Tag: allen flanigan

Auburn breezes past Ole Miss to improve to 16-2 on the season

The Tigers are now at the top of the SEC as the conference’s lone unbeaten team.

The Auburn Tigers are an absolute wagon.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad won yet another conference game by double-digits on Saturday, beating the Ole Miss Rebels 82-59 in a packed Neville Arena.

The 23-point victory is not only the 11th straight for the Tigers but the 11th straight by double digits as well.

Auburn’s margin of victory in SEC play is a laughably astonishing 19.2.

Saturday’s win was again a defensive masterclass combined with an elite-level, 9-man rotational offense that wore down the opponent.

[autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led the way for the Tigers, combining for 26 points and 3 assists.

[autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] were major contributors off the bench as well.

The Tigers shot an extremely efficient 58% from the floor as a team, going 8/18 from beyond the arc as well.

Auburn did commit one more turnover than Ole Miss, but were able to offset the mistakes with better shooting and assist numbers.

As for the Rebels, former Auburn Tiger [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] and his teamattes struggled all night in a hostile Neville Arena.

[autotag]Chris Beard'[/autotag]s surprisingly successful Rebels shot just 37% from the floor and 72% from the free throw line on the road.

The loss dropped their SEC record to under .500, showing the early season “feel good” story could come crashing down soon.

On the other side, Auburn is trending in the perfect direction heading into the meat of the SEC schedule. The Orange and Blue could be underdogs on Wednesday when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama.

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Auburn, Bruce Pearl preparing for Allen Flanigan’s return to Neville Arena

Pearl hopes that Auburn fans and students remember that Flanigan is an “Auburn man” as he returns to the Plains as a member of Ole Miss’ squad.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers return to Neville Arena on Saturday to face No. 21 Ole Miss for a key SEC matchup in an unhinged environment.

There is zero doubt that Auburn fans, as well as The Jungle, will make the Rebels’ trip to Neville Arena a challenging one, but there is one aspect of the game that head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] hopes that the crowd will be sensitive to.

[autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], who averaged 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 114 total games over four years as a forward for Auburn from 2019-23, is set to return to the Plains on Saturday as a member of Ole Miss’ roster. Pearl says that he hopes that fans in attendance show gratitude and respect to Flanigan on his first trip back to Auburn.

“I would like our students and The Jungle to remember that Allen (Flanigan) graduated from Auburn and is an Auburn man,” Pearl said following Auburn’s 80-65 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday. “I hope they welcome him accordingly.”

Flanigan is having a successful season for the Rebels to this point. He has started in all 17 games this season and averages 16.5 points per contest. He has scored at least 10 points in all but one of Ole Miss’ games this season, and recently scored 20 points in the Rebels loss to LSU on Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

Auburn hosts Ole Miss in a top-25 battle on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on SEC Network.

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Auburn vs. Baylor: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Tuesday’s game

Who is ready to watch the Tigers battle the Bears tonight?

The Auburn Tigers play No. 17 Baylor on Tuesday at Sanford Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Auburn Tigers open the 2023-24 slate on Tuesday night and will have a tough challenge by facing the No. 17 Bears on a neutral court. Both teams finished the season by exiting the second round of the NCAA Tournament to teams who ultimately fell in the Sweet 16, Houston for Auburn, and Creighton for Baylor.

Baylor will provide a solid test for Auburn, as they have won a National Championship within the last three seasons. Baylor head coach Scott Drew was the head coach during the 2020-21 season which ended with a 28-2 record for the Bears. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl understands that winning the glass battle will be key in defeating Baylor.

“It’ll be hard to duplicate Baylor’s athleticism. Historically, they’re one of the top 20 rebounding teams in the country and top 10 scoring teams in the country. They’ll fly to the boards. Our greatest challenge will be keeping them off the boards. Our half-court offensive execution has been pretty good for early in the season. We’ve shot the ball well. The quality of the opponent will step up in a big way.”

Auburn will be breaking in a relatively new starting lineup this season, as fixtures such as [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] are no longer on the roster. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag] headline the returning starters this season, while transfers such as [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] step up to fill new starting roles.

Tuesday’s game will feature two injuries of note: Johni Broome and [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag]. Broome, who injured his shoulder in last Wednesday’s exhibition with Auburn Montgomery. Holloway, Auburn’s top 2023 signee and projected starting point guard heading into the season, injured his ankle in Auburn’s secret scrimmage with Furman. Pearl says that he feels confident that both players will be cleared to play on Tuesday night.

Below, you will find everything you need to know ahead of Auburn’s season-opener vs. No. 17 Baylor including a broadcast guide, an injury report, and projected starting lineups.

