Bruce Pearl and company preparing for upcoming season

Tuesday marked Auburn basketball’s first practice ahead of the 2021-2022 season. To kick off the basketball season, head coach Bruce Pearl and select players spoke to the media to discuss the upcoming year.

Bruce Pearl says the power forward position will officially transition into a 'big guard.'

Instead of having the traditional lineup of three smaller guards and two big guys down low, Pearl has fully embraced the small-ball idea. In past seasons, Pearl has used the power forward position as a combo-guard that facilitates more scoring and defense. This season, Pearl will fully employ that strategy. 

“I have gotten to the point where, now, we are calling our four — what would be a traditional power forward — a ‘big guard," Pearl said. "Chuma [Okeke] was a big guard. Isaac [Okoro] was a big guard. There are a lot of big guards in the NBA. So we are playing four guards." 

In terms of 'big guards,' Auburn has Jabari Smith and Jaylin Williams filling those roles as starters. Williams, returning for his third year on The Plains, talked about what he has been trying to improve on in the offseason in his 'big guard' role.

“Mostly working on rim-running and posting up," Williams said. "Cut down my turnovers, being able to rebound more. Being more physical is what I’m working on."

In terms of who is playing center, the five position, Auburn has Walker Kessler and Stretch Akingbola to play down low. Akingbola was asked if he and Kessler will or could be playing at the same time. Akingbola said if they did, Kessler would play the four.

“The way we set up, the four and the five are kind of doing the same thing. We know each other’s game,” Akingbola said.

Allen Flannigan’s Injury

Before practice started, Auburn suffered a big loss in the form of Allen Flannigan, who had surgery on his achilles. Flannigan is expected to miss upwards of almost 10 games. Last season, Flanigan was the SEC’s most improved scorer and one of only three players in the league to average 14 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

“He is one of the best players returning," Pearl said of Flanigan. "That is a big loss in the SEC, that is a big loss in college basketball. I do think we have some guys who can step up and I think they will. Our biggest strength is our depth."

Expectations through the season

Since making it to the Final Four in 2018, expectations for Auburn basketball have been extremely high. According to some of the team’s most experienced members, this year’s team could recreate that same success. 

“This year, we got some experience. This team is a hardworking team. This team will be really good," Williams said. "We are hungry to play and enter the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. We are very talented offensively and defensively it is crazy."

Akingbola added his thoughts, too.

“You have to bring it every practice. The hunger is at the top right now. We work hard, we do extra stuff. This team is going to be really great,” Akingbola said.  

Who will play point guard?

After the departure of point guard Sharife Cooper to the NBA, Auburn was left with a huge hole to fill at the point. In the offseason, Pearl recruited two of the nation’s best point guard transfers in Wendell Green Jr. and Zep Jasper. Green is a sophomore transfer guard from Eastern Kentucky and Jasper is a senior who transferred from the College of Charleston.  

Pearl said it was hard to determine where and how each of them fit in on the team together, but said they will have to use one another to improve. 

“They are going to play together. It is going to be challenging, but they will play together. Much like J’Von McCormick and Jared Harper,” Pearl said. 

As for who will start at point guard, Pearl said Jasper was most likely to start."

“Zep is a dynamic defender," Pearl said. "He can really get after you. He makes everyone else out there defensively better." 

Starting a senior makes the most sense for Auburn, a team that has mixed depth and is potentially about to start five transfers. Though Green is young, Pearl thinks his offense is going to give the Tigers a huge boost.

“Wendell can really shoot it. Wendell is not afraid of the moment. Wendell’s offense is ahead of his defense," Pearl said. "Since he was a little boy, he has been playing against great players. He is not going to be intimated by what he is fixing to face." 

Size 

Size will be one of Auburn’s biggest advantages this year. The Tigers have five players over 6’8” on roster, with the tallest being Walker Kessler at 7’1”. Kessler is a former 5-star recruit who transferred from North Carolina, bringing Auburn a much needed boost down low in scoring and rebounding. 

 “This is the biggest front court I have ever had," Pearl said. "It’s the longest front court I have ever had. I have never had a 7’1” guy who can shoot the three-ball."

“We got great size and we are getting stronger. Our offensive and defensive rebounds are going to be great,” Akingbola said.

Akingbola, who will probably come off the bench behind Kessler or Dylan Cardwell, said that he wants to capitalize more on his minutes this season. Not known much as a scorer, Akingbola wants to change that about himself.  

“When I’m open, and it is my right shot to take, I am going to take it,” Akingbola said. 

Jabari Smith

Auburn’s highest-rated recruit ever, Jabari Smith, is potentially going to be one of the school’s best basketball players to date. Smith was the No. 6 rated player in the nation, and the No. 2 power forward nationally. The freshman has yet to play a collegiate game, but his skill set has been on full display early into practice. 

“He is dominant," Williams said of his teammate. "He kills. He can catch and go off the dribble. He can talk and as a freshman he is one of our leaders. He is a very skilled kid."

Williams isn't the only one with high praise for the freshman.

“Jabari is a different breed," Akingbola said. "He is a 5-star and he shows that in practice. The dude is next-level. We are there for him and he is there for us. The dude loves the game. He doesn’t like to lose and you can see that on the court."