Fresh off a win in its opening exhibition, the Tigers are more than ready for play to count.
After the Tigers’ electric 2021-2022 season and a win in the exhibition, Auburn fans are becoming excited over the real start of the season. The fans aren’t the only ones ready for the first tipoff of the 2022-23 season. The young Tigers are eager to make their second appearance in orange and blue.
“It was good, you know, just playing for each other,” said freshman forward Yohan Traore. “And giving the fans some type of show.”
Auburn will officially start its season against George Mason. Coming from the Atlantic 10 Conference, head coach Kim English and his Patriots prepare to play in the Jungle. The last time Auburn played George Mason was on December 3, 2017, when the Tigers won 79-63.
“George Mason played here a few years ago and actually led at halftime. They are a talented team,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “They are a veteran team. They have three graduate transfers, two seniors, and one junior in their top six players.”
Last season, George Mason averaged 70.7 points per game and shot an average of .446 from the field, holding their opponents to .423. They also return last season's leading scorer, now-senior Josh Oduro, who averaged 17.7 points per game.
Bruce Pearl acknowledged that George Mason is a talented team as the Patriots defeated Georgia 80-67 and Maryland 71-66 on the road. In another trip away from their home gym, they were also able to push Kansas to a five-point game with five to go. He also emphasized that the experience of George Mason would be an obstacle the young Tigers have to overcome to get the win.
“When you think about our team, we’ve got a few veterans, but we also have some really young players,” Pearl said. “When Yohan Traore goes out there, he’s gonna go up against guys four or five years older than he is. The same thing would be true at a couple of other positions.”
Traore and Dylan Cardwell, both available to the media to preview their opponent, acknowledged the amount of experience the Patriots have but also know what they, as players, need to do.
“For me, every game is the same,” Traore said. “Just stay focused and keep learning every day. Keep going through the process.”
Asked about bench players getting their time on the court, Pearl stated that there would be a lot of playing time, as well as a “heavy rotation.” He also disclosed that some starting positions are up in the air for the opener as bench players may get to start for Auburn.
“The good news is, and my starters won’t love hearing this,” Pearl said. “There hasn’t been great separation between my starters and those coming off the bench.”
Bruce Pearl is mildly concerned for his players’ health as illness runs wild on Auburn’s campus. Jalen Harper missed Wednesday's practice due to flu, along with Jaylin Williams absent due to a migraine and Allen Flanigan out with a stomach bug.
Chance Westry continues to be sidelined while he is still recovering from knee surgery. Forward Johni Broome has been in a walking boot since the exhibition, but Pearl said it should not be an injury that keeps Broome on the bench.
After Auburn’s 87-69 win against UAH, Pearl praised his young players and their performance, a contest that saw 15 different Tigers on the court.
“It was great to see Al move like he moved, and he’s consistently been practicing effectively. Particularly happy with his four assists and two turnovers and just the way he played,” Pearl said. “Obviously, Jaylin Williams had an incredibly efficient night with the exception of foul trouble. I thought Tre Donaldson as a freshman was super solid. This is a team that has got to continue to, obviously, work to get better, so we are excited about getting started on Monday.”
When asked what to improve for Monday’s game, Cardwell explained that Auburn’s main problem was execution. He specified that inconsistencies killed a lot of the Tigers’ offense.
“We had moments where we were hot for three, and then we had moments where we weren’t,” Cardwell explained, “We had moments when we defended really well, and we had moments when we broke down. We have a lot of room to improve on, but as far as how we did, I feel like we did as expected for our first game against others.”
Auburn hosts George Mason on Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. CST to officially open the season and kick off the Tigers' non-conference schedule. The game will air on the SEC Network+.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
