Tag: Chance Westry

Yohan Traore among SEC’s top freshmen

Traore has the ability to make an immediate impact at Auburn.

Auburn basketball and head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] signed three players in their 2022 signing class, and one of those signees is set to make an immediate impact on the Plains.

Auburn’s [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] was the nation’s No. 26 prospect for the 2022 cycle,  and the best player from the state of Arizona, signing with Auburn from Dream City Christian School in Glendale.

The 6-10 forward has high potential and has caught the attention of On3, where they have listed Traore as a top freshman in one of college basketball’s top conferences.

Jamie Shaw of On3 recently ranked the top newcomers in the SEC, listing Traore at No. 6. Shaw believes that Traore will slide right into the holes left by [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] following their departure to the NBA.

While On3 had Yohan Traore as a five-star, the industry-standard On3 Consensus had him as a four-star. There will be ample playing available for Traore, with Auburn’s starting front-court tandem Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith getting drafted in the first round.

Traore is a mobile big who is athletic both vertically and laterally. The French native has touch and hands on the offensive end with nice upside. He is still raw, and everyone in the SEC has someone big and athletic, but Traore’s talent is evident, and his path to playing time is clear.

He was given his first chance to prove his worth early on in his Auburn career during the program’s overseas venture to Israel, where he did just that. In three games, Traore averaged 16 points per contest, scoring 20 points in two of those games.

Another Auburn freshman, [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], received honorable mention honors on the list. Westry was the No. 7 guard for the 2022 cycle according to On3.

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Yohan Traore among SEC’s top freshmen

Traore has the ability to make an immediate impact at Auburn.

Auburn basketball and head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] signed three players in their 2022 signing class, and one of those signees is set to make an immediate impact on the Plains.

Auburn’s [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] was the nation’s No. 26 prospect for the 2022 cycle,  and the best player from the state of Arizona, signing with Auburn from Dream City Christian School in Glendale.

The 6-10 forward has high potential and has caught the attention of On3, where they have listed Traore as a top freshman in one of college basketball’s top conferences.

Jamie Shaw of On3 recently ranked the top newcomers in the SEC, listing Traore at No. 6. Shaw believes that Traore will slide right into the holes left by [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] following their departure to the NBA.

While On3 had Yohan Traore as a five-star, the industry-standard On3 Consensus had him as a four-star. There will be ample playing available for Traore, with Auburn’s starting front-court tandem Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith getting drafted in the first round.

Traore is a mobile big who is athletic both vertically and laterally. The French native has touch and hands on the offensive end with nice upside. He is still raw, and everyone in the SEC has someone big and athletic, but Traore’s talent is evident, and his path to playing time is clear.

He was given his first chance to prove his worth early on in his Auburn career during the program’s overseas venture to Israel, where he did just that. In three games, Traore averaged 16 points per contest, scoring 20 points in two of those games.

Another Auburn freshman, [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], received honorable mention honors on the list. Westry was the No. 7 guard for the 2022 cycle according to On3.

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Bruce Pearl still has questions about his team, which is a good thing

Auburn Basketball enjoyed a successful trip to Israel, where they earned two wins. Now, Bruce Pearl has important decisions about personnel to make.

Auburn Basketball completed their Israeli Tour on Monday when they faced the Israel National Team, their toughest competition of the slate.

The Tigers played well defensively, forcing 17 turnovers and recording 46 total rebounds, but the Israeli National Team, led by Deni Avdija of the Washington Wizards, were too much to handle. Team Israel shot 9 percent better from the field than Auburn to earn the 95-86 win.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] said in a release that Team Israel had a great defensive strategy in the game.

“What (Israel ran) is really hard to guard. We’re built to guard it, but they have great counters to everything that we tried to do,” Pearl said following the game. “It’s an outstanding coach, an outstanding system of play, really good players. They disrupted us. I’m glad we gave them a run. I’m glad that was a good contest for them. They got exposed in some ways, and I know we did as well.”

Now that the tour is over, Pearl has decisions to make about his players, and how many minutes they spend on the floor.

Auburn played well as a team in Israel, which included stellar defensive play and outstanding freshmen production. Pearl has an issue, but it is the best issue that any coach can have.

“The biggest thing is that we’ve got 12 good basketball players, maybe even 13. We’re going to put a good point guard out there. I can’t tell you whether it’s going to be [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] or [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag],” Pearl said. “We’re going to put a good 2 guard out there. I can list you four or five guys. I don’t know who is going to start at the 3 or the 4 or the 5 because they all had their moments out there.”

So, how will Pearl decide who the best five will be at any given moment? He says that he will take every second that he has until the team’s first official game to sort that out. But, the players will also have to keep working hard to earn their roles.

