-Mazara back up, whose energy spreads through the team, getting Johni Broome going with extra touches, or playing more Cardwell — anything would be better than nothing.

If something is going to change, the combination of a new (difficult) opponent and the coaches and players being verbal about the issue will change this trend’s course.

The Miles Kelly recipe 

Stone Mountain native Miles Kelly has 16 threes in Rupp Arena this season, and he’ll be back in Rupp for a third game when Auburn takes on Creighton.

If Auburn beats Creighton, Kelly and company will head back to Atlanta for a Sweet 16 game (and a chance at an Elite Eight) just a short drive away from Kelly’s hometown.

Another hot game in Rupp and then returning “home” for another game or two, could put Kelly in serious danger of catching fire.

In a tournament always tagged as being “all about guard play,” Auburn might have stumbled upon the seeding necessary to get Kelly red hot at the right time. 

Creighton could also be an important game for Kelly. The Blue Jays have a big capable of slowing down Auburn’s front court and were led by Janiya Neal’s 30 points against Louisville. Kelly might be asked to carry the load on offense a little more and match up with the 6-5 Neal — especially if Auburn runs more of the three guard lineups we’ve been seeing.

And he’s not the only guard who got things going against Alabama A&M.

Shaking off slumps

Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson shook off slumps, and Auburn had good guard play in the NCAA Tournament among other trends. 

Auburn has been so good at times this season that it has never been just one person sailing the ship. It has been a combination of good shooting guards with an elite big man who can pass, a bunch of guys creating and giving defenses fits, great defense 1-5, etc. However, Johnson makes Auburn significantly better when he’s playing well — even if Auburn doesn’t need a good game from Johnson to be great.

Auburn is 18-1 when Johnson scores in double figures, including wins over Tennessee, Houston, and Alabama.

When Johnson is playing well he gives the Tigers a completely different look at his position, and that’s something that shows up on offense with his mobile play and sometimes as a three-point shooter. It also shows up with his passing and rim running and with his defense — giving Auburn a forward more suited to match up with mobile fours. Getting efficient and higher minute games from Johnson is crucial.

Pettiford goes without saying. He’s one of the best big game scorers in the country and Auburn is in the big dance. 

What Creighton does

Creighton is well known for big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. He’s a great shot blocker and a force in pick and roll offense and defense.

However, Creighton likes to shoot threes — whether they’re making or missing them.

Auburn has the defense necessary to run Creighton’s shooters off the three-point line, but it’ll be up to them to stay locked in and discliplined to prevent easy shots and open threes. 

It’ll also be up to Auburn’s front court to stay engaged and alert enough to block shots from driving guards if Auburn’s guards are running shooters off the three-point line.

This Creighton team has won two or more NCAA Tournament games the past two seasons but has not performed up to par throughout this season. KenPom ranking wise, Creighton (35) matches up more with Georgia (37) and Arkansas (39) — the last two SEC teams Auburn saw that were ranked outside of the top 30.

All in all, this Auburn team is so talented and versatile that it’s not “play your best right now or it’s over,” it’s “find ways to win until you are playing your best.” And the way to win this one is more effort.

Auburn doesn’t have to play its best game to get a win, but the issues have risen to the point of no improvement will probably lead to a loss if Creighton brings its A-game. 

We’ve seen Auburn bounce back in big ways from its losses to Duke and Florida. While this slump is much more serious, this team has also shown flashes of being one of the best to ever do it — so I can’t say they’ve run out of time to flip the switch. There’s a chance they have. There’s also a chance this team has one of the best bounce backs we’ve ever seen.

All of that has culminated with the first No. 1 versus No. 2 basketball matchup in conference history. And of course, it’s Auburn versus Alabama.

I won’t beat around the bush. Alabama should probably be considered the hotter team right now. Alabama is also at home. I expect them to be a trendy pick.

That said, Florida was in a similar position before it upset Auburn last week, and Auburn has the pieces to run anyone out of any gym when the Tigers play their best game – pieces that could provide some sizable advantages in this game if things go in Auburn’s favor.

This is also a chance for Auburn to make the biggest statement it has yet. The Tigers started off the season beating several of the best teams in the country away from home but have lost their edge to an extent. Getting a win in Tuscaloosa would not only solidify Auburn’s current standings and the Tigers’ ceiling, but it would also show this team is capable of locking in when it has to — which puts all the Tigers’ lofty goals in reach.

A loss isn’t the end of the world, but a win is a statement and there’s a way Auburn can get there.

How to beat Alabama

The key for Auburn on so many levels will be slowing this game down and playing half court basketball. Auburn does have the firepower needed to keep up with Alabama if it turns into a shootout, but doing so on the road against a red hot Alabama team sounds a lot more difficult than slowing the game down.

Limiting turnovers and turning Alabama over is the best way to accomplish this, as Alabama has the highest pace in the conference.

Not only is Auburn a better half court team on both sides of the court, but slowing the game down will force Alabama to play out of its comfort zone.

Alabama has the second best two-point percentage in the country (60.8) and gets to the line at a high rate, but the Tide also get a little too addicted to threes for how efficient they are elsewhere.

Auburn might not be able to keep Alabama off the charity stripe, especially in Coleman, but Alabama has shot 26 percent, 30 percent, 25 percent, and 31 percent in some of their less-than-hot shooting outings – despite holding a top-two three point percentage in the conference. If Auburn can force one of those outings, and if Auburn’s two-point defense travels as well as it should, the Tigers will have a good chance in this one. And there’s a reason to believe it could happen.

Alabama’s offense has been elite, but the Tide haven’t played against Tennessee, Florida, or Auburn – three of the SEC’s top five defenses. The Tide split games against the other two of the top five, with Ole Miss holding Alabama to 64 points in a home loss in one of the two.

There are also the narratives regarding Mark Sears’s going against a defense like Auburn’s (especially after his benching), Aden Holloway’s spotty play and comments about Auburn, and Alabama’s lack of defense.

But, Alabama is playing at home, so the chances of them shooting well would be higher… you’d think. Alabama is averaging 30.7 percent from beyond the arc in home games and 38.9 percent from three in away games. The Tide are, however, shooting 59.2 percent from two on the road compared to 63.7 percent at home.

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Alabama is also prone to giving up some big individual performances. While the narrative revolves around front courts going off against the Tide, there have been some backcourts popping off in the same way.

• Arkansas had Zvonimir Ivisic (27 points (five threes), seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and three steals) go off against Alabama, while Adou Thiero has 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals in the same game.

• Georgia had Asa Newell go for 16 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.

• Mississippi State had Keshawn Murphy tally 18 points and six rebounds in a game Josh Hubbard scored 38 in.

• Ole Miss had Malik Dia go for 23 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks.

• Texas’s Tre Johnson had 24 points.

• A&M’s Pharrel Payne went for 23 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.

Auburn also has a guy with a good history of popping off against Alabama.

• Johni Broome averages 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game against Alabama. He had 25 points, 14 boards, and five blocks in the last meeting. Dia’s game in Ole Miss’s upset win showed the kind of damage Broome can do.

I also like the chances of Tahaad Pettiford having a big game in this one. Not only because a smaller guard in Hubbard did the same thing, but because Pettiford has the same ability to move around in the backcourt and always has the big-game ability in stock. Alabama’s guards, and players in general, on the other hand are not great defenders.

• Aden Holloway, Chris Youngblood, Derrion Reid, Latrell Wrightsell, and Mark Sears rank in the bottom 50 in the SEC for defensive BPR on Evan Miya.

Like it or not, and whether you’ve moved past it or not, this game also probably carries some extra weight due to Aden Holloway. I imagine it will be personal for Auburn to keep him bottled up in this one, but it’s also worth remembering that he personally called out Auburn and its coaches for his poor play as a freshman – and we’ve seen Auburn players/teams go to battle for Bruce Pearl and the coaches before. This game is giving me some Knoxville 2018 vibes.

Alabama still probably wins the pre-game vibe check, but I think Auburn can lock in and resume its early season form with the experience, talent, and big-game ability the Tigers have.

And it’s not just because this team is talented and well coached, it’s not just because Johni Broome is back, it’s all the experience and confidence this team plays with that enables them to travel so well from top to bottom.

This Auburn team is currently shooting better from three on the road than any team in program history has and has guys who seem to feel at home away from home — even against great teams and stout defenses.

There are plenty of road games against good defenses left on the schedule, with one scheduled for Saturday, but this Auburn team is off to a hot start when it comes to shooting in SEC play. 

It deserves some attention and probably answers the question of why we’re a little extra confident.

The numbers

Three-point shooting percentages in true-road games only for three of Auburn’s top four three-point shooters:

• Miles Kelly: 56.5 percent (No. 5 nationally, No. 2 among power conference players, minimum 20 attempts)

• Tahaad Pettiford: 54.5 percent (No. 12 nationally, No. 4 among power conference players, minimum 20 attempts)

• Chad Baker-Mazara: 42.9 percent

Taking this one step further, Kelly’s current road-game three-point percentage is No. 1 in Auburn history for players with more than 20 attempts in a single season. Pettiford is No. 3 with Antoine Mason (54.8 percent on 31 attempts) splitting the two.

Compare that to last season, when three of Auburn’s top five in three-point shot attempts shot less than 30 percent on the road:

• Jaylin Williams shot 21.7 percent 

• Aden Holloway shot 27.1 percent 

• KD Johnson shot 17.9 percent

• Baker-Mazara (41.7 percent) and Denver Jones (37.9 percent) were the only guys in the top five to shoot better than 30 percent on the road and the only two returnees from that group. Jones is the only guy in this year’s top three under 30 percent, but he has taken just nine threes in true road games — so there’s reason to believe his splits will bounce back

The results so far have this Auburn team at 3-1 on the road with its only loss coming in a closely contested game at Cameron Indoor. The .750 winning percentage is tied for second best all time at Auburn. If Auburn wins its remaining six road games—which sounds crazy, but the Tigers are predicted to do just that per KenPom—they will be tied for second place in Auburn history for single-season road wins and will own the road game winning percentage record. The 1999 team had a 10-2 record, which currently leads both categories. The 2022 team had eight road wins in 11 tries.

Auburn as a team is currently shooting 40.0 percent from three in true road games — which eliminates Maui games, Houston, and Purdue from the stat pull. Surprisingly enough, Auburn is only shooting 36.3 percent from three on neutral courts and 36.9 percent from deep at home.

The 40 percent mark leads Auburn, historically, with the 2016-17 team currently holding the single season record at 37.8 percent. The only other Bruce Pearl team to crack 35 percent shooting from three in road games was the 2017-18 team. The 2006-07 and the 2007-08 teams round out the rest of the top five.

It doesn’t stop at road-game shooting for this team either, the deadeye ability away from home is just plain impressive though. Auburn is shooting 37.7 percent from three through its first six SEC games.

