College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 27-8; 13-5, Second in the Southeastern Conference and conference tournament champions, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Bruce Pearl (11th Year, 214-119 at Auburn, with five NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG JP Pegues – 6’2″, 180 Senior

G Denver Jones – 6’4″, 205 Senior

G Miles Kelly – 6’6″, 190 Senior

W Chad Baker-Mazara – 6’7″, 180 5th-year Senior

F/C Johni Broome – 6’10”, 240 5th-year Senior

Experienced Reserves

F Chris Moore – 6’6″, 220 5th-year Senior

F Chaney Johnson – 6’7″, 225 Senior

F Ja’Heim Hudson – 6’7″, 230 Senior

C Dylan Cardwell – 6’11”, 250 5th-year Senior

Freshmen

G Tahaad Pettiford – 6’1″, 175

W Jahki Howard – 6’6″, 185

Winning in the NCAA Tournament is really, really difficult. Remember how hard the folks in Auburn, AL, celebrated when their team went to the Final Four back in early 2019? It happened because they understand: it’s hard to get there. Last year, they had to watch archival Alabama make that same run. The folks around Auburn, AL, are more than ready for it to be their turn again.

In an age of unprecedented player movement, the Tigers are returning much of the core which won 27 games, swept their way to a Southeastern Conference tournament title, and then got bounced in the First Round last year. That’s because, well, upsets happen, and it’s still a very strong core. There have been some tweaks, though. 

Head coach Bruce Pearl thought he had enough shooting last year, but that didn’t quite work out. So, this spring, Pearl went out and got himself some shooters. A terrific frontcourt has been surrounded by dudes who should get it done from downtown, both old and new. If they can strike the right balance this time, Auburn feels like they ought to have another crack at cutting down some nets in the near future. 

To rip off four or more wins in March, it really helps to have a true, dominant star. Tiger big man Johni Broome fits the bill. Through four collegiate seasons, Broome has racked up accolades like few other post players in the country. He returns to Auburn as a first-team All-SEC pick and the MVP of last year’s SEC tournament. As the Tigers stomped their way to a championship, Broome was playing his best ball of the season. Over Auburn’s final 17 contests, Broome averaged 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 blocks on 41.3% shooting from downtown. 

Broome racked up 14 double-doubles last year, and he finished second in the SEC in both rebounding and blocks per game. His productivity and the intimidation factor he brings around the basket are great attributes. The fact that Broome also knocked down 28 triples at a 35.4% clip makes him one of the most dangerous offensive post players in America, as well. He’s tremendously mobile and fights in the paint despite his burgeoning talent as a shooter. Broome can also drive the Tigers’ offense from the elbow or deep in the paint as a playmaker, and his ability to pull defenders away from the rim and open up the lane for drivers just makes him all the more valuable. Pearl plays his rotation, and Broome has a great backup, but the more he takes over games, the better Auburn should be. To reach his ultimate potential as a pro, Broome knows that he must continue to get quicker and improve his outside shot. If he can be deployed more often as a power forward this year, the Tigers could be downright scary. 

Last season, Auburn’s third and fourth-leading scorers combined for 89 made triples and each shot 41.8% from distance. This time around, three of the guy who played big minutes on the perimeter beside them have gone. Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones are back, though, to chase greater postseason success. Also this year, their efforts are going to be enhanced by those of JP Pegues and Miles Kelly – two guys who combined for 152 three-balls at their respective schools last winter. 

Over the past couple of seasons, JP Pegues has hit more clutch shots than the Yella Fella can shake a chunk of quality pressure-treated lumber at. Everyone remembers the former Furman guard’s exhilarating game-winner to beat Virginia in the NCAA Tournament two years back, and last year he kept up the late-game heroics. In a back-and-forth win against Western Carolina and their superstar Vonterius Woolbright, Pegues made three baskets in the final 1:38 of the game, including another signature triple as time expired for the victory. Pearl has seen the heroics and heard great things about the first-team All-Southern Conference pick, and he’s excited to be welcoming Pegues. 

Over the past couple of seasons, JP Pegues has hit more clutch shots than the Yella Fella can shake a chunk of quality pressure-treated lumber at.

“JP is a winner,” Pearl told AL.com upon signing his new lead guard. “He is a scoring point guard that has great ability to shoot the basketball. He can score at all three levels, defend and lead. Talking to several great coaches in the SoCon, they unanimously believed he was the best player in their league this season.”

