Tag: auburn basketball

Auburn target AJ Dybansta moves up commitment timeline

The Auburn target recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come before the calendar turns to 2025.

The No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2025 class has reportedly moved up his decision timeline after seeing the first week-plus of the college basketball season unfold.

[autotag]AJ Dybansta[/autotag], widely considered one of the best high school prospects in the past decade, recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come sometime in December.

“We are ahead of where we thought we would be. If I know where I want to go, why wait? It’s probably going to be in December. I feel I will be ready by then,” Dybantsa said in an interview with ESPN.

The 6-9 wing forward is currently projected to stay in his home state of Utah, joining BYU. However, Auburn is among six other schools, including SEC rival Alabama and possible Maui Invitational opponent North Carolina, on Dybantsa’s radar.

The Hurricane, Utah native last visited the Plains on March 2. Although the consensus top recruit in the 2025 cycle has made trips to BYU, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, and Kansas State more recently, Auburn remains in the mix because of the lack of front-court options going into next season. The 17-year-old’s most direct path to big minutes could be with Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. Dybansta’s decision may ultimately come down to which school he feels will help him develop his play style the best.

Speaking further with ESPN, the projected NBA lottery pick said he and his family are keeping a close eye on the way his prospective schools are coached.

“We are observing how the coaches manage their teams, how they react when they have a lead or are behind, how they run their offense, and whether their overall play style matches what they’ve communicated to us,” Dybantsa said.

If Dybansta were to commit to the Tigers, he’d join recently committed guard Kaden Magwood and four-star slasher [autotag]Simon Walker[/autotag] as the foundation of next season’s class.

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Auburn lands four-star guard Kaden Magwood

Magwood joins four-star guard Simon Walker as the two recruits in Auburn’s 2025 class thus far.

Auburn Basketball’s 2025 recruiting class received a nice boost on Tuesday, as four-star guard Kaden Magwood announced he would be coming to the Plains next season. A consensus top 50 prospect in the class, Magwood is a 6-foot-1 guard that has 3-level scoring ability.

The No. 2 prospect from North Carolina spoke about how he sees a lot of himself in former Auburn guard Sharife Cooper when he listed Auburn in his top 3 back in October. While Magwood still believes in that comparison, he also mentioned the play-style of current Auburn guards Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford when explaining why he chose the Tigers.

Speaking with 247 Sports, Magwood explained, “watching Tahaad Pettiford get downhill and score and also pass, and also Denver (Jones) doing the same thing, I can really see myself in that position.”

The four-star guard is coming off an extremely impressive 23 points per game performance on the 3SSB circuit this summer. He’s sure to continue his dominant scoring performances this winter at Combine Academy. While he’s dominating the high school circuit, Magwood, along with Auburn’s other 2025 commit Simon Walker, will hope more top talents decide to come to the Plains next season.

The first of those commitments could come as soon as this Friday when Kiyan Athony makes his decision on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast. Auburn targets Sebastian Williams-Adams and Samis Calderon are also expected to decide on their commitment as soon as this week.

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Four-star guard Kiyan Anthony to announce commitment this week

The consensus top 40 recruit in the 2025 class will choose between Auburn, Syracuse, and USC on his father’s podcast Friday morning.

Four-star shooting guard [autotag]Kiyan Anthony[/autotag] will officially announce his commitment on Friday, November 15.

The son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, the consensus top 40 recruit in the 2025 class will announce his decision on his father’s podcast when it releases Friday morning.

While Syracuse is the favorite to land Anthony due to his father’s legacy with the Orange, the No. 1 prospect from New York has continually shown interest in attending Auburn and USC during his recruitment process. Anthony announced the Tigers, Trojans, and Orange were in his final three schools back on Oct. 30.

