I think it’s fair to say that fans expected a little bit more out of the Auburn Basketball team.
Bruce Pearl was a big name that got everyone excited. This past year was simply not what was expected. However, it’s to be understood that the team would still be largely based on the previous coach, Tony Barbee.
Barbee took over the team after serving under coaching legend John Calipari at Kentucky, and led the Tigers to a combined 48-75 record, and was fired after losing the first round of the SEC tournament in 2014.
So, almost every player was a product of the Barbee regime. Also, it was Bruce Pearl’s first year. Settling in can be tough for a head coach. But what everyone seems to forget is that it is equally as hard for the players and the administration to get comfortable with the new coach.
Think about it.
Learning a new system, working with the Athletic Director and Recruiting office, earning the trust of 15 players; all of these things take time, especially longer a year. This year is a little different.
Auburn has got a few good senior players returning, led by Cinmeon Bowers, who was an absolute force in the post and led the team with over 300 rebounds. What’s really exciting is the new class of recruits.
Bryce Brown was the first recruit to sign with the Tigers in the 2015 recruiting campaign. Brown has been praised for being a guy who lives at the gym and a guy who hits the books hard. And, he’s a lights out shooter. His combination of a great work ethic and his shooting capabilities are sure to provide some depth at the shooting guard position.
T.J. Dunans is a guard coming from Columbia St. Community College, and is a name that every fan will know by the end of the season. The guy is an animal, and is ranked as the No.1 JUCO prospect in college basketball. Dunans was a huge win for Bruce Pearl, and should be really fun to watch.
New Williams is combination guard with tremendous athletic ability. He can shoot, play the point, and has a 48” vertical; he showed it off with an electrifying through the legs dunk at Pearl Jam. As exciting as Williams sounds, he underwent surgery for a torn ACL in his junior year of high school, so he flew under the radar of powerhouse programs.
Typically, these injuries can take a while to heal and tend to have complications. This being said, Pearl seems to have a lot of confidence in Williams’ talent.
Daniel Purifoy is a small forward who had the biggest “game” in the team’s latest scrimmage. Hailing from Hargrave Military Academy, the small forward has made a name for himself for his ability to drive and his finishing ability, particularly his soft hands around the rim. The four-star outscored Cinmeon Bowers by 6 with 18 points and had a respectable 6 rebounds in the team’s latest scrimmage.
Certainly not least is Horace Spencer, the number 48 recruit in the country. When Spencer committed in April, the big power forward was entertaining offers from the likes of North Carolina, Kentucky, and Georgetown. Spencer is considered possibly the best athlete of this class.
This year, the new players will undergo a lot of fine-tuning. They’ll learn Coach Pearl’s offense and learn how to trust each other and their older teammates. These guys have a lot of potential, and are vital to this year’s team success.
Auburn may not be Kentucky this season, but if Pearl keeps bringing in these types of recruits, Auburn basketball is going to have a name for itself in the very near future.
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