Auburn returns most of its forwards from last season with a couple new additions and one key loss that will need someone, or multiple players to step up.
Auburn lost its second-best player from last year in forward Jaylin Williams who went undrafted in the NBA draft but was signed this past summer by the Denver Nuggets and played on their summer league team. He averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 57.4% from the field and 39.5% from 3-point range as Auburn's starting power forward for 33 of the 34 games he played in last year. Williams played a huge role on both sides of the floor and will be missed by Auburn.
The Tigers brought in one piece from the transfer portal and one freshman to help out their forwards for this season. From the portal, they brought in senior Jaheim Hudson who transferred in from SMU. Auburn then brought in a 4-star freshman in Jahki Howard who was ranked 61st in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.
Forwards:
Chad Baker-Mazara
Baker-Mazara is a 6-foot-7 senior forward who does so many things well on the basketball court. He defends at a high level, is an elite shooter and is elite in transition. And, he’s arguably the best energy guy in the country. Baker-Mazara started off on the bench last year but at the end of the season, he found himself in the starting lineup lighting up opposing teams. He finished the year averaging 10 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 2.2 apg. He shot 45.2% from the field and 41.8% from 3-point range and 87.6% from the free throw line. The lefty should find himself in Auburn's starting lineup this year and with being an elite two-way wing he should help Auburn be one of the best teams in the country.
Chaney Johnson
Johnson is also a 6-foot-7 senior forward who didn’t see as much playing time as other players from last season but made most of his minutes when he did play. He is an underrated athlete and good defender and does a lot of little things well. When Jaylin Williams went down with injury Johnson started two games and had a season-high 16 points versus Georgia. Johnson averaged 4.7 ppg 3.4 rpg on the year while shooting 50.0% from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range. Johnson will be looked at to fill some of Williams role this year and if he can keep improving his offensive game, especially his shooting from the outside, Johnson could be the most improved player on Auburn's roster.
Chris Moore
Moore has been a staple for the Auburn program for the last four years and is returning for his fifth year. Moore is a veteran that started for a majority of the season last year and does a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet. He averaged 2.5 ppg 1.8 rpg and shot 47.7% from the field and 26.1% from 3-point range. Moore is the definition of a glue guy and makes his impact felt when he is on the court. If he can become more consistent from beyond-the-arc, he will be a key contributor to the Tigers this year.
Jaheim Hudson
Hudson is a 6-foot-7 senior forward who transferred in from SMU for this season. He will also be looking to help Johnson fill the departure of Williams. Hudson averaged 5.4 ppg 3.4 rpg last year while shooting 43.4% from the field and 32.1% from three. Hudson is a good rebounder and has a solid offensive game. If he can hit shots and play good defense, he will be a valuable piece to the Auburn rotation.
Jahki Howard
Lastly, the freshman Howard, who stands at 6 feet 6 inches, might be the most athletic and explosive player in all of college basketball. Howard is from Boston, Massachusetts, but played high school ball in the Overtime Elite League in Atlanta, Georgia. He averaged 15.1 points per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 26.5% from deep for the City Reapers. Howard is known for his elite defending, especially on-ball defense and his high-flying dunks in transition. It seems that Howard has improved his jump shot and could make an early impact for the Tigers on both ends of the floor.
Auburn has a great group of forwards for this season who all have unique skillsets that will benefit the Tigers in multiple ways. If these guys can keep improving from beyond the arc over the course of the year, Auburn will be an extremely dangerous team with the two-way ability of all five of these players.
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Jack is a sophomore majoring in sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