That’s the best mark since the 2019/Final Four team shot 40.2 percent from deep in its first six games. In between those seasons, Auburn’s three-point percentages through its first six conference games have been: 

• 2024: 32.3 percent 

• 2023: 31.0 percent

• 2022: 32.4 percent 

• 2021: 33.1 percent 

• 2020: 27.8 percent 

I’d lump Broome into this elite-road-shooter category too, because he shoots 71.4 percent on free throws on the road to 54.5 percent at home. He also shoots almost exactly the same inside the arc (62.5 to 62.7) on home courts versus neutral site courts with 70-plus shot attempts on each.

The defense and post play has always traveled though, but now Auburn has found some shooting that travels to add to it.

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Why this team?

A lot of the work for making these road warrior teams come to life seems to happen in the offseason. Looking back at the 2017 team shows a team full of good shooters and confident players. At this point, Chuck Person was also an assistant at Auburn and had at least one story about pulling someone out of the shooting slump.

Credit is due to Auburn’s coaching staff. Not only did they go out and find guys like Kelly—who has a grocery list of road-game shooting performances from his time at Georgia Tech—and Pettiford—who plays with as much confidence and shooting ability as any freshman guard—but Auburn also added Coach Rob Allen to the staff this offseason. Allen has trained high level players at the high school, college, and NBA levels.

When you have a handful of go-to shooting options and they’re all either veteran shooters and/or extremely confident players, your chances of shooting well on the road will increase.

While JP Pegues has had his struggles, his most famous college basketball play was a shot against Virginia — albeit on a neutral court.

This team also has the added benefit of playing with and through Broome. Broome’s gravity draws defenders into the paint for pretty regular double and triple teams, which forces defenses to scramble and leaves his teammates open for passes from the best passing big in the nation. But still… Auburn shot 43.5 percent from three against a great UGA defense on the road without Broome, and we’ve seen teams full of guys who miss wide open threes in the past.

There’s no exact blueprint for being a strong road team, but Auburn’s experience, confidence, and roster build made it happen for this team. 

Auburn was selective about who it added this past offseason and was aggressive about keeping its good shooters on the roster, and everything meshed to give the Tigers a team that can catch fire in any gym — something that feels like it was a long time coming.

It wasn’t pretty, but Auburn gutted out a win against a top 10 Tennessee team after trailing by two possessions with 2:07 left in a game where baskets weren’t easy to come by.

“It wasn’t pretty,” has been a theme lately, but even with Johni Broome returning from injury on Saturday night — this game ending 53-51 wasn’t a big surprise.

Saturday night was more reminiscent of the 2023 meeting in Knoxville, which Auburn lost 47-43. Wendell Green Jr.—who Tennessee probably got away with fouling to win the 2023 game—commented on how well Bruce Pearl and Rick Barnes scout and game plan against each other.

It makes sense. Pearl’s history with Tennessee, him and Barnes battling it out for the top spots in the conference fairly often, and all the close games between the two make for some high stakes, high tension games — and the history and tensions play out in just about every meeting between the two.

This time around, Auburn pivoted from its high powered offensive ways and went blow-for-blow with a defensive juggernaut. Auburn showed its championship mentality, its ability to adapt, and a lot of good in a game that will be as physical of a game as Auburn (or anyone else) will see.

There’s plenty to nitpick and critique, and I’ll get to some of that, but this is another example of Auburn finding a way to win through adversity — a trait that usually accompanies great basketball teams.

Johni Broome deserves all the praise

Johni Broome is as good as it gets for a college player, no matter who wins the National Player of the Year award or where he goes in the draft. 

Broome has the ability to turn any game into his game. He favors a high scoring, high flying game, but even in the gutsy physical game against Tennessee after an ankle injury, he still found a way to be the best player in the game.

He has such a versatile and high-level skill set at his size that he’s impossible for a college team to neutralize and he can do whatever it takes to be the best player on the floor at this level.

Broome’s condition would have made a light-workload totally understandable, but instead he went out and battled a hard nosed front court for 33 minutes.  

It wasn’t like Broome was just racking up the stats because no one else could. He led the team in plus/minus for most of the first half, he was drawing double teams, impacting Tennessee’s offense, defending well on switches, and leading a defensive slugfest in scoring in his condition… he was just the best player on the court even when the circumstances were stacked against him. 

Broome is also surrounded by guys who have now found ways to win without him and have some added confidence from the wins they got without him. That experience will help ease Broome back into rhythm and make this team even more dangerous whether Broome is on or off the court. I think that was as evident as ever when Dylan Cardwell started the game off with several really good possessions on the way to Auburn taking an early-ish 10-5 lead. 

Chaney Johnson breakout loading…

The game of Chaney Johnson can’t go unnoticed either. He was second on the team in scoring, with 10 points on only one missed shot inside the arc. Bruce Pearl mentioned Johnson having a future as a three-point shooter too… giving me flashbacks to Johni Broome’s first season at Auburn. If Johnson can do that this team can be as dangerous as any Auburn front court has ever been.

It wouldn’t just be the front court benefiting; Auburn (and teams in general) generally improve with a stretch four — with the before-and-after comparisons of Chuma Okeke’s breakout highlighting that.

If Johnson could draw defenders out of the paint, he’d open up extra room for guards and wings to drive and for Broome’s post touches. 

There’s reason to believe Johnson can do it. (Johnson shot 41.7 percent from threes on 2.0 attempts per game between the Purdue and Mississippi State games.) He had more makes from distance during Jaylin Williams’ absence last season. Maybe the coaching staff realized that when comparing his production with and without Broome on the court. Maybe Pearl’s comment eludes to a fix already being in progress. 

He has also shown a few faceup moves this season and an increasing ability to shutdown opposing forwards. 

If he puts it all together and adds consistent three-point shooting to the mix, then Johnson could be a breakout player down the stretch. Pair the breakout with Broome getting back to full strength and in rhythm and you’ve got something special. 

Tahaad Pettiford and other improvements 

Tahaad Pettiford was understandably a late-game and post-game talking point among the fanbase. Not only did Pettiford make a clutch play late (what’s new?) but there were calls to have him in earlier and more often down the stretch.

I see the argument for Denver Jones and Miles Kelly. Not only did Auburn want to have a strong defender on Zakai Zeigler down the stretch, but Pearl was visibly and audibly aware and frustrated with Zeigler’s flopping. While Pettiford has improved his defense tremendously recently, he still struggles with fouls at times. Jones is not only a strong defender who provides good ball pressure and more length on Tennessee’s offensive anchor, but Jones is elite at defending without fouling and nerfed some of Zeigler’s ability there.

Still, Pettiford finished at plus-17 in a 53-51 win. Only playing 14 minutes can skew that, but the argument for more Pettiford is valid. The argument for the experienced, lengthy, defensive prowess and knock-down shooting is also a worthy one. Tennessee didn’t score for the final 2:07 of the game. Kelly also knocked down a would-be game winning three, so it’s not like Auburn doesn’t have the ability without Pettiford.

We’ve seen Auburn play the offense/defense game with Pettiford and Jones/Kelly rotations late in games. Pettiford is young and can benefit from being coached for a few on the sidelines during those swaps as well. I even remember Auburn using late-career Bryce Brown in a similar fashion, basically using a quick sub as a way to draw up something for when Brown went back in.

With the confidence and IQ Pettiford plays with, which makes him a great teammate and a great weapon off the bench, you can afford bringing him in late to close games. However, I expect that Auburn will find a way to get him more than 14 minutes in games like this moving forward.

Auburn’s ceiling 

This Auburn team has a lot more room to grow than a lot of similarly experienced teams.

Like Pearl has said, almost everyone on this team has room to improve because they’re playing new roles. Additionally, the roster has been in a state of limbo more often than not in the past month-ish with Broome’s injuries, Pettiford taking over, and other guys emerging — not to mention Pearl’s hint about Johnson’s progression.

Auburn has plenty of room to improve. If they can get fully healthy and back in rhythm in time to make it happen is a different question. However, it’s January and Auburn has the recipe for success. That’s all you can ask for at this stage.

This Tennessee game also exposed Auburn in a few ways, with Pettiford’s lack of minutes and the shooting struggles from deep if nothing else. Auburn has a better idea of how to improve and has the pieces needed to do it.

So often you see the greatest teams in March and April being the ones who can adapt and keep any game close long enough for its best players to take over. Auburn did just that against Tennessee, and Auburn has guys like Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Kelly, Jones, and others capable of taking things over. This team’s ceiling is high and still in reach, and I have a feeling we’ll see more glimpses of it as Broome ramps things up and the rest of the team shows off what they learned without him.

Auburn answered just about every question and exceeded just about every expectation anyone had before the game. 

The win is significant because it keeps Auburn at the top of the pack in its quest for a 1-seed in the NCAA and SEC tournaments but also because of how Auburn accomplished the win and what it could mean for the Tigers moving forward. 

Guys stepped up

It resulted in a big win, but the experience those players got from stepping up and showing out in new roles could be even more important than the win.

There’s proof of Auburn’s players maintaining increased levels of play after injured teammates return. Last season Jaylin Williams went down and Auburn found extra minutes for Chad Baker-Mazara and Chaney Johnson in the process, and those guys’ level of play never really dropped off.

Now Baker-Mazara and Johnson have had a chance to take another jump in usage—along with the rest of the team—and continuing that level of play when Broome returns could make this team deadly.

Imagine adding Broome to a team that played the way Auburn did against Mississippi State? If Auburn does that they can probably reach the historic marks that their analytics suggest. 

For the rest of the team to make that happen in game one without Broome probably adds some confidence in their ability to take on new roles, which could be the experience they need to continue that level of play when Broome is back.

Chaney (and his defense) needs to stay

Last season, Cameron Matthews was the reason Auburn lost to Mississippi State.

The first two conference games of this season also saw athletic forwards light Auburn up.

But Chaney Johnson has been the perfect answer to that when he gets the chance to be.

He held Matthews to four points on 2-of-10 shooting and to his lowest offensive rating of the season, per KenPom. Johnson held Collin Murray-Boyles to four points of two-of-five shooting for the final 13 minutes of the South Carolina game.

The former D2 transfer has added much needed weight and rounded out his play on both ends of the court. I think Johnson has the ability to maintain a similar level of play in Auburn’s system, and if he does it throughout Broome’s absence I think we could be in for another elite offensive front court duo.

Chad’s ceiling 

Baker-Mazara has gone through some periods of rapid growth at Auburn. It makes sense with the player he is; he’s extremely talented and confident. When he gets an opportunity he takes it and usually succeeds.

Last year we saw him seize the opportunity when Jaylin Williams went down and he never really gave up his increased role/importance to the team after that — in part due to how versatile and clutch he is.

Against Mississippi State he had a chance to be the team’s star, and in a lot of ways he accomplished it.

I don’t think Baker-Mazara can overshadow Broome, but it’ll be interesting to see if he hangs onto at least a sliver of that star role.

His dominant play is a bit streaky, but this opportunity will let him take over a little more. I’m not sure if he’ll be one, but he looks like an All-Conference player, if not an All-American, when he’s at his best. Several metrics even have Baker-Mazara ranked as one of the best players in the country.