The 6-5, 185-pound shooting guard visited his father’s alma mater back in October of this year. He has also spent time on USC’s campus but has yet to take an official visit to the Plains. If he were to shock the recruiting landscape and commit to Auburn, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] would secure a commitment from a top-35-ranked guard for the second straight season. Current Auburn freshman [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag], who played his high school basketball just a state over from Anthony in New Jersey, finished his high school career as the No. 32 ranked guard in the 2024 class.

Anthony has yet to begin his senior season at Long Island Lutheran High School, but he should be the focal point of the offense once the regular season tips off. The star prospect most recently averaged nearly 20 points per game this summer during his time playing in the ‘Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’ in July.

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Johni Broome takes home SEC Player of the Week honors

Auburn’s best player has already added the weekly award to his senior season resume.

Auburn forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] won the first of what is expected to be many accolades during his final collegiate season on Monday. Auburn’s best, and most impactful, player was bestowed SEC Player of the Week honors after leading his Tigers to a perfect 2-0 start to the season.

The 6-10 superstar was solid in Auburn’s opener against Vermont, but erupted into dominant form in the Tigers’ neutral-site win over No. 4 Houston, scoring 20 points alongside nine rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals. Broome now has 32 points, 16 boards, seven blocks, five assists, and three steals through Auburn’s first two contests.

Last season’s SEC Tournament MVP, the Plant City, Florida native has much bigger plans for his final season on the Plains than winning conference player of the week. Still, the honor shows Broome can become the best player in the conference over any given stretch, which could prove pivotal to [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s team’s success throughout a long SEC basketball campaign.

Broome is unlikely to defend his Player of the Week title in the second seven-day stretch of the campaign as Auburn only plays one game this week, on Wednesday against Kent State. The Tigers get busy shortly after that as the team travels to Maui for the Maui Invitational after another home contest against North Alabama.

The Tigers open the Maui Invitational against No. 7 Iowa State on Nov. 25. Broome and Auburn could also face any combination of No. 3 UConn, No. 11 North Carolina, and perennial Final Four threat Michigan State during their stay in Hawaii.

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Auburn launches into top five of USA TODAY Coaches Poll following win over Houston

The Tigers neutral-site win over Houston last Saturday impressed many voters in this week’s rankings.

Auburn basketball ended its bizarre week on a high note.

Following an impressive 94-43 win over Vermont to kick off the 2024-25 campaign last Wednesday, Auburn (2-0) traveled to Houston, Texas to battle the Houston Cougars in a March Madness caliber game at Toyota Center, home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets.

Their trip to Houston began with controversy as an incident on the team’s flight forced two players to miss the game. However, it affected the Tigers minimally as they would sneak out of the Lone Star State with a 74-69 win.

The win was deemed impressive by voters in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, as the Tigers move into the No. 4 slot heading into the second week of action. Auburn’s seven-spot jump was the second-highest advancement of the week, trailing just Ohio State, who checks in at No. 22 this week after beginning the season unranked, a 15-spot difference.

Alabama is the highest-ranked SEC squad at No. 2 after earning two wins to start the season. Tennessee joins the Crimson Tide and Tigers in the top 10 at No. 9 while Kentucky (No. 18), Florida (No. 19), Arkansas (No. 21), and Texas A&M (No. 23) round out the SEC’s representation in the top 25. Texas and Ole Miss were removed from the top 25 considerations this week.

Week 1 Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Kansas 2-0 759 (21)
2 Alabama 2-0 724 (4)
3 UConn 2-0 702 (3)
4 Auburn 2-0 660 (2)
5 Gonzaga 2-0 651 (1)
6 Duke 2-0 608
7 Iowa State 1-0 576
8 Arizona 2-0 516
9 Tennessee 2-0 502
10 Houston 1-1 488
11 North Carolina 1-1 456
12 Purdue 2-0 437
13 Creighton 2-0 385
14 Baylor 1-1 328
15 Marquette 2-0 308
16 Indiana 2-0 234
17 Cincinnati 2-0 230
18 Kentucky 2-0 182
19 Florida 2-0 179
20 Illinois 2-0 151
21 Arkansas 1-1 150
22 Ohio State 1-0 148
23 Texas A&M 1-1 99
24 Rutgers 1-0 84
25 St. John’s 2-0 79

Schools Dropped Out

No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss

Others Receiving Votes

Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1

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In photos: Auburn wins thriller over No. 4 Houston

Relive some of the key moments from Auburn’s 74-69 win over Houston on Saturday.