Bruce Pearl hints at Auburn’s 2024 rotation

Auburn will have a very different looking rotation this season.

Auburn men’s basketball coach [autotag]Bruce Pear[/autotag]l addressed the media via Zoom on Friday. With fall camp fast approaching, Pearl pointed out four key areas where the Tigers need to make up for lost production from last season.

“We gotta replace [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and we gotta replace whoever backed up [autotag]Jaylin Williams [/autotag] last year.”

Pearl mentioned freshmen guard [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] as the likely replacement for Green.

He called Holloway “a combination of a lot of the guards [Auburn] has had in the past.” Holloway was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022, leading his team to a 36-1 record while averaging 18.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior.

Auburn’s head coach is high on the former five-star recruit, likening his work ethic to that of former Auburn first-round picks [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaac Okoro[/autotag].

The starting point guard spot is Holloway’s to lose, although Pearl did mention [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] as a player who will see some minutes and push Holloway to be better.

Pearl’s next test will be replacing defensive wizard [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag]. While the loss of Jasper will hurt the Tigers defensively, Pearl did note the potential for the team to improve scoring the basketball, where he is opting to give transfer guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] a run in the starting five over fan-favorite [autotag]K.D Johnson,[/autotag] at least for now, due to his high-volume scoring ability.

“Denver Jones could be a candidate for one of our top two or three scorers.”

It’s hard to argue with that statement, Jones was absolutely lethal as a scorer last season. The sophomore guard was one of only 26 players in Division 1 to average at least 20.0 points per game in 2022, helping him become the first-ever FIU Panther to win Conference USA first-team all-conference honors.

Pearl was a little more ambiguous when discussing how he would deploy his front-court options.

He did take time to praise JUCO transfer [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and Division 2 transfer [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], calling Baker-Mazara “really good,” while citing his accomplishments at Northwest Florida State College and San Diego State.

The issue with Baker-Mazara is his size, where he measures 6 feet 7 inches but weighs only 190 pounds. That body type does not bode well for a healthy season, especially in the physical SEC.

As for Johnson, Pearl called him “one of the best athletes on our team,” citing his ability to shoot, guard multiple positions, and dribble the basketball.

Of course, returning Tigers [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell [/autotag] will see ample minutes in the front court as well.

Pearl still has plenty of time to figure out his final rotation ahead of Auburn’s season opener against Baylor on Nov. 7, but it seems like he at least has an idea of how he would like to deploy his roster ahead of this season.

Fall camp performances and injuries will surely change some things too.

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What led Bruce Pearl to pursue junior college product Chad Baker-Mazara?

Pearl is excited to add someone like Baker-Mazara, who has “won everywhere he’s been.”

Former San Diego State Aztec and North Florida State College guard/forward [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] is one of the transfers that Auburn has added this offseason.

In an article from the Montgomery Advertiser, Richard Silva breaks down what led head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] to pursue Baker-Mazara in the first place.

“Very excited about Chad,” Pearl told the Montgomery Advertiser. “In his sophomore year, San Diego State versus Creighton, he had like (15) in the first half against Creighton in an NCAA Tournament game. He’s got skills. He’s got feel. He’s got real ability. He’s won every place he’s been. He’s played for great coaches and even though he’s wound up leaving for a variety of reasons, all the coaches that we backtracked with had nothing but really good things to say about him.”

Baker-Mazara could fill the role in the starting lineup left behind by [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], who announced earlier this week that he would be transferring to Ole Miss.

“Let me tell you something, right now we’ve got 11 guys on scholarship, I believe,” Pearl said. “It’s a competition at every position.”

Auburn added four players to its roster for the 2023-24 season. Joining Baker-Mazara as new additions include FIU transfer [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and UAH transfer [autotag]Cheney Johnson[/autotag]. [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], a McDonald’s All-American and five-star product, is expected to make an impact this season as well.

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Dylan Cardwell becomes third Tiger to announce return

After testing the NBA draft waters, Cardwell has decided to return to Auburn for a fourth season.

The good news keeps coming for Auburn basketball fans, as a third member of its 2022-23 roster has announced that they will be returning to the team for another season.

[autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], a junior center from Augusta, Georgia, announced late Wednesday that he will return to the team after testing the NBA draft waters. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports broke the news, and Auburn Basketball later confirmed his return on Twitter. His announcement came a few hours after forward Jaylin Williams announced his plans to also return to the team.

Cardwell becomes the third player to return to Auburn after being evaluated for the NBA draft, joining Williams and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag]. A fourth member of last season’s roster, [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], elected to pull out of draft consideration, but instead elected to transfer to Ole Miss to continue playing for his father, Wes, who was hired as an assistant for new head coach Chris Beard.