• No. 5 nationally in Box Plus/Minus (with Broome No. 1)

• No. 6 nationally in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (with Broome No. 2)

• No. 9 nationally in Evan Miya’s BPR (overall value, with Broome No. 1)

• No. 9 nationally in offensive rating (CBB Reference) 

• No. 1 in the SEC (No. 16 nationally) in true shooting percentage 

What it means for UGA

The strong front court play from Chaney Johnson and Dylan Cardwell was a good sign, because they’ll have their hands full on Saturday against the Bulldogs. And while the lack of assists against State could be a cause for concern, I think it was also a good sign ahead of UGA.

Not only does Georgia have a good and deep front court, headlined by five-star freshman Asa Newell, but the Bulldogs can draw fouls with the best of them. Through its first two SEC home games, Georgia shot:

• 37 free throws against Oklahoma

• 38 free throws against Kentucky 

• (The Bulldogs had 31 free throws against South Carolina State in a five-point win in the last noncon game of the season)

UGA shot 12 free throws against Tennessee and 17 against Ole Miss in its two SEC road games. If you don’t already know UGA’s SEC record, you can probably guess it pretty easily (2-2, with both road games as the losses). 

The foul distribution has also been pretty rough for UGA’s opponents in Stegman Collesium.

• Oklahoma had a player foul out and three more with four fouls

• Kentucky had four players with four fouls

• South Carolina State had two players foul out and two with four fouls

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UGA’s defense

Like Auburn, UGA has the ability to take really good players out of the game – and not just via foul trouble. 

In its game against Kentucky, Amari Williams and Jaxson Robinson both had their worst showings in conference play and arguably of the season. In the win against Oklahoma, UGA held freshman phenom Jeremiah Fears to a 1-of-11 shooting night, his worst shooting night of the season.

Georgia has a lockdown perimeter defender in Silas Demary and also has two good post defenders in freshmen Somto Cyril and Newell. Newell—listed at 6-11, 220–can step out and defend on the perimeter. So, like Auburn, the Bulldogs can disrupt offense, run teams off the three-point line, and muck things up on the perimeter with the added benefit of being able to gamble on steals thanks to the defensive prowess around the rim.

If the game against UGA does turn into a defensive fight, Auburn’s ability to score in isolation and to turn defense into offense will be needed. Auburn did just that against Mississippi State, scoring 88 points with only nine assists. 

There’s also the added fact that Mike White has had Bruce Pearl’s number in several of their high-profile meetings, and now UGA has the talent to make this game a big one.

Auburn had several possessions where it did execute good half court offense against Mississippi State, so there’s hope they’ll get it done against UGA, but the way Auburn scored on Tuesday was good practice and encouraging to see.  

Cause for concern 

The assist-to-turnover ratio wasn’t great, but without Broome—who Auburn runs most of its offense through and who scores more than anyone on the team—a drop in assists was to be expected. Auburn keeping the turnovers under control and finding open shots in game one without Broome overshadows the assist numbers for me.

The bigger cause for concern was rebounding. Auburn was already slipping on the boards a little in SEC play, and the Tigers got out-rebounded 42-30 against Mississippi State. 

Mississippi State missed a ton of shots, and the rebounding total wound up not mattering, but UGA has a couple of elite rebounders and will crash the glass. Newell ranks top 20 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, while RJ Godfrey is also in the top 100. Auburn will need a team effort on the glass in this one.

It would be easy to write off a loss to State, but a win would be big for Auburn’s chances of keeping its No. 1 ranking alive and competing for an SEC title and a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. And Auburn can certainly win this game.

The Tigers have several guys in the front court who have upped their minutes and levels of play to cover for their injured teammates in the past. Chaney Johnson is probably the most notable, when he went from showing flashes of SEC ability to looking like a capable starter after Jaylin Williams’ injury last season. 

While a win today isn’t necessary, it would instill a lot of confidence and some excitement heading into what looks like a Broome-less stretch of games. 

Who steps up?

I think Johnson will be the most exciting guy to watch in Broome’s absence. Not just because he did so well spelling Williams last season, but because Auburn asks so much of its four/power forward on offense, and Johnson is the only true four on the team.

During his Auburn career, Johnson has posted:

• 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 block per game averages when he plays 25+ minutes.

• 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 block per game averages when he plays 20+ minutes. 

• Taking it a step further, Johnson is averaging 68 percent from the field in games when he plays 25+ minutes and 61 percent from the field when he plays 20+ minutes. 

• In the two games that he started in place of Williams, Johnson averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks on 61.5 percent shooting. 

• Johnson is the only SEC player averaging 10-plus points and five-plus rebounds in less than 23 minutes per game. He’s the only player in the country averaging those stats without a single game started this season.

Johnson will have an opportunity to have a massive game on both ends of the court. He’ll likely see more shot attempts, more offense run through him, and a big defensive matchup.

On Sunday I wrote about how Auburn’s two-big lineup is getting burned by quicker fours and teams that can draw Auburn’s bigs out of the paint. 

Last season, Cameron Matthews had a double-double against the Tigers and won KenPom’s MVP of the game award. He is more of a traditional power forward compared to the guys Auburn has faced in the past two games, but it’ll be a good test.

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All eyes on the backcourt 

Without Broome in the game, Auburn’s offense loses its safety valve, its leading assist-man, and an integral part of its pick and roll offense.

Dylan Cardwell and Johnson have their own strengths and both have been good passing bigs, but the spacing created by Broome’s gravity and shooting ability will shift. Auburn won’t have the ability to find open shooters off double teams, and offense run through the five won’t be elite. This means Auburn’s guards must create more for themselves and others — something they’re capable of doing but haven’t been tasked with too often. In a perfect world, this will give the guards some extra confidence and maybe spark a player’s breakout.

This could be a game where the backcourt carries Auburn to victory behind the increased opportunities, but it won’t be a game that Auburn wins without good guard play.

Auburn’s guards have the talent and experience, but their first game without an elite safety valve, and with the defense keying in on the backcourt, will be a tough test.

Auburn’s X-factor

Chad Baker-Mazara has been the X-factor for Auburn at times this season, but at this time last season he was still looking for his rhythm and consistent minutes. 

His growth from a JUCO transfer to one of the best wings in the SEC has been rapid, and this will also be his first time playing without Broome. More responsibilities in the offense could result in even more rapid growth. 

He’s a tall wing with all conference potential who can have the offense run through him. Seeing how CBM’s usage changes will be something to keep an eye on. He has the confidence needed to roll with the coming increased usage and the ability to handle it.

On rotations

Seeing Johnson play some small ball five and seeing CBM play some point forward would be fun, but it’s not what I expect to see.

With Auburn’s philosophy around depth and minute spread—and with what the coaches have done in the past—I expect we’ll see less backup minutes, Turtle Hudson as the backup five, and Chris Moore as the backup four.

Things could change in a hurry with Johnson and Cardwell having a tendency to get in foul trouble, but I don’t foresee the lineups changing too much without it. Keeping guys in their natural positions will make for a smoother transition when Broome does return.

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Auburn star Johni Broome went down early in the second half and is expected to miss time with a non-surgical ankle sprain.

I can’t go without saying the injury reminded me of an injury to Anfernee McLemore in the same building — an injury that derailed a lot of Auburn’s momentum during Bruce Pearl’s first SEC title winning season on the Plains.

That injury did give some crucial experience to the guys who wound up returning for the following season. This team could experience something similar, with the added potential of getting its injured player and not needing an offseason to recoup.

But, whether or not you’re talking about the injury, there are some questions that Auburn has to answer.

Auburn’s defense has a weakness

Auburn was torched by versatile forwards in its last two outings. And honestly… it makes sense.

The Tigers have played a lot of two-big lineups, featuring Broome and Dylan Cardwell on the court at the same time. These lineups create mismatches for some teams, but they also put two of Auburn’s slowest players on the court.

Auburn has also been playing an extended hedge-and-recover method of defending ball screens. These too can create a lot of havoc—especially with Auburn’s athleticism—but it makes a big defend near the logo at times.

Texas exposed Auburn on both fronts.

Texas ran ball screens and beat Auburn’s rotations/recovery with passes, and Arthur Kaluma handled the ball and took advantage of his slower matchup several times.

The South Carolina game showed these same trends. Not only did Collin Murray-Boyles do well against Auburn’s two big lineups, but he also slowed down in the second half when Auburn was without Broome. Maybe that’s a coincidence, but Chaney Johnson had some excellent defensive possessions that help reinforce that.

Murray-Boyles wasn’t hitting threes like Kaluma, but he was using the extra split-second that he got from Auburn’s recovery/speed to get downhill.

It’s nice to throw a few ball screen hedges at teams, but it’s easy to get in rhythm against these defenses if you run good offense and have good passers. The hedge requires fast and athletic players for recovering, but you can always beat a fast player with a pass. We saw Auburn do just that against Houston’s ball screen blitzes.

I don’t know how often Auburn runs these numbers wise, but use these aggressive hedges as a special play call and maybe they’ll create just as many steals and deflections while preventing offenses from getting into a rhythm against it.

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Overall I think Auburn’s defense is fine. Adjustments need to be made, but Auburn has shown a high floor and has plenty of tools. These different defensive looks have their place too, but Auburn might be benefit from making them matchup based calls.

Things could also even out if Auburn can maximize its rebounding when the bigger lineups are out there.

What to do without Broome?

There’s no one you can plug into Broome’s role, so you might as well try and add some spark to someone else’s game.

If Chad Baker-Mazara, Johnson, Denver Jones, Tahaad Pettiford, and others can take on a bigger role then it will only make the team more capable/versatile when Broome returns.

Someone will also have to step up with Broome out as a leader. Pettiford seems like a shoe-in with his late game heroics, but I’m interested to see if Baker-Mazara or Jones take that team leader role first.

But the injury will impact more than roles. Without Broome, Auburn only has one true power forward on the team in Johnson. Auburn also has a one-time five-star recruit teeming with talent on the back end of the bench in Jahki Howard. I’m watching to see if Auburn plays some small ball with more Howard and/or if more minutes for Chris Moore at power forward result in more minutes on the wing for Howard.

For anyone needing a refresher on the Auburn signee, Williams-Adams (or SWA) is a versatile forward capable of defending multiple positions. While highly acclaimed for his defense, he’s also elite around the basket on offense and has some point-forward abilities with his face up driving moves and his vision/passing skills. In other words, SWA and Auburn are a perfect match.

(The Bruce Blog’s Boom Breakdown on SWA)

Williams-Adams is ranked No. 43 in the 247 Composite and plays for St. John’s High School in Texas. 

SWA had some strong AAU showings, playing great defense against top players (including the top ranked player in 2025 and 2026) and putting up some crazy numbers on two-point shots, but I’ve been waiting to see what he does as the top option on his high school team — compared to being more of a specialist on the AAU circuit.

