By Kenneth Cross
Auburn finished as SEC regular season champions last season with a 15-3 mark. Although they lose Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler in the first round of the NBA Draft, the Tigers can come back strong as a challenger to win the league once again.
Coach Bruce Pearl did a stellar job in leading Auburn to a 28-6 record as the Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the nation around mid-season for the first time in program history.
The Tigers will have a shot again with their relentless depth at guard as well as the entrance of Morehead State transfer Johni Broome (16.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and 6-10 freshman forward Yohan Traore, who was rated the No. 27 high school player in the nation by ESPN’s Top 100 and also as high as No. 8 by Rivals and Sports Illustrated.
Both newcomers will make their marks on the 2022-23 Tigers.
Broome was the Ohio Valley Defensive Player of the Year last season as he averaged a double-double and shot 55.5 percent from the floor.
Chance Westry and Tre Donaldson are also a pair of solid freshmen guards who will find minutes in the Auburn backcourt. Westry is a four-star talent who was ranked in the Top 40 by Rivals, ESPN, and 247 Sports.
Donaldson was also a four-star basketball player and a two-sport star at Florida State University High School in Tallahassee, Florida. As both a quarterback and a defensive back, he was rated the No. 33 football player in the state.
Forward Jalen Williams (5.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and center Dylan Cardwell (3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) will fit into the pivot where Auburn will see plenty of depth as well as in the paint.
Williams’ athleticism gives him opportunities on both ends of the floor as he’s a tough cover and can get to the free throw line in his matchups. Cardwell had 1.2 blocks in the ’21-22 season and his physicality gives him a defensive presence on that end of the floor.
In the backcourt, K.D. Johnson (12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Wendell Green, Jr. have become one of the top guard-duos in the nation. He was Auburn’s second leading scorer and is the second leading assist man (53) behind Green’s 172.
Green (12.0 ppg, 5.1 apg) is a solid ballhandler who finds his teammates with a successive consistency and his 5.1 assists were third in the SEC and 35th in the nation.
Allen Flanigan (6.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg) got into the backcourt after a procedure in September for an Achilles injury caused him to miss 12 games. Flanigan generally had a tough season with regard to having to miss the beginning after he averaged 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 2020-21. The points average then was an over 11 points improvement over his freshman year.
Want a stopper? Try Zep Jasper (5.1 ppg, 2.2 apg), who is one of the top on-ball defenders in college basketball. Jasper also is a solid contributor as he had 68 assists, second on the team, a year ago.
The Tigers had a tough fall in the NCAA Tournament with their 79-61 loss to Miami in the second round. The Hurricanes were a much older and more experienced team. That made a difference in the second half after the Tigers had overcome a one-point deficit.
An Israeli Summer Experience
The Tigers traveled to Israel in early August where they went 2-1 against three Israeli teams in the match ups.
Traore opened the first of three games as he led the Tigers with 20 points in a 117-56 win over the Israeli Under-20 team as 13 Tigers scored.
“I think the good thing about our situation is we have a deep team,” said Pearl. “Our strength is the fact that we can put 12 guys out there.”
The second game of the three saw the Tigers take a 107-71 win over the Israeli National Team as they forced 30 turnovers. Westry led Auburn with 18 points and seven steals.
The Tigers’ dropped a 95-86 decision in their final game to the Israel National Team, which was filled with professionals an older players. Former Washington Wizards’ first round pick Deni Avidja led Israel with 25 points, but he fouled out.
Auburn had at least 10 players score for the third game as Green led with 19 points.