Chad Baker-Mazara – Syndication Server

In photos: Auburn basketball crushes Georgia State, 100-59

Check out the best photos from Auburn’s blowout victory over the Georgia State Panthers on Tuesday at Neville Arena.

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers claimed its 10th win of the 2024-25 season Tuesday night by crushing Georgia State, 100-59 at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Production was heavy and plenty as three players reached double-figures in points while four players recorded at least four rebounds. [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] was the star, scoring 26 points and registering eight rebounds off the bench. [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] tied [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag]’s record of 34 straight made free throws by connecting on all 11 opportunities, and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] went 5-for-7 from three-point territory en route to a 17-point night.

Those players had incredible nights in the absence of [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who exited the game less than three minutes in with a shoulder injury. Following the game, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shared that Broome would be re-evaluated on Wednesday, which should provide a clearer picture of his status for Saturday’s game vs. No. 17 Purdue in Birmingham.

Re-live Tuesday’s big win by checking out the photo gallery of Auburn’s 100-59 win over Georgia State.

Johni Broome injury: What is the latest update?

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl shares an update on forward Johni Broome, who suffered shoulder injury in Tuesday’s win over Georgia State.

This story was updated to add new information regarding Johni Broome’s injury status.

Auburn basketball recorded another convincing win on Tuesday, taking down Georgia State, 100-59.

Auburn outscored the Panthers, 57-28 in the second half and closed the game on an 11-0 run. However, the biggest takeaway from the game was Auburn’s ability to earn the dominating win despite being without [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] for most of the game.

On Wednesday, Auburn Athletics announced great news for Auburn fans: Broome will not require surgery and will start his rehabilitation right away. The release stated that Broome will undergo daily evaluations by the team’s medical staff and physicians.

Broome exited Tuesday’s game with a shoulder injury at the 17:42 mark in the first half after recording two points and two blocks. Following the game, Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shed light on how severe Broome’s injury was, and how long the team could be without him.

“Obviously, his right shoulder kind of came out, came right back in. He did it a year ago, so he’s had some experience with it,” Pearl said postgame. “We’re going to take a look at it tomorrow, and we’ll tell you more. Hopefully, he’s OK.”

Broome leads the Tigers in all major categories including points per game (18.1), rebounds per game (11.5), and assists (3.5). He was also named the co-SEC Player of the Week for the third time this season after dropping 21 points and securing 20 rebounds in Auburn’s 91-53 win over Ohio State last Saturday.

Next up for Auburn is a trip to Birmingham to face No. 17 Purdue at Legacy Arena. Auburn’s deep roster is filled with plenty of candidates to fill Broome’s shoes should he be unable to play. In the second half of Auburn’s win over Georgia State, [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] scored 26 points, dropping 13 in each half. [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] added 19 points and six assists while connecting on all 11 free throw tries. [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] also had a strong night by shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc en route to a 17-point outing.

The Tigers and Boilermakers will square off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on ESPN.

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In photos: Auburn wrecks Richmond in return to Neville Arena

The No. 2 Tigers returned to the win column on Sunday by smashing Richmond, 98-54.

On Sunday, the No. 2 Auburn Tigers returned to the win column by smashing the Richmond Spiders, 98-54 inside Neville Arena.

Auburn (8-1) dominated Richmond (4-5) in several aspects of the game. The Tigers won the glass battle by reeling in 49 rebounds compared to Richmond’s 31. Auburn also found more success in the field by connecting on 48% of their shot attempts (33-of-69), while Richmond shot 27% (16-of-59).

Offensively, Auburn spread the wealth as four of its five starters and two bench players reached double-digit point totals in Sunday’s win. [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] paced the Tigers with 15 points, while [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] added 13 points. Auburn star [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] scored 11 points while recording five rebounds and six assists.

Auburn bounced back in a big way on Sunday, which will give them extra motivation ahead of Saturday’s game vs. Ohio State in Atlanta. Here are the best photos of Auburn’s 98-54 win over Richmond on Sunday.

Tiger kings: Auburn crushes Memphis to win Maui Invitational

Auburn wins the Maui Invitational behind a 21-point, 16-rebound performance by Johni Broome.

Auburn basketball accomplished its goal of flying to Hawaii and winning the Maui Invitational.

The No. 3 Tigers opened the Maui Invitational championship with Memphis by jumping to a 9-0 lead. They rode that momentum to the final buzzer in its 90-76 win over the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday at Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Auburn took control of the game early thanks to a three-pointer from forward Johni Broome at the 19:38 mark in the first half. Auburn then rattled off six-straight points over the first 2:10 of game time to race to a 9-0 lead to open the game. Auburn reached its first double-digit lead of the game at 10:21 with a 25-13 lead and led by as many as 20 points in the first half before taking a 47-31 lead into halftime.

Broome’s hot start stayed consistent as he reached double-double status in the first half for the second-straight game. Through the first 20 minutes of play, Broome scored 15 points and secured 11 rebounds.