He didn’t disappoint, and he showed off a lot more of his ball handling, scoring, and playmaking skills in this one (for better or worse), giving us some extra insight into his game. Below are most of the highlights from his game.

Passing

The biggest difference in Williams-Adams’ game at the high school level was how much more he handles the ball. He even runs some point guard for his team. His passing looks nice and crisp, while his ball handling is definitely serviceable for his position and age but some improvements there would open up even more of his game.

A few extra makes in this game and Williams-Adams would have had a triple-double.

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Scoring

Defense

Conclusion

Every game I’ve watched him play has revealed more of his defensive abilities, the same ones that make him a perfect fit for Auburn by showing shades of Isaac Okoro and Chuma Okeke. But seeing him handle extra offensive responsibilities showed me he also has the same kind of passing ability that has made Auburn’s forwards such key parts of the offense.

The Auburn signee is said to have a 7’3” wingspan and constantly demonstrates elite awareness and ability on the defensive side of the ball — that was never in question. This game showed me a lot more of what Auburn has to work with to turn him into the Tigers’ next scoring forward on offense.

I still think SWA’s best fit at Auburn will be the 4, where there will also likely be more minutes up for grabs next season. He needs to work on his outside shooting and ball handling more than anything, which the 4 doesn’t require as much, and he’ll still have plenty of good defensive assignments and switchability from the spot.

I remember watching Okoro play in high school, and you could see the flashes of offensive ability when his team needed it. He would defer to his talented teammates more often than not, but the talent was definitely there for him. SWA’s AAU film puts him in a similar position. The defense is on display but he plays his role so well that you don’t see the rest of his game as often. When his high school team needed the offense to stave off a Christian comeback, he scored 35 points with most of his baskets coming late.

I’m not sure if the rest of his game is as polished as Okoro’s was when he got to Auburn. It might be more in between where Okoro was and where Jaylin Williams was when he arrived, but his slashing ability is already a pro-level skill at times. And the defense… it is very Okoro-like.

As his handle and shot get better, he’ll have more ability to play as a wing. But, at the college level, his size and face-up ability at the 4 could be borderline unstoppable with a slightly improved handle and/or improved shooting consistency. Add one of those and he’s five-star good on both ends of the court.

He doesn’t need those attributes to be successful, even as a freshman, but adding them will make him a pro prospect. His defense and wingspan might even get him there before then.

The win was a big one. Not only did it snap an 11-game road losing streak to top 50 KenPom teams, but it gave Bruce Pearl the record for all-time wins at Auburn.

It wasn’t a pretty game, but it was an SEC road win on a night when only one other SEC team won on the road — with No. 1 Tennessee and No. 6 Kentucky both losing by double digits away from home.

I’m not too concerned with the comeback either. It seems like Auburn is getting bored and playing with its food lately. The Tigers need to fix that, but there’s a chance that better competition is all that’s needed.

While the game wasn’t pretty, but some of the key factors in Auburn’s win were.

Auburn’s depth was on full display. It wasn’t simply minutes distribution that showed off the depth either, it was the quality of play that came from several players who haven’t been talked about as much in recent games.

Kelly and the depth 

After five games in single digits, Miles Kelly came out firing away and ended with his highest point total against a power conference opponent since arriving at Auburn.

Kelly’s 18 points, three shy of his season high in game one against Vermont, came on a four-of-six night shooting from deep. It was Kelly’s first game in double digits since Richmond and his first game with multiple threes since Ohio State.

It was encouraging to see Kelly flip the switch so easily. With the amount of firepower Auburn has in the backcourt, the ability to find rhythm after a hot-streak from one of your fellow guards is valuable. It’s something that makes this depth different than the depth of years’ past. 

In years past, this might be a blast of hope that there’s a way Auburn can start shooting better.

This year, the depth Auburn has—while similar in minute distribution and versatility—is higher quality. Auburn doesn’t need its best shooter to play well enough to carry the three-point percentage every night.

The guys who made up Auburn’s backcourt for the past few years were a mixture of good players and sometimes-fun-to-watch players, but there’s a difference in going to your bench for KD Johnson and going to your bench for Miles Kelly. There’s a difference in this point guard rotation, and even the quality of play Auburn is getting out of positions with returning players (like center and small forward) is better than it was last season.

It didn’t stop at Kelly either. Jahki Howard continued his come up, making plays on both ends of the court while shooting three-of-three inside the arc. On top of that, Chris Moore got some run and scored his first basket against a power conference opponent since the Duke game.

It makes this Auburn team hard to gameplan for. Not only can they stay fresh and aggressive thanks to the depth, but you might spend all week preparing for a guy shooting around 70 percent from three in the previous five games (like Denver Jones) just to have another NBA-level shooter (like Kelly) light you up.

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On Bruce Pearl’s benchmark win

Bruce Pearl is the winningest coach in Auburn basketball history, a title he deserves — and not only because the numbers say so.

Pearl deserves to go down in Auburn history as much as any other coach does. Auburn was the SEC’s doormat when he arrived. Tony Barbee was fresh off Bryan Hardin-ing the basketball program before Hardin had probably even heard of Auburn, and the Tigers hadn’t won more than 15 games in a season since 2009 when Pearl arrived.

This season, Auburn has the National Player of the Year favorite, has held a No. 1 ranking on most analytical polls, won a Maui Championship, and has garnered just about every other accolade able to be earned before conference play.

Auburn might be the house Charles Barkley built, and the Tigers did have some elite teams in the late 1990s, but the level of success we’ve seen under Pearl was unimaginable in my early life as a fan.

I see people on Twitter sometimes dismissing the job Pearl has done because there aren’t as many deep tournament runs, but the job he’s done at Auburn is so much more than wins. Pearl has built a national contender out of nothing. He campaigned with students to get fans in the arena, he put together great staffs, elite talent evaluators and developers, and convinced great players to join the program before there was much (if any) proof. The proof is in the national perception and the yearly expectations. They were nothing like this a few short years ago.

Enter this season and Pearl has now brought Auburn to such heights that it doesn’t matter what you saw or what you missed. These elite teams don’t need any context to be appreciated because they—specifically this season’s team—have been the best in the country. They’ve been the best in Auburn basketball history.

The complete turnaround of the Auburn basketball program has been a labor of love and a work of art. 

In many ways this is a bigger game when it comes to perception than it is on paper.

Both teams have plenty of chances to avenge a potential loss against similar opponents in similar circumstances, but Texas is coming off a late-game thumping at the hands of Texas A&M and Auburn—somehow still fighting for its first AP Poll No. 1 ranking of the season—doesn’t want to be crowned a home-game merchant after losing its first true road game of the season against Duke. We all know how national media holds onto its Auburn narratives, and a team deserving of that No. 1 ranking should be able to pull off a win tonight.

On top of that, and despite the great regular season Auburn had last year, Auburn has lost the last 11 games it has played against top 50 KenPom teams on the road. But, that’s probably about to change. A decent game from Auburn should defeat Texas due to the advantages Auburn has on paper.

Keys to victory

Auburn needs to stay disciplined on offense and on the boards in this game; Texas simply doesn’t have the personnel to handle Auburn’s front court.

Auburn lost the rebounding battle against Missouri, but a concerted effort from the front court won’t let that happen against Texas.

Texas has a good rebounder and capable defender in Kadin Shedrick but he doesn’t have much help.

Shedrick has been the only Texas player listed at 6’8” or taller to play more than five minutes in any of Texas’ three losses, which bodes well for Chaney Johnson and Auburn’s two-big lineups finding success. The Longhorns lost the rebounding battles in their three losses by 10 (A&M), 14 (UConn), and two (Ohio State).

Texas did a solid job of limiting Aaron Bradshaw, Liam McNeeley, and some of the other good forwards and centers they’ve faced, but most of those games saw someone else step up in the front court against Texas. Auburn also has the bigs to take advantage of a skimpy Texas front court.

If Texas wants to win

… it better pray for Auburn’s bigs to get in foul trouble.

On paper, Texas looks like the kind of team that can get in and win a shootout at home. While the Longhorns are No. 7 nationally in three point percentage, Texas shot 25 percent from deep against Ohio State and 27 percent from deep against Texas A&M. The Longhorns did hit 47 percent from deep against UConn, but the team hasn't made more than 10 threes in a game against a top 100 opponent this season. Auburn has done so five times, including against Duke and against a common opponent in Ohio State.

If the foul trouble is bad for Auburn, Texas could make things interesting, but I just don’t see Texas having the shooting volume to engage a full-strength Auburn team in a shootout or the stopping power to slow down Johni Broome and company in a late-game defensive rock fight — which is how the Longhorns fumbled close games against UConn and Texas A&M.

Without foul trouble getting in the way, Auburn can play a safe, defense-first game and still overpower the Longhorns.

If foul trouble is on the horizon, Texas has a backcourt that can spread out Auburn’s defense and limit the offense with its length.

Tramon Mark torched Auburn, basically single-handedly knocking Auburn out of the NCAA Tournament two years ago in a game between the Tigers and Houston.

Last season he transferred to Arkansas and Auburn held him to 10 points. This season, Auburn’s backcourt and wings are even better defenders.

However, Texas has better scorers in freshman phenom Tre Johnson and a top transfer in Jordan Pope, who already has a 40-ball to his name this season (even though it came against New Orleans). All three guys are on the bigger end for their position (Pope is 6’2”, Mark is 6’5”, and Johnson is 6’6”). All three have plenty of experience but not enough talent to beat Auburn on their own.

SEC road games

It’s easy to say, and believe, that Auburn will cruise to a victory here. Auburn almost beat Duke on the road and has been making teams in Texas’ analytical range look like victims of buy-games — with Auburn even calling off the dogs against a top 20 Purdue team after leading by 30-plus points with plenty of time left to play.

Texas is No. 43 on KenPom as I write this, but this game won’t be in Neville Arena, and Bruce Pearl said it could be the most hostile road environment Auburn has faced yet… a hat tip to all the Auburn fans who made the trip to Cameron Indoor.

Every SEC team should expect at least one surprising road loss this season. The conference is just too good and it’s difficult winning on the road in conference play.

Auburn is good enough to avoid most of those games, and I have Auburn winning this game, but I won’t be floored by an upset.

However, this Auburn team is special. It must be beyond frustrating to play against them. Auburn (at times) has five shutdown defenders on the court and doesn’t give up anything on offense to play those lineups. Even with an all-defensive lineup, Auburn can still also play two three-point snipers in Denver Jones and Miles Kelly, a facilitating wing in Chad Baker-Mazara, an athletic forward of its choice, and not to mention… the best player and scorer in the country in Johni Broome. That’s unfair. It’s nightmare fuel for opposing teams.

Texas is extremely experienced (top 20 in minute continuity), has tall/long and experienced guards, and plays good defense. There’s a path for the Longhorns to win, but I think Auburn will be too motivated and too locked in to let it happen.

A win will also make Bruce Pearl Auburn’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

This should be a win for Auburn, considering it’s at home and the Auburn Tigers are coming off the most impressive non-conference slate in the country. However, Missouri is also a few weeks removed from defeating then No. 1 Kansas.