Cardwell’s return is key for Auburn, as it provides another year of assistance for Broome at the five off of the bench. He also provides energy that is an asset to his players and the fans.

Last season, Cardwell appeared in 32 games and made one start. He averaged 3.7 points and a career-best 3.8 rebounds per contest for the Tigers in 2022-23. In three seasons at Auburn, Cardwell has averaged 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and a field goal percentage of 71.5%.

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Former Auburn 5-star target Julian Phillips to enter the transfer portal

Auburn has a chance to wind up with one of their top targets from 2022 after originally mising out.

One of Auburn’s top targets from the 2022 recruiting class is back on the market. Tennessee’s [autotag]Julian Phillips[/autotag] plans to enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.

The former five-star small forward was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last year after averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8, 198-pounder shot 41.1% from the field and 23.9% from deep, he also made 82.2% of his free throws.

He was the No. 19 overall player and No. 6 small forward in the 247Sports Composite ranking. 247Sports has made him a four-star transfer with a 96 grade.

Auburn has already landed two transfers this offseason in [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] but still has a major need at the 3 after [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] entered the portal. They are heaving recruiting Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Tyrin Lawrence[/autotag], who is in the NBA draft process.

Phillips is also testing the draft process and both players will have until May 31 to withdraw from the process.

While the portal is still open, the SEC requires players to enter the portal before May 1 if they want to transfer within the conference. If Phillips does choose Auburn he would then have to sit out a year or get an NCAA waiver.

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Allen Flanigan officially enters transfer portal

Flanigan will look for a new home after receiving his undergraduate degree last weekend.

In news that was somewhat expected, Auburn forward [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] announced Monday that he will enter the transfer portal as a graduate student.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello was the first to report the news of Flanigan’s decision and says that he will likely follow his father, Wes, to Ole Miss. Wes Flanigan departed Auburn’s staff last month in order to reunite with Chris Beard, whom he coached under at Arkansas-Little Rock during the 2015-16 season.

Flanigan played in 114 games during his four-year career at Auburn, where he averaged 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He connected on 52% of two-point field goals, and 29% of three-pointers. Flanigan made the decision to enter the transfer portal following Auburn University’s graduation ceremonies last weekend, where he received his Bachelor’s degree.

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Bruce Pearl shares update regarding Allen Flanigan’s future with the program

Auburn has seen plenty of roster movement this offseason. What is the next more for Flanigan?

There has been plenty of movement within Auburn’s roster since the 2022-23 season concluded in March. However, the most interesting of all cases is that of senior guard [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag].

Flanigan’s future at Auburn has been the center of much speculation since the departure of his father, [autotag]Wes Flanigan[/autotag], to Ole Miss. Will Flanigan transfer? Will he hang around? In an effort to provide clarity, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shed light on the situation Tuesday.

At the “AMBUSH” event that was held in Atlanta on Tuesday, Pearl says that Flanigan will make a decision regarding his future once he graduates this summer. Most of that stems from his past entries into the NBA draft.

“In Al’s case, he’s already declared twice,” Pearl said Tuesday. “You can’t declare a third time. If you do, you have to stay in the draft, so there’s no reason for him to declare anything.”

Flanigan tested the NBA draft waters in 2021 and 2022, which means that he would forfeit his remaining season of college eligibility if he declared a third time. So, if Flanigan wants to continue his collegiate career, he would either need to enter the transfer portal or return to Auburn for his final season.

Auburn has already seen the loss of four players to the transfer portal and has the possibility to lose four others in [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] to the NBA.

Pearl has also added freshman [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], and transfers [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Cheney Johnson[/autotag]. Pearl also says that he hopes to take one or two more players from the transfer portal.

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Report: Wes Flanigan leaving Auburn for Ole Miss

He spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach for Bruce Pearl.

Auburn assistant basketball coach [autotag]Wes Flanigan[/autotag] is reportedly leaving Auburn to join the Ole Miss coaching staff, according to a report from On3’s Justin Hokanson.

Flanigan has spent the past five seasons as a member of [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s coaching staff and was a four-year starter at Auburn from 1993-97. He helped the Tigers win two SEC regular-season titles and one SEC Tournament championship. His team also made the first Final Four in program history.

The move will allow him to reunite with Chris Beard. He was an assistant on Bear’s Little Rock staff in 2015-16 and was promoted to head coach when Beard left.

Flanigan has been an important recruiter for Pearl, landing Jaylin Williams, Tre Donaldson, Chris Moore, and [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], his son. He was also the primary recruiter for 2024 commit Labaron Philon.

Allen has not yet announced his plans for next season but could return to Auburn, declare for the NBA, or enter the transfer portal.

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