As a team, Auburn shot 51% from the field with 22 rebounds and 13 assists. Defensively, Auburn forced 14 turnovers which resulted in 10 points. Memphis also shot 44% in the first half and connected on just 1-of-2 on three-point plays.

The second half provided more of the same as Auburn scored 43 points to secure the win. Auburn increased its field goal percentage to 64%, but the half would see a new star emerge. Senior center [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] scored 10 points in the half by going 4-4 from the field, which included a three-pointer.

Broome led scoring by delivering a 21-point performance with 16 rebounds. Cardwell followed suit by scoring 18 points with [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] scoring 14 and 11 points respectively.

Auburn will celebrate the Maui Invitational championship for a short time before getting back to work. Next on the docket for Auburn is a trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face No. 10 Duke next Wednesday, Dec. 4, as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. CT.

In photos: No. 3 Auburn handles North Alabama at Neville Arena

Johni Broome scores 30 points while four other Tigers reach double-digits in the 102-69 win over North Alabama on Monday.

The No. 3 Auburn Tigers handled business on Monday by taking down in-state foe North Alabama, 102-69, in its final tune-up before competing in the Maui Invitational beginning next Monday.

It was a special day for [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who etched his second consecutive double-double by scoring 30 points and pulling down 17 rebounds in the win. It was the first time since last season’s game vs. Virginia Tech that Broome scored at least 30 points in a game. His 17 rebounds were also the most in a game since he recorded 18 rebounds in Auburn’s win over Georgia on Feb. 1, 2023.

Outside of Broome, all four remaining starters reached double-figures in points. Denver Jones tallied 13 points while [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag], [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag], and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] scored 12 points each. Off the bench, [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] scored eight points while grabbing five rebounds. Freshman [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] scored seven points in 20 minutes of action while posting five assists.

Re-live the best moments of Auburn’s 102-69 win over North Alabama on Monday by checking out the best images from the game.

Auburn takes down FAU in final tune up before season

The Tigers thrashed a 2022 Final Four team in its final preseason tune-up over the weekend.

The Auburn Tigers finished off an undefeated preseason exhibition run with a 102-70 thrashing of the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday at Neville Arena in Auburn.

FAU, who reached the Final Four two seasons ago before receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, is not expected to contend for another postseason spot this year after head coach Dusty May departed for Michigan in the offseason.

Even with May, and stars such as Johnell Davis, who is now an Arkansas Razorback, no longer with the Owls, the lopsided victory was still an important and impressive result for a Tigers team hoping to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019 this season. Superstar forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led the way for [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad, chipping in 15 points and nine rebounds while stuffing the stat sheet with four blocks and a pair of steals as well.

The backcourt quartet of [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] (13 points), [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] (11 points), [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] (12 points), and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] (15 points) supplied just over half of the Tigers points in the contest, further cementing the idea that [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] may possess the deepest and most talented composite of guards since he took over as the Tigers head coach.

With the offensive firepower supplied by the backcourt and Broome, forward [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] is expected to take a facilitator role in Bruce Pearl’s offense. The senior displayed that fully in the exhibition, finishing with a team-high six assists to go along with his 2 steals and block. Perhaps most impressively, the second-year Tiger turned the ball over just once.

Six of the ten Tigers that saw at least 10 minutes of action in Friday’s exhibition scored double-digit points, while [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] (seven points) and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] (six points) added a combined 12 rebounds. Bruce Pearl has made it a point to display extremely deep and talented rotations during his last few seasons on the Plains, and this iteration of the Tigers may be the most talented group he’s compiled during his tenure.

The No. 11 ranked Tigers will look to prove that sentiment when the regular season tips off on November 6 against perennial American East powerhouse Vermont. Auburn will be put to the test right away following the home opener, as the Tigers have a date with No. 4 ranked Houston in Birmingham on November 9.

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Chad Baker-Mazara named to ‘Julis Erving Award’ Watch List

Baker-Mazara is one of 20 small forwards on the preseason watch list.

Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara has been named to the ‘Julis Erving Award’ watch list ahead of the 2024-2025 season. The award, which recognizes the best small forward in college basketball, has never been won by a Tiger.

The committee named 20 college basketball small forwards to its preseason watch list on Wednesday. Baker-Mazara, along with Texas forward Arthur Kaluma, Missouri transfer Mark Mitchell, and Kentucky graduate transfer Jaxson Robinson, make up the four players representing the SEC on the watch list. Duke freshman phenom and likely first overall NBA Draftee Cooper Flagg was also tabbed in the exclusive list of 20 players.

Now a senior, Baker-Mazara is coming off a terrific opening season on the Plains. The 24-year-old was one of three Tigers to average double-digit points (10.0), and he finished among the team leaders in assists, blocks, and steals. Baker-Mazara’s 1.5 blocks and steals per game was second on the team, behind only superstar Johni Broome.

The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native is primed for an even bigger role in head coach Bruce Pearl’s rotation this season. With Auburn’s second leading scorer from a year ago, Jaylin Williams, now fighting for a roster spot in the NBA, Baker-Mazara should see an increased role on the offensive end of the floor. If he can continue filling the stat-sheet while turning those new opportunities into buckets, the senior should finish among the finalists for the ‘Julis Erving Award’.