Auburn had an unusually tough game against Missouri in 2022, when Missouri found ways to stifle that Auburn offense more than anyone else did. It’s a new staff and team at Missouri, but several of the players—and the coaching staff—should be familiar with Auburn.

Auburn recruited Josh Gray, Anthony Robinson, and Peyton Marshall out of high school, with Marshall even committing to Auburn for some time. Missouri Associate Head Coach Charlton “C.Y.” Young also started his coaching career at Auburn in the late 90s before completing another stint on the Planes in the early 2000s.

Missouri at home might not sound like a tough game with how flashy some of the other upcoming SEC matchups are, but Missouri is 11-2 and has an impressive win, no bad losses, and a roster that can catch Auburn off guard if the opportunity presents itself.

More on Missouri

I think this matchup is a good test for Auburn, better than most middle of the pack SEC openers and even better than most other teams in Missouri’s analytical range.

Missouri is starting to look more like the FSU teams that its head coach and associate head coach helped build under Leonard Hamilton. Like those teams, this Missouri team has size and depth in the front court with six guys listed at 6’8” or taller. Missouri has a similar degree of size and depth in the backcourt and uses it to disrupt passing lanes and generate steals, ranking top 10 nationally in defensive steal percentage and top 15 in turnover percentage on KenPom. Auburn’s offense is No. 3 in turnover percentage, making this a good test for both units.

The size and depth will also be a good test for Auburn, even though Missouri doesn’t have the same sort of talent Auburn does.

Missouri is also one of the best teams at drawing fouls, and Auburn’s style of play can lead to high foul counts, so this could be a good look at how Auburn will be officiated in conference play. Robinson and Mark Mitchell will relentlessly attack the rim, giving Auburn’s defense an early shot at staying disciplined.

Eyes on Auburn’s two-big lineups

At the beginning of the season I was iffy about the two-big lineups featuring Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell but they have been dominant in matchups that favor or require such lineups.

I don’t think this game will require Auburn’s two-big lineups in the same way that a game like Iowa State did, but I think Auburn’s best bet at blowing this game open comes by giving heavy minutes to Broome and Cardwell.

Missouri’s front court is headlined by former Duke Blue Devil Mark Mitchell.

Mitchell is more of a forward, and Missouri’s depth gives them a chance to move him around a little more, but Auburn’s increasing confidence in its bigs’ switch-ability gives me hope that we see him matched up against the two-big lineups more often than not.

Mitchell is a good offensive rebounder and can put the ball on the floor, but he’s not a great shooter beyond the arc. So, matching him up against the length of Broome and Cardwell (who have both held their own against guards isolating and driving against them) should be effective and should nullify some of Mitchell’s rebounding prowess.

The key to making this happen is staying out of foul trouble, which is also the same reason I wonder if Auburn will deploy much of these lineups, and the same reason I questioned the two-big lineups early on. Auburn’s biggest advantage in most games comes from its center rotation, so early fouls can drastically alter Auburn’s game plan. Mitchell is top 25 nationally in free throw rate and top 40 nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes.

Missouri also has one of the most efficient two-point offenses in the country. Getting Auburn in foul trouble will likely be a gameplan for Missouri, as it’s one of their strengths and one of the only ways Missouri can get the open looks it’s used to seeing at the basket. Head coach Dennis Gates and company run great offense, but limiting Auburn’s bigs will be their best bet.

Missouri also has some bigger lineups it can go to, with guys such as Mitchell, Jacob Crews (6’8”, 210-lbs), and other forwards able to play on the wing and a deep rotation of bigs at center.

The two-big game-plan could backfire and get Auburn’s bigs in early foul trouble against a Missouri front court that can take advantage of that. It’s a gamble, and a similar gameplan had every big except Johni Broome in foul trouble against Iowa State. That makes this game a good chance to see how the players and/or game plans have changed since then.

What else to watch for

• You know I can’t go a whole preview without mentioning Tahaad Pettiford. Pettiford has been a big-game player and I’m interested to see if that translates to being an every-game player now that he’s running almost exclusively at point guard and also entering SEC play. Robinson is a formidable defender for Missouri so this could be a good battle.

• Foul trouble for Auburn’s bigs could lead to more minutes for Chris Moore in the front court and more minutes for Jahki Howard on the wing. Howard has been coming along lately, and certainly had the potential to breakout down the stretch, and every opportunity he gets seems exciting.

• Denver Jones didn’t make a three against Duke, but he’s shooting 62.1 percent from deep on 5.8 attempts per game since then and 71.4 percent from three in Auburn’s last four games. I’m hoping to see that continue until Jones has the chance to show that he can get a hot hand against the big dogs again. Jones is the only starting SEC player shooting 45-plus percent on threes and 90-plus percent on free throws.

The Monmouth game wasn’t as easy as projected, but Auburn cruised for most of the game after its 16-0 half-ending run.

There’s plenty to be excited about with this team, and I’ve waxed poetically about them here and on Twitter all season, but there are also ways this team can continue to improve.

I don’t mean that in a Debbie-downer “this team isn’t good enough yet” way either, they could make noise throughout the season no matter how they progress. Instead, this is proof that Auburn isn’t peaking too early… or at least, that there are ways for this team to peak at the right time.

We know Johni Broome is the best player in the country, and there are plenty of seniors on this roster that guarantee a high floor, but some recent developments point toward the potential of an even higher ceiling.

Tahaad Pettiford is taking over the point guard position. Chad Baker-Mazara started the season with three consecutive games logging less than 20 minutes, but he has only played less than 20 minutes once since then — playing 25 or more minutes four times since then. He only had eight such games last season.

Jahki Howard might be the biggest what if left for this team, because his highs are as high as anyone and he seems to be finding some consistent minutes.

Auburn is already the best team. Why does it matter?

Auburn arguably has the best roster in the country, the best player, several of the best wins of the season, and the list goes on.

But, college basketball has long seasons, and the name of the game is peaking at the right time. We’ve seen good Auburn teams peak too early and we’ve seen good Auburn teams regroup and peak at the right time. It’s not a guaranteed success, like we saw last season, but it’s the best way to make noise in March and April.

Just because you’re the best team in the country in December doesn’t mean it will stay that way.

But also, just because you’re the best team in December doesn’t mean you can’t peak in March/April, and Auburn is one of the rare teams that fall into that category.

It’s easy to argue that Auburn’s point guard position hasn’t reached its ceiling yet, due to the inconsistent highs we’ve seen from Pettiford, the lows from JP Pegues, and the blossoming of Denver Jones.

If Auburn can optimize the point guard position—especially with the talent there—and Broome keeps playing like the best hooper in the country, this Auburn team can get even more dangerous.

That’s more of a long-term goal, but continually improving backcourt play (especially in a gruesome SEC) would build some extra postseason confidence… for me at least.

Pettiford set his season high in assists with five against Ohio State and then ended noncon play with five assists against both Purdue and Monmouth. He also set a new season high in minutes played against Monmouth.

Pettiford seems to be learning and adapting versus fitting into the system like last season’s guards. He isn’t afraid to seek isolation possessions or turn the ball over on offense. He takes risks with the freedom Auburn’s system provides and he’s nearly unstoppable when they pay off.

He’s also coming around on defense, not reaching as much, and defending shots at a higher rate. He still needs to put it all together and make his highs more consistent. Auburn being able to rely on and gameplan around Pettiford’s highs would only make this team even more dangerous.

Another freshman in the mix

Jahki Howard has shown some really nice flashes. The dunking has been there in just about every game he has played in, but he has started to show off his jumper more and had a solid drive against Monmouth. He’s also starting to get consistent run every game and he’s earning his minutes earlier and earlier.

Howard offers some different looks for Auburn’s offense. His elite athleticism makes him a perfect fit for Auburn’s flex heavy offense, which uses a lot of cuts and screen looks that can open up easy dunks for a guy like Howard — and we’ve seen how good Pettiford’s lob chemistry is with Howard.

Equally important to Howard’s development and minutes at Auburn were his defensive stops. Defensive stops will be much harder to come by with his upcoming SEC assignments, but Howard clearly has the tools needed to take on the main backup role on Auburn’s wing.

Auburn has a complex defense. Everything from how the Tigers’ defenders switch on ball screens, to baseline out of bounds play defense, to pressing, and a host of assignments in between — it’s much more complex than using length and athleticism to stay in front of opponents. And Howard would be hard to keep off the floor if he locks in and learns the system. This isn’t necessarily a call for more minutes either. Even a small improvement there would result in the minutes he already gets.

I don’t think this is as simple of a move as increasing Howard’s workload. He still has some strides to make, especially as a defender, and Chris Moore is a good enough defender to keep getting minutes in certain lineups. Not to mention Baker-Mazara’s dominance in the starting role at the same spot.

Another easy improvement for Howard would be rebounding more. Howard is usually trying to pace the defense and get a fast break look. It’s the same mindset behind him gambling on steals for fast break points. They have their places, but Howard could increase his efficiency by being more selective when looking for those fast break opportunities.

His ceiling is clear and pretty ridiculous. Him breaking out down the stretch isn’t something I’m flat out predicting, but it would be like adding another top 10 recruit to the team if he does it.

Conclusion

This Auburn team is ahead of schedule, but not in a way that makes me worry like the 2022 season. This team is far from just talented with an unstoppable screen and roll action. The can play elite defense 1-5 with certain lineups, they can run great offense with all the facilitators on the roster, and—probably most importantly—there are very tangible ways for this team to continue improving. The wins they’ve stacked also means they don’t have to make changes now and can let the changes make themselves in a way, which should help the team peak later on.

Even if Auburn doesn’t improve, and even if other teams do improve, this team seems destined to be a top 10 team at the worst. Auburn will make noise this postseason no matter what it does, but they have a chance to reach their true potential if everyone plays their cards right.

The No. 2 Tigers took down No. 16 Purdue in dominant fashion, leading by as many as 33 points in a 19-point win. Auburn was locked in on both ends of the court, defeating Purdue in just about every way possible — not just in the talent department.

That came after Johni Broome’s injury was deemed much less serious than originally feared, leading to him playing (and dominating) Purdue.

After that, Auburn signee Kaden Magwood scored 36 points and hit a game winner over five-star Arkansas commit Meleek Thomas in an Overtime Elite game.

With the Purdue game speaking for itself, I decided to do a breakdown of Magwood’s big game with a focus on skills that could translate in year one at Auburn, a season when Auburn will be rebuilding most of its roster.

Magwood also did a lot more than hit the game winner, he scored the final eight points for his team, had some impressive assists, and showed out against some SEC level defenders.

Below is a clip, and accompanying thoughts, of almost every field goal Magwood had last night and a few others notable plays, followed by some concluding thoughts.

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The Breakdown

First, the favorites… the ones that really stood out.

