The Tigers took to the stage in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday afternoon after being selected to finish second place in the SEC preseason poll – the highest for the Tigers since being picked to win the league prior to the 1999-2000 season. Auburn has now been picked to finish in the top five of the SEC in five of the last seven seasons.
“It's easier to get someplace than it is to stay someplace. So to try to stay competitive at Auburn has been a great, great challenge, and we've managed to win four championships in the last seven years, two regular season and two tournament, with four different teams. Sometimes you've got to act like you belong,” Pearl said entering his 11th season at Auburn.
A large factor into the Tigers’ preseason buzz has been its returning experience. In a conference that is dominated by re-recruiting rosters, transfers and coaching changes, Auburn returns six of its 10 regular contributors from the 2023-24 season.
“I would look at Auburn being very similar to a year ago. Our greatest strength is going to be our depth. We're going to play 10 guys in double digit minutes, and when we go to our bench, we're not going to drop off. Who and what and when and how is going to be something that's going to be a work in progress throughout the season,” Pearl said.
The style for the Tigers is going to be quite similar to the 2024 SEC Tournament champions’ look on the court. Auburn is going to rely on its strengths down near the basket with returners Dylan Cardwell, Chaney Johnson and, most notably, preseason all-American and SEC first team member Johni Broome.
“Be more efficient all around. Be more efficient,” Broome said of his goals heading into the season. “Offensive and defensive end, you know, not taking plays off, making the right plays for myself and my teammates.”
Part of the 2023 all-American’s efforts to improve his efficiency and overall game heading into his highly anticipated final season of college basketball is his three-point shot. Broome hit at least one shot from deep in 14 of Auburn’s 21 conference games last season – helping the Plant City, FL native register double digits in all but two games last season.
But the fifth year senior wants more as he’s worked all offseason to improve every aspect of his performance with the NBA in mind.
“They [Auburn’s back court] kind of encouraged me to start shooting with them. So, you know, at first I was kind of struggling a little bit, but they still shoot better than me, you know, but it's a lot closer than before,” Broome said. “I'm trying to make more, and I'm doing the drills that they do, making like five in a row from a spot before you move on.”
Broome won’t be alone from beyond the arc, though, as Auburn has brought in three new guards from both the portal and high school ranks to join along with the Tigers’ other SEC Media Day representative, Denver Jones who has taken upon a new role himself in the back court.
"It's been great," Jones said. "I played a little bit of point guard my first year in college, so it feels very interesting going back and also transitioning back to my point guard skills. But it's been really fun."
Jones will be joined by transfer additions Miles Kelly and JP Pegues as well as high school signee Tahaad Pettiford at the one and two positions for Auburn. But even though Jones was the returner for the Tigers, the experience of Pegues and Kelly have proved to be highly beneficial in the development of the whole group.
“He brought in stability. I feel like he came in since day one and has been able to learn the offense very well,” Jones said of Pegues. “I know, coming from Furman and then coming here and learning the Bruce Pearl offense and being a point guard, that's a major role, and I feel like he did a great job.”
As Pearl tries to combine the different levels of experience, continuity, age and talent ahead of the Tigers’ most anticipated season since the turn of the millennium, just how efficient and cohesive Auburn is will almost certainly get revealed with a stiff non-conference slate just under a month away.
“Adversity doesn't always build character, but adversity will reveal character,” Pearl said. “We're going to have some adversity. We're going to lose some games in non-conference, perhaps more than we have in the past, just because of the strength of the schedule. How do we handle that? How do we bounce back? What do we learn?”
The Tigers will start their journey with two charity exhibition games prior to the official start of the season. Auburn’s first, which was announced on Tuesday afternoon, will be at Furman on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Tipoff is scheduled for noon CST.
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