Since becoming a starter in the 2022-23 season, Pegues has averaged 14.9 points and 4.3 assists per game and knocked down 151 three-pointers, and down the stretch last year, he absolutely absolutely went off. Pegues dropped two 30-pieces over Furman’s final seven games, and posted an average of 25.6 points on 42.9% shooting from downtown. Pegues also grew his game off the bounce last year. Just 10.0% of his mid-range jumpers were assisted, he became more confident letting loose on the fly outside, and Pegues earned nearly five free throws per contest, converting them at an 87.5% rate. Those types of fireworks – plus the 284 to 128 assist to turnover ratio he’s posted the past two seasons – should allow Pegues to slide neatly in as the Tigers’ new point guard. He will be joined often by Kelly, and Pearl is excited to deploy his new shooters. 

“Miles brings great experience, talent and ability to our back court,” Pearl declared upon Kelly’s signing. “He is a tremendous 3-point shooter, an elite defender, has great versatility and wants to win championships. Miles…will do a wonderful job in our locker room.”

A sniper from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Kelly was Georgia Tech’s leading scorer each of the last two years.  Across those two seasons, Kelly sank 158 triples at a 35.1% rate, though that percentage is dragged down a bit by last winter’s 32.1% mark. Kelly has also seen his rate on two-point shots fall each of the past three years, and the hope is that with more help and a bit less defensive attention, the wiry wing can turn things around. Though his shooting was streaky, Kelly’s overall game improved last year as he leaned into a starring role for the young Yellow Jackets. He keeps the ball moving well, and if Kelly can get easier looks and raise his rates accordingly, he should be a fine fit on The Plains. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

83.1 – Points Per Game (13th)

38.6%% – Opponent FG Percentage (2nd)

17.4 – Made FT Per Game (13th)

17.7 – Opponent FT Made Per Game (351st)

6.1 – Blocks Per Game (4th)

It wasn’t so long ago that Jones was averaging more than 20 points per game at Florida International. He made the transition to the SEC well, if not spectacularly, starting 33 games for the Tigers. The 51 triples and 41.8% rate from downtown were keys to Jones getting the run he did, and if he can show more assertiveness this year, Jones could return to the role of a star scorer. The Alabama native was getting 14 shots off per game with FIU, but that was more than cut in half this past season. With the efficiency he displayed in his SEC debut, the Tigers are hoping that Jones will fire early, often, and confidently this winter. Pearl is also looking to feature him on the ball. 

“He’s got the skills, and I think he’s got what it takes to play the position,” Pearl told AL.com of shifting Jones to the point as a complement to Pegues. “So, I think it’s great for his development and his understanding of the game. My anticipation is that he’ll play both (PG and SG).”

In his favor are that Jones is a good passer, has size and useful quickness on defense, and is cash money at the charity stripe – he’s an 86.7% career shooter there in addition to being an established dee0 threat. He’s got the vision and awareness of running good offense to succeed in a varied role, and Jones will get a chance to prove it this fall. 

The same way everyone remembers that thing Pegues did during the NCAA Tournament, unfortunately they are going to remember what Chad Baker-Mazara did, too. After getting tangled up in some physical play at one end, Baker-Mazara elbowed Yale’s August Mahoney and was ejected just a few minutes into what was to become Auburn’s last game of the season. This year, Baker-Mazara is out to redefine the first thing about him which comes to mind. 

The former Duquesne, San Diego State, and junior college guard acclimated well to Pearl’s system last year. He has the length and offensive e game to play on almost any lineup, but at his previous stops, CBM’s defense had held him back. As Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer noted this summer, Baker-Mazara posted the highest plus/minus rating while on the floor of any Auburn player the past five seasons, per CBB Analytics. With further strides on that end, and more of the outside marksmanship which has made him a 41.1% career shooter from the land of trey, Baker-Mazara could be in for a big year. He’s a skilled passer with food vision, and Baker-Mazara takes advantage of defenders who close out aggressively by slipping feeds around or over them. As he continues to get stronger and offer more defensive versatility, Baker-Mazara could well emerge as this year’s breakthrough guy. 

Another reason that Jones is going to see some time at the point this year is to give the lineup flexibility as Pearl welcomes a terrific youngster. McDonald’s All-American combo guard Tahaad Pettiford is going to be difficult to keep off the floor, and difficult to keep up with when he’s on it. Lightning-quick and perfectly audacious on the drive, Pettiford is electric with the ball in his hands. He’s a thrilling ballhandler and tough-shot maker around the lane, and Pettiford has an undeniable star quality about him. His aggressive mindset and fearless style are usually accompanied by a sound plan, and Pettiford keeps his eyes on all of the action before deciding when to strike. He’s a standout defender who relishes a difficult matchup and had some of the stickiest fingers in EYBL play last season. He may be a freshman looking to earn his spot on a contending team, but Pettiford carries himself with a great deal of confidence. His outside jumper and pure playmaking skills are still works in progress; at the highest level, Pettiford’s size projects him as a point guard and it will be interesting to see how the freshman’s floor generalship improves under Pearl’s tutelage. The main thing at the moment is that Pettiford has the skills to get buckets and fire up his side all over the floor, and the rest will come with time. 

