Auburn’s story of the season has been the outstanding play of freshman forward Isaac Okoro. The young forward is averaging 13.1 points per game through 15 games and is Auburn’s second-leading scorer.
In Auburn’s 82-60 win over Georgia on Saturday, another freshman made his presence known for the Tigers in Allen Flanigan.
Flanigan was ranked as the No. 3 player out of Arkansas according to 247Sports Composite rankings and was ranked as a 3-star by Rivals coming out of high school. The young guard decided to come to Auburn where his father not only played from 1993-97, but for the past two seasons has been an assistant coach.
Against the rival Bulldogs, Flanigan came off the bench and provided 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes. The points, rebounds and steals are all season-highs for the freshman guard.
Flanigan’s performance not only was a big boost for himself, but his teammates also fanned the flames for him throughout the game.
“It feels great, you know, for me to come off the bench and be very productive for the guys,” Flanigan said. “And the guys, they kept on egging me on, giving me confidence.”
Overall, Auburn’s bench combined for 34 of Auburn’s 82 points on the day. The 34 bench points are the most by the Tigers in SEC play this season and the second-most for the squad this year.
Flanigan not only played a factor offensively, but defensively he matched up well against Georgia’s Anthony Edwards. Edwards is projected as an NBA lottery pick next year.
Flanigan and his teammates helped hold Edwards to 18 points on the day, tying his third-fewest points of the season in 30-plus minutes of action. Edwards especially struggled in the first half with only three points in 16 minutes.
Auburn’s freshman guard was more than happy to show off on the defensive end, especially against a top player like Edwards.
“It meant a lot for me to be able to go out there and guard him like I did and have that matchup because it showed what I'm able to do, too,” Flanigan said.
Edwards was at times frustrated by Auburn and Flanigan’s defensive effort, finishing the game with three fouls and three turnovers. Flanigan and Auburn took note of this, which gave him confidence to keep attacking defensively.
“He dropped his head a couple times,” Flanigan said. “It gave me more confidence to keep pressuring and try to stay on that right hand.”
No. 5 Auburn (15-0, 3-0 in SEC) will travel to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday for a matchup with the Crimson Tide (8-7, 1-2 in SEC). The game is at 8 p.m. CST and will be aired on ESPN2.
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