The 2024-2025 Auburn Tigers are an extremely well-rounded basketball team.
After an exhibition season which saw Bruce Pearl’s team win two games in extremely lopsided fashion, Auburn let loose in front of a packed Neville Arena to open up the regular season, taking down Vermont 94-43 in ridiculously efficient fashion. Auburn outscored the Catamounts 46-21 in an up-and-down first half before showing off on the defensive end to open up the second stanza, dispelling any hopes of a Vermont comeback with a 16-0 run to open the frame.
Five of the nine Tigers that saw double-digit minutes on Wednesday night finished with at least 10 points. Georgia Tech transfer [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] led the way, welcoming himself onto the Plains in heroic fashion to the tune of 21 points on 7 3-point field goals. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] may have been overshadowed by Kelly and Denver Jones’s 16 points, but the All-SEC forward was his usual, dominant self in a 12-point, 7-rebound, 2-block effort.
Newcomer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] filled point guard the role previously held by Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson phenomenally. The Furman transfer showed immediately he could handle Bruce Pearl’s extensively complicated offense with a perfect 3/3 shooting night to go along with 4 rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Second year Tiger Chad Baker-Mazara was also his normal, stat-stuffing self in an 11-point, 3-rebound, 2-assist effort. Surprisingly, the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native did not swipe away a steal or block.
While Auburn wasn’t quite able to reach triple-digit scoring numbers in the opener. the Tigers offense played about as well it has since Bruce Pearl took over as the head coach. While free throw shooting was sub-par (6/10), Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, and the Tigers shot 56% from the field in the win, including an impressive 16/35 mark from beyond the arc.
Auburn will need to continue shooting the ball efficiently well over the course of a non-conference schedule that may be the hardest the Tigers have ever encountered. The waters get much more wavy as soon as Saturday, when Auburn takes on No. 4 ranked Houston at the Toyota Center in Houston. Head coach Kelvin Sampon’s Cougars, who are historically known for their defense, held Jackson State to just 40 points in an equally as impressive 97-40 opening night victory.
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