Skills that will easily translate to the college level

Other plays worth mentioning

Conclusion

At the least, Magwood can be a good catch and shoot specialist in year one at Auburn. Depending on how Auburn’s roster fills out, he can also play some point guard, can be a go to scorer, and can be a secondary facilitator. His versatility makes him valuable on an Auburn team with very little known about next season’s roster.

His catch and shoot ability and isolation scoring is already college ready. Most of his other offensive skills are serviceable enough for him to take on bigger roles and will likely develop into strengths whenever his experience clicks.

This was just my second time watching Magwood in a full OTE game, and the first game I watched him in wasn’t recordable or repayable, so this one carried more value.

OTE isn’t really a league that emphasizes defense, so I don’t think we’ve seen what Magwood is fully capable of on that side. That critique could also be seen as a knock on his competition, but Magwood was going blow-for-blow with a top 10 overall player. So regardless of the totals, the skill set and confidence are there for the Auburn commit.

In this game, it wasn’t like Magwood didn’t face any defense and he didn’t simply find a weak spot in the defense. He just played his game, found ways to break down the defenders in front of him, and was confident on catch and shoot looks. These kind of games are bound to happen with his range, skill, and confidence. They might not be to the same extent in college, but they’ll happen when the opportunities arise, and even more often when the game slows down for him.

Chaney Johnson stepped up big after the injury, but the absence of a fully healthy Broome creates more than unfulfilled stats in Auburn’s front court — it creates a chance for Auburn’s guards to take a step forward.

Sure, you can find the replacement points through Johnson and Dylan Cardwell, but everything is going to slide back to normal in the front court when Broome returns to full strength soon.

So why not spend this time urging the backcourt to improve? It’s something that would continue to pay off when Broome is back to his normal self, and it’s the only group with a contributor young enough where one game can make a huge difference.

The Purdue game without Broome could be the best (and hopefully last) chance Auburn has to try something like this out.

We already saw a hint of this against Georgia State, with Tahaad Pettiford hitting his season-high in minutes against the Panthers and Bruce Pearl letting his guards and freshmen play through a lot more mistakes than we’ve seen in big games this season.

This could end up being crucial experience for the guards, giving them the know-how to get things done without playing through Broome, and it could also result in the blossoming of a guy like Pettiford. Which, to me, is more important than game planing to simply win this game.

Why Pettiford?

Whether or not Broome plays against Purdue, we’re on the verge of seeing Pettiford turn the corner — and a game where Auburn lets Pettiford loose could speed up the process.

Pettiford won’t completely take over the team by any means, but Auburn is at its best when Pettiford demands minutes. He gives Auburn—a team with a so-far historic offense (analytically), even without fully relying on its five-star guard yet—another elite scoring option.

• Auburn’s offensive efficiency (per KenPom) is currently 130.6. The highest offensive efficiency rating a team has ever ended the season with in the KenPom era was 129.0 (2015 Wisconsin).

• 2021 Gonzaga was 126.4, 2018 Villanova was 127.8, 2021 Baylor was 125.0, 2024 UConn was 127.5.

• Pettiford is the first freshman to score 20+ points in less than 30 minutes against Houston since 2013.

• Since 2018, the only freshman to score 20+ points against Houston are: Bol Bol, Isaiah Stewart, Precious Achiuwa, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Tahaad Pettiford.

• Pettiford is the only freshman in the country shooting 40 percent from three and 100 percent on free throws (with 10+ attempts in each category).

• Pettiford and Tre Johnson (Texas) are the only SEC freshman shooting better than 40-percent from three on more than two attempts per game.

• Pettiford has a 5.02 offensive rating (OBPR) on Evan Miya, outpacing other top rated freshmen such as Cooper Flagg (3.94), Dylan Harper (4.28), Jeremiah Fears (3.68), Liam McNeely (3.72), and others.

Pettiford is also the most talented facilitator Auburn has at guard — which is apparent with his backcourt-leading 21.2 percent assist rate.

There’s no doubt that Pettiford has what it takes; his best games have been against Auburn’s best competition.

Sure, Auburn hasn’t needed him to permanently take over the backcourt and has still been a great team as is — but Auburn has needed Pettiford to step up in almost every big game.

Being able to rely and game plan around that sort of output will make Auburn more dangerous and will take pressure off everyone else, versus just playing to the hot hand.

A lot of his improvements need to come on defense — where Pettiford isn’t bad, but he hasn’t defended at the same level as Jones and others. With Auburn relying on defense so often, a weak link is hard to keep on the court at times.

Pettiford has foul issues, gambles on steals, and doesn’t have the same size advantage that others have. Still, Auburn has had good defenses with small guards in the past and Pettiford has the agility and IQ to get steals and disrupt ball handlers. If he can dial in on those strengths, Auburn won’t be able to keep him off the court.

• Auburn was No. 9 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency with Wendell Green, Zep Jasper, and KD Johnson in the backcourt.

At his best, Pettiford’s strengths makeup for any defensive weaknesses. We just need those strengths to be reliable every game and those weaknesses to improve a little.

Whether or not Broome plays, I think this game is the perfect chance to give Pettiford and the guards some extra green light moments. Let them play through the highs and lows of a game without an automatic option down low. At the worst, it takes some pressure off Broome. At the best, it juices up an already elite offense.

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It isn’t just the rankings that are similar, Auburn and Iowa State match up across the board on paper. Both teams like to go fast and attack the basket on offense and have defenses that can shut down opposing offenses.

Iowa State also has a couple of high scoring guards and wings, two capable big men clocking in at 6-10 or taller, and is analytically the top team in the country at preventing turnovers and turning its opponents over. 

The biggest difference between the two teams is that Iowa State hasn’t tested any of their flashy metrics on a good team this season, while Auburn played (arguably) its best game of the season against its toughest opponent in Houston. 

Auburn will be Iowa State’s first opponent inside the top 250, according to KenPom. Iowa State, which also finished last season as a top 10 KenPom team, had a similar start to last season before losing the first two games it played against top 60 KenPom teams in late November.

It’ll take more than big-game experience for Auburn to defeat a team and defense that has some answers for Auburn’s weapons in ways the Tigers haven’t seen so far this season, but Auburn is favored for a reason.

While there are plenty of good teams in the field this year, this is by far the best opening round game in Maui and could go down as the best game in Maui this year.

Auburn’s offense versus Iowa State’s defense 

Auburn’s chances for success hinge on its ability to expose another analytically great defense.

Iowa State’s defense, like Houston’s, has a distinct style that could entice Auburn to switch some things up.

The Cyclones’ defenders force as much as they can to the baseline to cut off the key and middle of the court. Auburn does have some ball screen actions it runs from the wings that will be effective, but Iowa State will try to scheme out those quick hitting high post touches that Chaney Johnson and Johni Broome ate Houston alive on.

However, like Houston’s defense, Iowa State’s defense relies heavily on help defense and rotating. The Cyclones will sell out on keeping guys out of the key by any means necessary, even if it means letting their man beat them on the baseline. Their defense is also coached to rotate and help to ensure that the ball handler doesn’t get an easy layup. This gives the offense a numbers advantage on the weak side. This is shown below, when Iowa State completely sells out on forcing a drive baseline and then helping to stop the ball handler.

No. 30 comes wide open for a lob due to the Iowa Sate rotation, and then No. 7 comes wide open on the backside.

Auburn’s ball movement exploited the number advantages that Houston’s defense gave up, time and time again, so we’ll see if they can do it again. I think Tahaad Pettiford’s quick burst and big game ability could factor into this one again. The guards making quick decisions and accurate passes when they do beat that first man will be crucial. While they can get a contested layup in the paint, a few good passes against a scrambling defense usually results in open shots. 

On the other side of the tracks

Iowa State’s offense isn’t much different than Auburn’s. The Cyclones like to run ball screen actions and more intricate pick and rolls and thrive on mismatches. Auburn’s switching defense plays right into what Iowa State wants, but Auburn has bigs capable of defending guards on the perimeter, so the Tigers might be able to stifle the Cyclones offense.

What’s next?

If Auburn wins, the Tigers will play again on Tuesday at 10 p.m. against the winner of UNC versus Dayton. If UNC wins, it’ll give Auburn another top 10 opponent — one whose only loss of the season came 92-89 at Kansas.

Michigan State, Colorado, Memphis, and UConn are almost in the tournament. If Auburn makes it to the championship, they’ll play on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Usually a guy with his ranking earned that ranking from high scoring performances and high flying dunks, and their highlight reels are filled with ankle breaking crossovers against Inferior opponents.

Williams-Adams’ game shines brightest against other stars, when he can use his wingspan and defensive prowess to smother scoring stars while overpowering them with his strength and handle on offense. 

Don't get me wrong, he has plenty of flashy highlights, but watching him shutdown future NBA stars in EYBL games is what makes me step back and realize how special Williams-Adams is.

In July his AAU team (JL3 Elite) played the Oakland Soldiers, home to the top recruit in both 2025 (AJ Dybantsa) and 2026 (Tyran Stokes). Below is every half court defensive possession where Williams-Adams won a matchup with one of the two and a few other noteworthy plays:

This is the perfect example of Williams-Adams elite defensive potential. Dybantsa has this shot all day against less capable defenders, and Williams-Adams fights through a questionable push off and still gets a hand in the No. 1 players face on a shot attempt early in the game. The second clip shows him in the same spot against a different defender:

Below is SWA’s first field goal of the game. The four-star forward will be deadly in Auburn’s baseline out of bounds plays. He’s a good passer and equally good at using his size and strength to run a little give and go or high low action after throwing it in.

I’m not sure if he slides up in help defense or to bait the pass below, but his wingspan makes this an easy recovery and an easy tipped pass.

He stays vertical below and makes a good contest on a look that Dybantsa usually makes look easy. That’s a theme for SWA with his wingspan and anticipation.

Sticking with the defense, Williams-Adams gets his hands a little caught up and fouls Stokes on the first play, but he eats him alive on the second play. Shows off his anticipation, his wingspan, and even his motor and awareness by grabbing the loose ball after the block. That second play is everything you want to see.

He does a great job at staying in front of Stokes on the plays below and forcing a desperation shot, which his teammate cleans up, and a bad pass. His 7’3” wingspan really crowds his opponents’ vision and normal shooting/passing space. 

Below, Oakland draws up a play to get it to Dybantsa in his preferred spot, on a defender other than SWA, and the Auburn commit wrecks the play.

SWA gets screened off Stokes on this play, but I like how he stays nearby, aware and active to scoop up the rebound.

Extras

The speed he plays at, both mentally and physically, is impressive for a guy his size.

I broke down his face up ability and half court scoring in the commitment service, but he’s also a scoring threat in that big guard/point forward role because his handle is good enough to let him bring the ball up court, almost guaranteeing him a downhill drive to the basket. Auburn has used its fours in this role throughout the Bruce Pearl era.

If he adds a little extra wiggle with the ball in his hand and a little more athleticism, he’ll finish those off at a high rate. As of now, he usually gets to the line at the very least. If he adds those athleticism improvements and improves his free throw shooting it’ll be a lethal move for him at the college level. He’s a problem on dribble hand offs and ball screens for the same reason.

