Auburn’s opening possession of 2018-19 set the tone.
The opening tip of the Tigers’ season opener against South Alabama went to senior guard Bryce Brown. Brown handed it to his backcourt companion and fellow preseason All-SEC second-teamer, Jared Harper, to set up the offense.
Harper drove and lobbed to Anfernee McLemore, electrifying the Auburn Arena crowd and forcing South Alabama to immediately call timeout.
Auburn began its defense of the program’s first SEC crown since 1999 with that offense, but the defensive end of the floor was where the Tigers knew improvement was needed.
“I think we started feeling like we get control with the way we get our first defensive stop,” Harper said. “We just feel like with the way we're able to defend, we're able to win every game.”
That stop came on an emphatic block by McLemore on their first defensive series and Auburn went on to dismantle South Alabama, 101-58 on Tuesday night.
“We would have beaten a lot of people tonight,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl.
Led by Harper’s 13 assists (with only one turnover), Auburn tallied their most dimes (24) since 2013 and beat their season-high from 2017-18.
Harper, who dropped 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting from downtown, assisted on 61 percent of Auburn’s possessions with him at the point.
Pearl said Harper is evolving into an extension of the coach on the floor at an alarmingly successful rate.
“Jared Harper, he’s just so special,” Pearl said. “So much fun to watch. He’s in command of his team. He’s in command of what we do. He’s increased his knowledge so much. He knows where everybody’s supposed to be. He knows what I should call and shouldn’t call.”
Harper orchestrated five other Tigers into double figures — the first time Auburn had six score 10-plus since a win at Ole Miss last year.
“We're just a great team, just being able to spread the floor,” Harper said. “We have people at all five positions that can shoot the ball and people at all five positions that are quick enough to get past their man and be able to create for others. We're able to use that to our advantage.”
Along with Harper’s 20, Anfernee McLemore scored 11 in his first regular-season game back from injury, Brown had 12, Malik Dunbar added 16 and Samir Doughty, who started at the three, scored 14 points in his Auburn debut.
But Chuma Okeke’s 20 points resonated the loudest.
Okeke didn’t just post a career-high in points and triples. The sophomore “grizzly bear,” as Pearl has affectionately called him, touted his all-around game with nine boards — including six on the offensive glass — five assists, three blocks and three steals.
He also posted a ridiculous plus-minus (Auburn's points with Okeke on the floor vs. South Alabama's) of 47. Auburn won by 43.
That’s a versatile grizzly bear.
“I just feel like the way our offense is set up, you know what I'm saying, it's created for people to always be in the right spot at the right time,” Okeke said. “Like Jared said, it's just about other people getting other people and knocking down the shots. I think that's all there is.”
Harper raised his hand after Okeke’s answer and set the record straight: this wasn’t a performance to be taken lightly — or humbly, in Okeke’s case.
“I've known Chuma since I was young,” Harper said. “He's been doing stuff like that his whole life… he's a matchup problem for that position. If you're smaller than him, we're going to look to get him the ball in the post. He's bigger than people. But if you're bigger, he's quicker and faster than you. We like to use him to our advantage.”
In the victory, Auburn dialed up an 18 for 38 clip from deep, good for the most triples for the Tigers since they set the program record with 21 against Coastal Carolina in 2016.
As much as Pearl glowed on South Alabama — primarily how much Auburn had to study and prepare for its “complex” offense — the Tigers will really have a chance to begin this year with a bang when they host No. 25 Washington on Friday night.
It’s set to be the first nonconference Top 25 showdown ever inside Auburn Arena and the first ranked matchup at home for the Tigers since 1987 (UNLV).
“Friday night is a very rare and unique opportunity,” Pearl said. “I hope we can sell it out.”
Pearl said he was happy to see Auburn football would be playing a night game against Georgia on Saturday as more fans will be able to “pack the seats” for the hardwood matchup.
Tipoff on Friday is set for 8:30 p.m. CST.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