The Auburn Tigers improved to a perfect 2-0 on the young season on Saturday Night, taking down the No. 4 ranked Houston Cougars 74-69 in the Toyota Center.

In a game that featured two of the best defenses in college basketball, it was no surprise the first 30 or so minutes were a grueling slug fest on Saturday. Beyond. Houston’s tenacious defense caused Auburn’s offense an adundance of problems throughout the night, but massive and timely shots from Johni Broome (20 points) and freshman Tahaad Pettiford (21 points) were enough to help the Tigers take a late lead, eventually turning into a victory.

Pettiford specifically was phenomenal throughout the evening. The Jersey City, NJ native made 7 of his 12 shot attempts, including 5 3-point field goals. Along with Pettiford, the aforementioned Johni Broome was his dominant self with a 20-point, 9-rebound, 5-block performance, while Chaney Johnson provided an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in 31 minutes off the bench.

The win proved the Tigers can play with the best teams in the nation, and provides plenty of momentum for a team set to compete in the Maui Invitational at the end of November. For now, Auburn will need to prepare for a Wednesday night showdown with a formidable foe from the MAC in Kent State. Ahead of Auburn’s next game, relive some of the key moments from Auburn’s 73-69 win over Houston on Saturday.

Bruce Pearl is not ‘celebrating’ blowout win over Vermont

Pearl says that each opponent going forward will present a tougher challenge than the one from Vermont.

Auburn basketball passed its first test on Wednesday but will quickly move on from it and shift their focus to their next opponent, No. 4 Houston.

Following No. 11 Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shared that he was pleased with his defense’s ability to “guard without fouling” and his team’s overall execution against Vermont- a team that won the America East last season and has appeared in three-straight NCAA Tournaments.

However, he warned his team and fans alike that Auburn’s next opponent, Houston, will provide another set of challenges.

“Obviously, Saturday at Houston is going to be a completely different matchup. Different team, different size, athleticism, physicality, and so we are not celebrating this,” Pearl said Wednesday. “Don’t read into it too much, other than we shot it really well and played pretty hard.”

The Tigers shot 56% from the field on Wednesday, which included 16 made three-pointers. Defensively, Auburn exposed Vermont’s weakness of poor shooting by forcing the Catamounts to connect on just 26% of their attempted shots while creating 16 turnovers.

Houston defeated Jackson State in its season opener on Monday, 97-40. Four players reached double-figures in points, led by LJ Cryer’s 16. The Cougars also took down Texas A&M in a charity scrimmage before the season, 79-64. Houston and Auburn rank No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the KenPom following Wednesday’s action, and both spot top-five offenses and defenses ahead of the game.

Auburn will look to earn its first major win of the season on Saturday when it battles Houston at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

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In photos: Auburn crushes Vermont to open the season

Five players reached double figures in No. 11 Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers kicked the season off on Wednesday by taking down Vermont, 94-43 at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburn (1-0) trailed by just 0:24 in Wednesday’s game after Vermont’s Ileri Ayo-Faleye nailed a three-pointer to put the Catamounts ahead, 3-2 with 18:45 remaining in the first half. The Tigers closed out the first half by taking a 46-21 lead into the locker room and widened their lead to as many as 57 points with less than nine minutes to go in the contest.

Returning stars Johni Broome, Denver Jones, and Chad Baker-Mazara played in midseason form by reaching double-figures in points, with Broome leading the way in rebounds with seven. However, the star of the night was Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly, who shot 63% (7-of-11) from the field, all from three-point land, scoring 21 points.