He even showed off some of that promise as a shooter.

Williams-Adams’ team did lose this game, but the Auburn commit also had 24 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Dybantsa had 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Stokes had 13 points and 10 rebounds. So, SWA didn’t completely shut them down, but he wasn’t matched up with them every play — and he did shut them down more often than not when it was his matchup.

These kind of defensive performances bring back memories of what Isaac Okoro did in games against high ranking scorers — even Williams-Adams’ offense compares. On top of that, Williams-Adams has a few inches on Okoro’s height and wingspan.

He’s an extremely good prospect and the kind of recruit Auburn has had a lot of success with, both in terms of production and development toward a pro career.

On a more serious note, Williams-Adams is elite around the basket, has game changing defensive potential, a wingspan that screams future pro, and other good fundamentals to work with. 

Williams-Adams’ player profile falls right in line with the likes of Chuma Okeke and Isaac Okoro, and he might just need a coaching staff that can highlight the rest of his offense enough to turn him into a draft pick. 

As a junior at St. John’s in Texas, he averaged 21.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He scored 30-plus three times and only scored in single digits once — in a 40 point win. During this past AAU season, he averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in 25.5 minutes on the Nike EYBL circuit.

He’s ranks as a consensus four-star, a top 60 player with a ranking high of No. 30 on ESPN, but I could see him blowing past those rankings with how well he fits Auburn’s playing style and his physical and athletic attributes.

Overview

Williams-Adams pops on film as someone who can get to the rim and finish at a high rate. He’s a menace as a downhill driver and rim runner in transition.

He has the ability to defend multiple positions in college, thanks to his 7-foot, 3-inch wingspan (per 247Sports’ commitment broadcast) and his awareness, speed, and coordination at 6 feet, 8 inches and 225 pounds. He will shine on defense from the jump with Auburn’s style of play and could be a breakout freshman depending on how he develops and how Auburn fills out its roster. 

He’s great at driving to the basket off face-up looks on the perimeter or from the elbow, but he turns into a problem when he can get a head start — whether it’s on something like a dribble handoff or in transition. 

His outside shooting has dipped in recent years. Auburn will give him a chance to do more there, and his shooting form and recent tape suggests he has the potential to. 

He’s listed as a small forward by some outlets, but I think he’ll play power forward/4 at Auburn. With his ability to drive, process defenses, and pass, Williams-Adams can play the big guard/point forward role that has excelled under Bruce Pearl in the past. This spot will also help “hide” some of Williams-Adams weaknesses by letting him focus more on rebounding and defense while still showcasing his wing skills with the perimeter touches Auburn gives its point forwards. The way Auburn switches on screens will also let his defensive versatility shine in the four role.

However, Williams-Adams shows enough promise as a perimeter defender and facilitator that Auburn can play him at the wing if needed — which is likely where his pro potential lies if he doesn’t grow taller.

With where he’s at now though, he can use that perimeter skills to excel at the point forward position instead of learning on the fly as a wing.

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Some strengths are already elite

The strongest part of Williams-Adams’ game is getting to the basket and making shots around the rim. He has a solid handle and a quick enough first step to get around bigs who defend him and he’s too powerful for guards to stay in front of him. When watching him play, it’s obvious that he’s as good of a downhill driver that you’ll find outside of maybe a few of the top five stars. And the stats back-up his driving ability.

“sebastian williams adams took an absurd 70.9% of his shots at the rim this eybl season as a 6'7ish wing, finishing a strong 62.5% there

no perimeter player i tracked in the 2025 class topped williams adams' rim frequency, the slashing production was high level”

Downhill driving is his most polished stat, and his wingspan and ability to finish through contact will let it translate to the college level, while his passing and awareness gives him true triple-threat potential. All the while, Williams-Adams is arguably even more intriguing as a defender. 

He has elite defensive versatility based on his physical and athletic components and his processing. He plays smart and aware, he’s quick enough to guard wings and forwards on the perimeter, and he has a wingspan that rivals most college centers’. Mixed with his strength, Williams-Adams is also a promising post defender.

The four-star forward still has some work to do to unlock his elite overall defensive ability, such as adding some lateral agility, but it could be as simple as getting into a college weight room and on a team that has had a premiere defense for several years now.

Like Okeke, it could an extra year for Williams-Adams to develop the quick twitch needed to defend pro guards, but his wingspan and instincts will make him a terror in traps, passing lanes, and fronting the post from day one. The strength and speed he already has makes him dangerous as a defender in switches, and Auburn has shined when its fours and fives can defend on the perimeter. It lets Auburn nullify a lot of ball screen actions and even makes teams hesitant to run them to avoid having a big smother their ball handler. His defensive potential is exactly what Auburn looks for.

With Auburn’s track record of developing forwards and Williams-Adams’ intangibles, he has a high floor and high ceiling as a multi-year prospect. When factoring in Auburn’s incoming roster rebuild, he’ll also get a lot of minutes and opportunity early on — lessening the risk of him being one of these multi-year guys who blows up at a school he transferred to.

More than meets the eye on offense

Williams-Adams’ offensive potential isn’t as flashy as what he projects as on defense, but it is almost as versatile.

The forward can run ball screen offense as the ball handler or the roll-man, he can shoot better than he gets credited for, he can back players down in the post, drive, pass, handle the ball in transition, rim run, he moves well without the ball in his hand, and the list goes on. He just hasn’t shown it at a consistent enough rate to get much credit for it as a prospect. But, because of these traits, Auburn can find uses for him even if his driving and shooting abilities aren’t ready on day one.

His passing is one of the most impressive parts of his game and will make him a shoe-in for the passer on Auburn’s inbounds plays, which are a staple of Pearl’s offense. While not as promising as his defense or as polished as his finishing ability, he sees the court well and can pass out of the post, as a ball handler in ball screen offense, in transition, or while driving to the basket. This will let him excel in the point forward position, as Auburn likes to run offense through the position.

While I see Williams-Adams as more of a four at Auburn, he certainly has the potential to play on the wing with the way he passes and facilitates offense. That same potential could make him a nightmare of a mismatch at the four in college, especially once he polishes up some skills.

His ability to play bully ball and his flashes of a mid range game also match well with Auburn’s four role.

Williams-Adams has the potential to play just about any role that a college team could need him to play, besides point guard. Even then, his high school team lists him as a
”point guard, power forward.”

Improvements needed to be great 

The biggest knock you’ll see on Williams-Adams game is his shooting and his promise as a productive piece on offense.

This critique compared to his game film reminds me so much of Okoro. In high school, Okoro’s offensive skills were heavily critiqued to the point of him not appearing on some draft boards. Auburn drew up things that showed off his skills, which his prep teams didn’t have to do because he was playing with several other future pros, and gave him more looks and a green light. Okoro took it and ran, started making threes and putting more off the dribble highlights on tape simply from having the looks and confidence. I think Williams-Adams has all the skills necessary to follow the same path. His jumper looks good when he pulls the trigger, his handle gets him to the rim effectively, and his passing and processing are great for his size.

Williams-Adams aligns more with Okeke and others fours than with Okoro, based on matchups and assignments, but the critiques and offensive ability are similar to what Okoro came to Auburn with.

He has a lot of work to do to make good shooting a consistent attribute. He does have some bad misses. On the other hand, he has a good shooting form and is good at finding soft spots in the defense. He’s also elite at drawing fouls with his anticipation and ability to play through contact, so taking that next step as a shooter in crucial.

By all accounts, Williams-Adams seems like a smart guy in any interview I’ve heard or read. I expect he’ll make some of those needed improvements by the time he gets to Auburn, but I think he has All-SEC (and potentially SEC DPOY) potential as a multi-year player.

What’s next for Auburn recruiting?

Auburn now has three commits in Simon Walker, Kaden Magwood, and Williams-Adams. All three are vastly different players, having a sniper at shooting guard, a creator as a combo guard, and Williams-Adams’ versatile and defensive mindset.

With Bryson Tiller going to Kansas, Auburn will likely focus the rest of its recruiting efforts on Shon Abaev from Overtime Elite. Abaev is an elite scoring wing who Auburn, among others such as Arkansas, has shown continued interest in.

Kent State went 17-17 last season, sporting losses to top 100 teams such as James Madison, Oregon, and Saint Mary’s. Auburn should win and there’s nothing eye-popping about Kent State that I feel needs to be pointed out right away. So, I think it’s fair—and more fun—to focus on some of Auburn’s bench marks and bright spots. 

Turtle and Jahki or more CBM?

I’m curious to see what kind of run they get tonight, if any, especially against a team Auburn should handle with ease. Auburn didn’t need either of the two against Houston, but both can be good bench pieces for this team.

Bruce Pearl said they were in class and at practice but didn’t talk about their availability for in-game minutes.

If those two aren’t playing, I hope to see Chad Baker-Mazara stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court. Kent State doesn’t have much size outside of its front court, and Baker-Mazara’s shooting, facilitating, and rebounding can take advantage of smaller matchups. 

JP Pegues is the only starter averaging less minutes than Baker-Mazara so far this season. 

Can he do it again?

Auburn has a preseason All-American and a preseason All-SEC selection on its team, but I’m guessing most eyes will be focused on star freshman Tahaad Pettiford tonight.

Chances are that anyone reading this also saw what he did to Houston, teaming up with the seniors on the roster to give Auburn a successful late second half rally. However, Pettiford didn’t score in Auburn’s opening night bout with Vermont.

Against Houston, Pettiford looked ready to start. Against Vermont, he looked good but he didn’t look 100-percent confident.

Having a good scoring game in game two, against an elite team led by its defense, is better than it being the other way around. Still, I think Pettiford’s follow-up performance will give us some insight into how far along he really is. It will also let us see if his ball-dominant play against Houston gets him more point guard minutes moving forward.

If he builds off the Houston performance it shows he’s coming up to speed extremely quickly. If it’s a little quieter, maybe it points to defenses already keying in on him a little more. Maybe we’ll get to see some of his and Auburn’s counters if the latter rings true. 

Pettiford will likely be matched up, on both sides of the court, with smaller guards. One being fellow New Jersey native Cian Medley. Kent State has plenty of experience to throw at the freshman; the Golden Flashes return four starters and have seven seniors on the team.  

I think one of the biggest strides Pettiford made against Houston was defensively. He locked in on his second half man defense, and I think that played a role in Bruce Pearl keeping him out there. You can’t give up easy looks against a team that fights you for every dribble like Houston does, and Pettiford’s improvements were visible in-game.

Him showing that he can have as much of an impact defensively as the seniors do, which he has the ability to do in every area not height related, will make him hard to keep off the court.

Defending without fouling 

Kent State has shot a lot of foul shots this season and is averaging 17 makes per game from the line. Auburn has made 19 on the season.

Kent State has also been a good rebounding team, even ranking higher than Auburn in rebounding percentage on both sides of the court, per KenPom.

