Auburn and Bruce Pearl have been outperforming their competition this year. The Tigers have fought their way to being the top ranked seed in college basketball, owing their only conference loss to the Florida Gators. Pearl, with all of his coaching brilliance, got his hands on a NPOY caliber player in Johni Broome. However, there is another name that comes to the head coach’s mind when talking about excellence.

In a pre-game interview before Auburn’s clash with Alabama, coach Bruce Pearl sang praises about one of his forwards, Chaney Johnson. Particularly, he put respect on the work he puts in. “Chaney is our hardest worker. You watch film last year, Chaney, and you notice some moments. But you don’t even recognise him, because he’s twice the man he was.”

Chaney Johnson’s story is that of a slow rise. Before coming to Auburn in 2023, the six-seven forward was playing division II ball for the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers. His hard work and vision led him to the big leagues in his junior year, where he deserved to be. From 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds to 10.2 and 5.3. That’s the growth Pearl talks about.

Though the praise is deserved, the head coach seemed to ignore the 17 other squad members who have been giving it their all. That list includes NPOY candidate Johni Broome.

“He’s one of the best athletes in this league,” coach Pearl said, praising Johnson’s athleticism and ability to shoot. “He’s powerful, he’s quick, he’s explosive, and he’s got a really good touch. He can shoot it from the perimeter. I’m telling you, he can really shoot it. I gotta do a better job at getting him some looks on the outside which will help open up his game even more.” 

Johnson has shot 100 of his 170 attempts from the field goal this season, bringing his average to 58%. His 3-pointers, however, haven’t seen much of an improvement with only 11 successful baskets so far. But the coach sees potential and is eager to get on it. Occupying his mind wholly, it must be, because, interestingly enough, Bruce Pearl brought up no mention of Alabama and the upcoming game in the entire media interaction.

It was almost as if the top-seed didn’t view the Crimson Tide as a worthy opponent. However, they might be in for a surprise. Alabama has a history of causing big upsets, and if Auburn isn’t careful, it might happen to them as well.

Bruce Pearl’s newest challenger, how does Alabama match up?

For all that Pearl ignored talking about Alabama, the Crimson Tide is tied with Auburn for first in the SEC. Both teams have just one loss under their belts, and have created history this season. As for how they match up, let’s find out.

Alabama, headed by veteran guard Mark Sears, is perfectly balanced as a team. They have experience, length, and deadly pick-n-roll with Sears and Grant Nelson. If they manage to get their rhythm going, they can give the Tigers a really good game.

However, the reason behind Auburn’s dominance is manifold. Obviously, the team is led by NPOY candidate Johni Broome, who is doing everything for the Tigers this season. In addition to the six-ten forward, Chad Baker-Mazara and Chaney Johnson have also been contributing significantly.

It will be interesting to see how this match plays out, as Alabama has the length and the momentum, but Auburn has a lot to prove still. Coach Bruce Pearl and his Tigers are on a run to March, and they won’t stop until they’ve reached the promised land.