The win was a great motivator for the Tigers, who will face No. 4 Houston on Saturday night. Ahead of Auburn’s next game, relive some of the key moments from Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday.

Auburn dismantles Vermont for resounding opening night victory

Auburn let loose with a 94-43 victory in front of a packed Neville Arena

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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A look at Auburn basketball’s 2024-25 schedule

Check out Auburn basketball’s 2024-25 slate ahead of Wednesday’s season-opener!

Auburn basketball returns to action this week, and if you are looking for their 2024-25 schedule, you have come to the right place.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers won last season’s SEC Tournament but was bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. To prevent a similar fate this season, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] has built a schedule filled with teams that will challenge the Tigers, thus preparing them for the NCAA Tournament gauntlet.

The Tigers will face 14 teams that are nationally ranked or receiving votes, heading into the season. In addition to its taxing SEC schedule, Auburn will face No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Duke, No. 6 Iowa State, and No. 14 Purdue. Auburn also faces the possibility of meeting No. 3 UConn and No. 10 North Carolina during its stay at the Maui Invitational this month.

[lawrence-related id=86922]

Pearl says that this season’s schedule should provide opportunities for Auburn to prove their worth on the court.

“I just think from the standpoint of our players, I think our players deserve the opportunity to play against the best and have that great, great challenge. Adversity doesn’t always build character, but adversity will reveal character. We’re going to have some adversity. We’re going to lose some games in non-conference, perhaps more than we have in the past, just because of the strength of the schedule. How do we handle that? How do we bounce back? What do we learn? And obviously getting better throughout the season. Then also if you look at the SEC-ACC matchup, the fact that Alabama and Auburn are both going to North Carolina and Duke and a lot of responsibility in those two matchups because those are going to be two of the hardest games in that matchup, and so I will wear the responsibility of trying to uphold our end, knowing the challenge of going to Duke.”

Here is a look at Auburn’s 2024-25 slate, including start times and networks.

November

  • Nov. 6 vs. Vermont (7 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)
  • Nov. 9 at Houston (Toyota Center, Houston, 8:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU)
  • Nov. 13 vs. Kent State (7 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)
  • Nov. 18 vs. North Alabama (8 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Nov. 25 vs. Iowa State (Maui Invitational, 8 p.m. CT, ESPNU)
  • Nov. 26 vs. TBA (Maui Invitational)
  • Nov. 27 vs. TBA (Maui Invitational)

December

  • Dec. 4 at Duke (ACC/SEC Challenge, 8:15 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • Dec. 8 vs. Richmond (11 a.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Dec. 14 vs. Ohio State (Holiday Hoopsgiving, Atlanta, noon CT, ESPN 2)
  • Dec. 17 vs. Georgia State (7 p.m. CT)
  • Dec. 21 vs. Purdue (Legacy Arena, Birmingham, 3:30 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • Dec. 30 vs. Monmouth (5:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)

January

  • Jan. 4 vs. Missouri (3 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 7 at Texas (8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Jan. 11 at South Carolina (Noon CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 14 vs. Mississippi State (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 18 at Georgia (Noon CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 25 vs. Tennessee (7:30 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Jan. 29 at LSU (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)

February

  • Feb. 1 at Ole Miss (1 or 3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 4 vs. Oklahoma (8 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Feb. 8 vs. Florida (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 11 at Vanderbilt (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Feb. 15 at Alabama (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 19 vs. Arkansas (8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 22 vs. Georgia (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 26 vs. Ole Miss (6 p.m. CT, ESPN 2/ESPNU)

March

  • March 1 at Kentucky (noon or 3 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN)
  • March 4 at Texas A&M (6 or 8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2/ ESPNU)
  • March 8 vs. Alabama (1 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • March 12-16 SEC Tournament (Bridgestone Arena, Nashville)

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