If Kent State wants a chance at winning, or even just scaring Auburn, I imagine fouls and rebounds will play a hand in it. Auburn, of course, has a front court capable of nullifying any of Kent State’s advantages. 

Kent State also turns it over a ton, so there will be plenty of chances for Auburn to game on steals and blocks.

Will Chaney Johnson start?

Johnson has looked like one of the team’s best players and carried the load for Auburn early on against Houston. This would be a good time to get him acclimated to the starting lineup if it is in the cards. Moving him into the starting lineup could also free up some extra room for Johni Broome with the adding spacing from Johnson’s perimeter game. On the flip side, having Johnson as the second-team’s go-to scoring option could also be beneficial – especially since we know he’ll get his minutes and his run alongside Broome.

Between Johnson, Miles Kelly, Tahaad Pettiford, and the other current starters, Auburn has plenty of mouths to feed. Pearl has mentioned using different starting lineups as well. Even if a new starting lineup isn’t permanent, it still might be fun to see.

Will Miles Kelly answer the call?

We know he can shoot, and we’ll still need to see him score against a better defense no matter what he does tonight, but I hope the senior guard can get some momentum after being held to just five points and one made three against Houston. Regardless of the opponent, it’s always nice to see a shooter like Kelly snap back after a quiet night. It can instill some confidence in their ability to do the same thing in a game.

Magwood’s commitment makes him the highest rated member of Auburn’s class and gives the Tigers a combo-guard ranked as a top 60, four-star guard by 247, Rivals, and ESPN.

Regardless of which ranking service you put your faith in, Magwood has the shooting potential to become a special player in the college ranks.

During the most recent AAU summer circuit, Magwood averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 39.5 percent from three. He had an eight game stretch during the summer where he shot a whopping 63 percent from three while averaging 24.1 points per game. As a junior at Oak Hill, he averaged 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field, 43.6 percent from three, and 78.8 percent from the line.

His fit at Auburn is almost self-explanatory. Magwood is an undersized shooting guard with potential to play point guard. He’s fast, he can shoot, he thrives in transition, and he stays in attack mode when he’s on the court.

The guard—who is listed at 6-1 by recruiting publications and 6-3 on his teams’ websites—does play point guard for his high school team, in a two-point-guard lineup mostly, but I think he’ll play the off-ball role at Auburn early on like Tahaad Pettiford was expected to handle this season. His shooting skills might even demand a few off-ball minutes, even after his point guard skills polish up. 

However, I wouldn’t compare the two. While Pettiford is more of a point guard who can slide off-ball, Magwood (at least for now) is a shooting guard who can handle point guard duties.

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Kaden Magwood the scoring guard  

For the top 60 guard out of North Carolina, shooting and scoring are the first things that pop on the film.

Magwood has a long wingspan, good rise on his jumper, a quick shot, and the dribble moves necessary to create space. He has done so at high levels for several teams, including on the Adidas AAU circuit, for Oak Hill Academy, and now for Combine Academy’s national team. His wingspan and shooting mechanics look like they will translate to the college level easily, making him a shooting threat from day one.

Magwood can also blow by his defenders with his quick first step. He needs to improve his finishing ability and handle, but he gets good looks thanks to his speed and fearlessness. He even has a good mid-range game that lets him pull up while driving, while his awareness and passing ability let him dump it off to his bigs or kick it to open guards on the perimeter. His versatility and all-around offensive ability make him a three level scorer and someone who will fit well no matter how Auburn’s roster shakes out.

Combine Academy also plays Magwood at point guard. He plays well at the position, runs pick and rolls, two man games, and other ball screens. He has the vision and awareness to play the position.

The senior guard also scores and passes well in transition and constantly plays with his head up, adding to his fit in Auburn’s system.

Where he can improve

Magwood has the potential to be a great college player if he improves some of his point guard skills, even if he improves those skills and stays at shooting guard for his college career.

I’ve read critiques that Magwood is too ball-dominant and forces too much. Maybe that was the case before he started playing his combo-guard position at Combine, but this season’s film shows Magwood as arguably the most willing passer on his team. He still looks for his shot a lot, but it’s becoming rarer for him to force things. I think adding some extra finishing ability will help some of the forced shots look less forced.

Sometimes his passing and handle get the better of him, resulting in turnovers or plays that aren’t executed as well as an elite point guard might handle them. Letting him play off-ball while those skills develop could be the perfect answer to maximizing his scoring potential while the rest catches up. Improving those skills will make him a more dangerous shooting guard and will give him and Auburn more versatility – especially with all of the success and lineups we’ve seen Auburn use this season featuring two guys who can play the point.

Magwood also gets knocked on defense, and I think these critiques are more warranted. His long wingspan and his burst and awareness are apparent. He uses those traits to jump passing lanes and rack up steals, but he has the potential to be elite on that side of the court. I watched him in a game against UNC commit Isaiah Dennis, however, and Magwood wasn’t eager to matchup with him. Maybe that was by design from one or both coaches, but I only saw Magwood defend him once — and he was screened on the play.

Auburn’s coaching style and individual player-demands will force Magwood to put in more effort on that end of the court, where he should develop into another elite perimeter defender for Auburn. his wingspan and steal numbers indicate that he has plenty of potential. His defense, as well as other aspects of his game, seem like they’ll really open up with some fine tuning. He has the IQ and awareness to be great.

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Everything indicates (to me) that Magwood will be the type of player who improves from now until when he gets to Auburn. He plays smart, practices a lot based on his shooting, and he has played for elite high school programs – giving him an idea of the work that’ll be required at Auburn.

In fact, most of the areas that I identify as weaknesses for Magwood are also areas that could be improved by simply committing to Auburn’s system and style of play. He’ll be forced to learn and play good defense to earn minutes from Bruce Pearl. Auburn has become known for sharing the ball and using deep rotations in recent years, which will help grow Magwood’s passing mentality and will ease him into the shooting guard role and eventually the point guard role.

The fact that Magwood won’t be forced to carry his team early on at Auburn should help him with his shot selection and the offense he sometimes forces. In a similar fashion to what we’ve seen from Miles Kelly this year.

The commitment gives Auburn two guards in its 2025 class, with Simon Walker (a 6-5 shooting guard ranked No. 138) already on board.

Auburn is still in the mix for several elite players in 2025, such as Sebastian Williams-Adams, Bryson Tiller, Shon Abaev, and others. Expect a large class for the Tigers this season, as Pettiford and Jahki Howard are the only scholarship players with future eligibility on this season’s roster.

Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford deserve all the praise in the world for how they played down the stretch, but Auburn’s game plan, offensive actions, and intensity on both ends was all top-tier against a favored Houston team. And Broome and Pettiford played big roles in all of those areas, especially down the stretch. 

The win was significant for Auburn’s program, being the first top five win since the Final Four season, but it was also a statement win for this season.

Auburn went toe-to-toe with Houston’s elite defense, and Auburn won the battle. The Tigers had the personnel to execute a tough game plan against a top five team and showed the nation that the analytics from the past two seasons aren’t flukes, and that the ceiling is high and attainable.

Pettiford’s big day 

The freshman phenom is good at basketball. There’s no way around it. He has an elite handle, a great shot, he’s good at getting to and finishing at the rim, and the list goes on.

I talked about why Pettiford was a dangerous weapon against Houston’s defense in my preview, but even I wasn’t expecting him to pop off in the way he did.

We saw Pettiford crack the code against Houston, and not in a warm-up game against an inferior team. It was against elite perimeter defenders and a unique defensive style, and Pettiford was moving them around with ease.

In the first half, Pettiford was getting beat, going under screens, and getting targeted, but he locked in on defense and played his part without getting pulled again.

Clearly Pettiford’s offense stole the show, but seeing him do what he needed to do defensively to stay on the court for Bruce Pearl is meaningful for the rest of the season.

The threes were the flashiest part of Pettiford’s game and arguably the most impressive. Not only was he five-of-eight from deep against a team that held opponents to 30 percent shooting on threes last season, but he created an insane amount of space off the dribble against really good defenders.

Pettiford’s ability to process Houston’s ball screen defense was equally impressive to me. Houston’s defense was somewhat ineffective once Pettiford got rolling, and he had three assists and zero turnovers. Even on plays where Pettiford didn’t pick up an assist, his pace, handle, and processing ability kept Houston’s defense from getting as many traps or turnovers as it usually does.

Pettiford looked like a pro point guard when it came to scoring and creating against Houston, especially after he found chemistry with Broome in the pick and roll. 

He didn’t just rely on his shooting ability or athleticism. He used his basketball IQ, his handle, and showed off a lot of his game.

We’ve seen freshman have big games early in the season and then quiet down as teams get more film on them, but having a game like this against Houston gives me a lot of confidence in Pettiford’s mentality and ability to keep it going.

Tonight was equally as promising as it was impressive.

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Broome is unstoppable 

It wasn’t as much of a surprise to see Broome get whatever he wanted, but it was as impressive and as dominant of a second half that anyone could have asked for.

Broome had 16 points on 8-10 shooting in the second half. He also had nine rebounds, five blocks, and two steals by the end of the game — including a steal and block on Houston’s last possession.

He scored from the high post and low post, no matter what Houston did to stop him. It wasn’t like Broome did anything new, but everything he did inside the arc was elite. I can’t think of a college big I’d rather have on my team, and I think this game will solidify him in the national player of the year race.

Auburn’s game plan 

Offensively, Auburn did a lot of the same things it did when it played Houston in the tournament a few years ago. But, this time Auburn had much better depth and players more capable of executing the game plan and matching up with Houston physically. That’s a good sign, because it shows that the vision and overarching gameplan that Auburn has been working toward is in reach. 

Everyone played their role for Auburn against Houston. Chaney Johnson had the first double-double of his Auburn career in 31 minutes. Denver Jones made clutch free throws and played great defense despite not getting his number called much on offense. Chris Moore played well in a reserve role. Chad Baker-Mazara made more clutch plays after missing most of the game in foul trouble.

It wasn’t just the individual performances in this one though, Auburn moved Houston’s defense around and had players making quick decisions and good passes. There aren’t many teams able to get such good looks and avoid Houston’s traps/blitzes at the rate this Auburn team did.

Auburn even called the shots, playing its two bigs and overpowering Houston from the start. Auburn tied Houston in rebounding, had more steals, more blocks, and held Houston to 41 percent shooting from the field compared to Auburn's 53 percent. 

This game was also significant because Auburn played the hot hand. Instead of trying to keep guys fresh with substitutions and focusing on defensive pressure, Auburn rode the hot hands once it was clear who was having the best night. 

Other highlights:

• Auburn shot 57 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 83 percent from the line in the second half, dishing out 11 assists to just four turnovers.

•  In addition to his first double double at Auburn, Johnson also had four assists — continuing the Jaylin Williams comparison.

• With the foul trouble and some of the poor shooting nights from usual deadeyes, this Auburn team—even though it just had one of the biggest wins in program history—can still improve during the course of this season.

• Jones had a quiet shooting night and still hit clutch free throws down the stretch and had three assists to just one turnover.