During the off-season, Auburn went through a massive roster change. Their transition includes their ability to score in a variety of ways, the efforts for which are anchored by their senior forward, Johni Broome. So even when critics and fans are busy vying for other teams, there are certain squads like Auburn who remain in darkness. They suddenly begin making a case for themselves when the championship games come closer.
Auburn is such an SEC team, and careful analysis shows quite the opposite of what people actually believe in!
How has Auburn performed?
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With a 6-2 tally, the Auburn Tigers basketball team is positioned at the fifth spot behind Ole Miss, South Carolina, Kentucky, and MS State. They have won all their matches except against the Baylor Bears during their season opener and against the Appalachian State Mountaineers in their seventh game.
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The Auburn Tigers won the SEC championship game during the 2019 season under their current head coach, Bruce Pearl. They have all the traits to become an SEC Champion since they are good scorers and play deep. Plus, different players from their team can step up in different games and seal it for them.
They have their top scorer in their forward Johni Broome who has smashed an average of 16.2 points along with 8.9 rebounds per contest and 1.4 blocks per game. He leads the stats in all these three departments for his team.
Plus, their center, Dylan Cardwell, is great at implementing the team’s plans and adjusting according to the situation. On top of that, they have an outstanding guard in their freshman Aiden Holloway who is adept at creating opportunities for his team.
They also have the bench strength which will be tested during the long conference season. There will be more clarity regarding Auburn’s status during the clash against Clemson.
What does the future look like for Auburn?
When taking into consideration their last game, Auburn played exceptionally well. They upended the Indiana by a blowout margin of 104-74. Holloway is extremely lethal with his three-pointers and given the space, he can run through the ranks of any attack in the SEC.
He outclassed the Indiana with his 5-for-8 three-pointer tally. Despite being a good defensive team, the Hoosiers were at the receiving end of 104 points. Moreover, it was special that another one of their forwards, Jaylin Williams stepped up to the opportunity. He besotted 24 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists.
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That fueled his team to a victory. Williams had a 6-for-9 free throw stat and 8-for14 field goal number. This once again proved that Auburn might not have a lot of stars but has considerably good players who can amp up their game when the time comes.
Another player to follow the same route was their guard, K.D. Johnson. Binning 14 points, Johnson had a free throw percentage along with a 5-for-9 field goal stat. This did not only display the Auburn’s players’ brilliance, but was also a testament to how Pearl has honed their bench strength.
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If Auburn continues to move like this in the NCAA championship, they can be a tough contender to defeat during the SEC Championship game.