Baker-Mazara will surely have bigger things on his mind when the Tigers open up the season, especially after his junior year ended prematurely due to an NCAA Tournament ejection. Auburn’s quest to make a deep run into March begins on Wednesday, November 6 at Neville Arena against Vermont.

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Broome and Baker-Mazara earn preseason All-SEC honors

Expect Broome and Baker-Mazara to have big seasons in 2024-25!

The 2024-2025 college basketball season is quickly approaching as media days get underway for many conferences and preseason polls make their debut. The nation is also getting a look at what players will be worth keeping an eye on this season, which Auburn has a couple of.

[autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] both earned preseason All-SEC honors this year, with Broome being named to the First Team and Baker-Mazara to the Third Team. Broome was also nearly tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year, but was edged out by Mark Sears of Alabama.

Both players had tremendous seasons last year and look to do more of the same on the court in just a matter of weeks.

Broome was far and away the Tigers’ leading scorer last year with 576 points, averaging 24.8 points per game. He also was one of the team’s most reliable shooters, converting 54.8% of his shots from the field. He shot 35.4% from distance, but also had his struggles from the free throw line, where he posted a 61.5% success rate.

Broome was also electric on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game to go with his 31 steals and 78 blocks.

To compliment his SEC Tournament MVP trophy from last year, Broome was also named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team for his stellar performance.

Baker-Mazara also completed his first year on the Plains with some big production numbers. He was third on the team in scoring, posting 350 points on the year while shooting 45.2% from the field. He excelled behind the arc though, shooting 41.8% on the year, which tied as the team’s best percentage with [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag].

Baker-Mazara also made plays all over the floor, racking up 77 assists on the year, while forcing 36 steals and 17 blocks on defense to cause disruption.

His play in the SEC Tournament earned him a spot on the SEC-All Tournament Team, something he looks to improve on and earn again in his senior season.

Auburn takes the court for the very first time this season on Nov. 1 when it plays FAU in a charity exhibition game at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST.

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Dick Vitale places Auburn at No. 10 in ‘Sweet 16’ Rankings ahead of next season

Five SEC programs join Auburn in Vitale’s preseason rankings.

Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale released his annual “Sweet 16” college basketball rankings on Thursday afternoon.

While the 85-year-old’s rankings are nothing more than his personal list, he certainly has been following the sport long enough that his preference carries some legitimacy.

Five SEC programs landed in Vitale’s “Sweet 16”, with the Alabama Crimson Tide leading the pack all the way up at number two, behind only Kansas and one spot ahead of back-to-back champion Uconn. The only other SEC team to land in the top 10 was Auburn, as the Tigers landed at the 10 spot, ahead of Arkansas (13), Texas A&M (14), and Kentucky (15).

Auburn’s spot in Vitale’s top 10 is certainly warranted after [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad won the SEC Tournament after finishing near the top of the conference a year ago.

The Tigers bring back last season’s leading scorer in Johni Broome as well as key pieces like [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag]. The returning cast of players pairs with newly acquired transfers [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag], and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] to create not only one of the more talented rosters in the SEC, but in the country as well.

Even with the abundance of offensive and defensive ammunition, the Tigers are no lock to have the same success they had a year ago. Vitale’s praise and a likely top 15 spot in the preseason polls is nice are nice accolades, but winning games in a grueling SEC is never an easy task.

We’ll see if the Tigers can live up to the preseason hype when they open the season in November.

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Bruce Pearl shares thoughts on Aden Holloway’s transfer to Alabama

Pearl finally discusses Holloway’s move to Tuscaloosa two months after the announcement.

It has been two months since former Auburn guard [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] made a surprising move by transferring to arch-rival Alabama following his freshman season on the Plains.

Now, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] is sharing his thoughts on the move.

The Auburn head man spoke with reporters this week about an array of topics, including Holloway’s transfer to Alabama. Pearl did not share his personal thoughts on the move, but instead focused on what the move could mean for the rivalry.

“It would be like if Auburn’s quarterback went to play quarterback for Alabama,” Pearl said. “What do you think that would do for the Iron Bowl? It would make it more interesting and continue to add to the rivalry.”

Holloway’s debut season in Auburn did not go as planned, as he managed to shoot 31% from the field while adding 7.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game despite signing with Auburn as a key building block for its offense.

Following his move to Alabama, Holloway took a subtle shot at Pearl by claiming that he changed the offense during the season, causing a dip in production.

“At Auburn, I kind of got sold a dream by my coach (Bruce Pearl),” Holloway said. “The season started out good for me individually and as a team, and then he kind of went in a different direction (with) the offense.”

It will be interesting to see how Holloway develops under Nate Oates’ watch at Alabama as the Crimson Tide returns star guard Mark Sears for next season, and added five-star guard Labaron Philon from the high school ranks. As for Auburn, the Tigers welcome five-star guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] to the Plains as a true freshman and former Furman star [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] to its guard rotation. Expect [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] to see a larger role this season as well.