The frontcourt around Broome won’t feature Jaylin Williams for the first time in five years, and he will be missed. The returning support staff, though, will still be led by Dylan Cardwell for one more year, though, as he will return for his own fifth season as one of the best reserve big men in the country. 

While he’s never played more than about 15 minutes on average, Cardwell is a force all his own when he steps onto the floor. Though he has long struggled with off and on foul trouble and is best utilized in bursts of action, Cardwell brings every skill required of a classic pivot. He ranks 12th all-time in SEC history in block rate, and his career offensive rebounding percentage is the 14th-best in the league’s annals. Each of the past three seasons, Cardwell has ranked among the SEC’s top ten shot blockers despite his super-sub role. With his wider frame and greater height, he only enhances the defensive intimidation factor when Broome takes a breather. Though he’s been developing a jumper over the past couple of years, Cardwell has yet to consistently show it off. He did hit a pair of triples last winter, though, and Cardwell shot a career-best 58.7% at the foul line, so improvements are being made. If he can put together the cleanest and most consistent campaign of his career, Cardwell might just give Auburn the best 1-2 punch at the pivot of any team in America. 

The Tigers have some veteran forwards to fill out the rotation, as well as a couple of the superfreakiest wings around – and Pearl thinks they can help out inside, too. 

Fifth-year senior Chaney Johnson and 4-star freshman Jahki Howard have all the length, hops, and ferocity throwing down two points that any coach could want. They give a Tigers team which will feature strong open-floor players like Pegues, Baker-Mazara, and Pettiford some straight-up atomic options to finish plays in transition, and Auburn fans can’t wait to see the show. Johnson made a largely effective transition from Division II Alabama-Huntsville last year, and showed that he can be a problem defensively at the SEC level. A perimeter shot-swatter who likes to make plays as a defender, Chaney can cover just about anyone but the biggest bigs. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N Houston – November 9

@ Duke – December 4

N Iowa State – November 25

N Purdue – December 21

N North Carolina – November 26

The same has been true of Howard at the prep level, where he was a human highlight reel. Howard can sky, and he’s a tremendously fluid athlete whose defensive potential is immense. His maturity has come into question at times, but if Howard can keep his considerable energies pointed in the right direction, he has all the physical attributes which NBA scouts love. His perimeter game, like that of Pettiford, is still coming along, and Howard flashes scary offensive potential when his jumper is falling. As a potential get-out-of-your-seat 3-and-D guy, Howard could soon be an impact player even on an experienced squad. 

After making 26 starts as an ‘opener’ last year, Chris Moore is back to add further depth at forward. He can shoot it out to the three-point arc but was one of the Tigers who struggled to consistently make those deep looks a year ago. He defends well, and Pearl knows what he’s got in Moore. There will be a challenge for his spot from Ja’Heim Hudson, a wide and powerful transfer from SMU. Both veteran forwards will be looking to grow into a role all their own, but it won’t be easy with so much quality ahead of them. 

Everyone seems to know that guard play will go a long way in determining how the Tigers fare this season. With the talent Pearl has brought in, things should roll along smoothly – but folks felt that way heading into last year, by and large. One hope has to be that the size and skill upgrades will help, but as much as anything, the moxie and confidence that’s been added should carry Auburn where they couldn’t get a year ago. 

“The back court will look a lot different,” Pearl explained this summer. “We’re bigger and longer and more athletic. Jahki Howard and Tahaad are terrific freshmen, and they’re both pushing. Then Chad Baker(-Mazara) and Denver are great returning guards, so there’s really, really good competition.” 

Auburn will face some obscenely difficult non-conference matchups in order to prepare for a supercharged SEC, also. In addition to a trip to Maui, the Tigers will face Houston in Houston, travel to Duke, and play neutral-floor games against Ohio State and Purdue. Even Auburn’s home games won’t be cupcakes – Richmond and NCAA Tournament regulars Vermont will make the trip to the Plains. For years now, Auburn has sought out all the smoke they can fit into the schedule, and it’s an admirable approach which is going to pay off in the future. The folks at Auburn are starting to feel like they’ve got one of America’s very best teams, and these Tigers are uniquely equipped to make their statement.