“We’re going to go back for the next two months and we’re going to compete, and the guys that want to be out there are the guys that are going to play the most productively,” Pearl said. “We keep things called a plus-minus chart. How did we play when you were on the floor? If we were better when you were on the floor, then you are going to be on the floor. If we didn’t play better when you were on the floor, I’m going to play somebody else.”

Auburn will play a preseason exhibition against Alabama-Huntsville on Wednesday, November 2 at Neville Arena to kick off the season. The Tigers’ first official game will take place at Neville Arena on Monday, November 7 against George Mason.

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Auburn Basketball gearing up for final game of Israeli tour

Auburn will face the Israel National Team for their third and final game in Israel Monday at noon.

From seeing many historical sites to winning basketball games by wide margins, it is easy to see why Auburn Basketball has enjoyed its trip to Israel so far.

The Tigers won the second exhibition of their Israeli Tour on Sunday, defeating the Israel All-Star select 107-71 in Tel Aviv. Playing with confidence and having unselfish attitudes have led to Auburn’s dominance in Israel.

“Just listening to Coach (Pearl) and playing hard and spreading the floor have been the main factors,” freshman [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] said following Sunday’s game in a release. “By playing hard, what you’re going to do is win and give it all you’ve got. It means a lot to us when we play hard and communicate.”

Individually, the legend of [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] is unfolding in front of our eyes. The freshman scored 20 points for the second-consecutive game in Sunday’s win over Israel All-Star Select, and he is contributing heavily to the team’s chemistry.

“It’s all about confidence,” Traore said. “I came ready to play, ready to help my teammates win. I was just bringing some great energy, playing hard and playing defense.”

The competition that Auburn has faced overseas has gotten tougher with every game they have played, and Monday’s finale will be the most challenging, as the Tigers go against the Israeli National Team.

Auburn hopes to carry the momentum that they have built into the contest and come home with three wins.

“It’s going to be a great challenge,” Traore said. “This is going to be the best team that we’ve played so far, so I’m just excited and looking forward to play.”

Auburn battles the Israeli National Team Monday at noon CT. The game can be seen live on SEC Network.

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Auburn basketball coasts by Israel U-20 team in first exhibition

The Tigers had no trouble with their foreign tour opponents.

The Auburn men’s basketball team will certainly still be enjoying their vacation after breezing through its first challenge overseas.

The Tigers defeated the Israeli U-20 national team 117-56 on Tuesday in the first of three exhibition matches the team plans to play in Israel. The win was Auburn’s third consecutive 100-point game in preseason foreign tours.

Auburn never stopped rolling the entire game, and as such, got off to a very hot start. The Tigers ended the first quarter up 21-8 on the Israeli U-20 team, with incoming freshman [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] leading the scoring with five points — he also netted three rebounds in the first quarter.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad extended their lead to 33 by the time the second half came to an end, going up 55-22. Traore shot 50 percent from the field by halftime’s end and had eight points and five rebounds to top the team’s scoring. Transfer [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] put in some work as well, netting six points, four rebounds and a block for his new team at the half.

The lead grew to 40 points by the end of the third, with the Tigers up 80-40. It was [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] that would briefly take over the scoring title from Traore in the game, as he had 11 points, three assists and a block by the time the third quarter came to an end. Westry was one of three players with 10 points or more for Auburn at the end of the third, joining [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag]. Cardwell in particular had a staggering 14 rebounds up to that point.

Auburn really opened up in the fourth quarter to take it away, winning by the 117-56 score by a deficit of 61 points. Traore wouldn’t be outdone, scoring 11 more points in the final frame. Broome also showed out, ending the game with 17 points and 9 rebounds.

Auburn is set to play the Israeli All-Star Select Squad on Sunday and then the regular Israeli National Team the following day.

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Where Auburn lands in latest 2022 basketball recruiting rankings

Tigers check-in among the top 20 and could climb higher before the season starts.

The Auburn men’s basketball team and head coach Bruce Pearl have been busy when it comes to the recruiting trail. The staff is tasked with replacing their frontcourt duo of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler. Both are expected to be first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft.

Thus far the Tigers have added [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], and [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag]. Pearl could be adding a fourth member to his 2022 haul on Thursday with former LSU commit, Julian Phillips.

He was a member of the LSU Tigers‘ 2022 class along with Traore prior to the firing of Will Wade. Both players decommitted from the program soon after. The Auburn head coach could pick up both if Phillips decides to make the Plains his home in the 2022-23 basketball season.

As we await the decision, 247Sports recently released their analysis on the 2022 recruiting class with Auburn checking in at No. 16 overall.

Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

What 247Sports Says…

Since the arrival of Bruce Pearl, basketball fever has taken over at Auburn and the Tigers continue to reload with talent. There’s not a potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in this group like Jabari Smith, but there is some impactful talent.

When Will Wade’s time at LSU ended abruptly, Traore became available and his size, scoring touch and rebounding made him a five-star prospect. Well-traveled during his high school career, Westry is a top 40 wing and utility player who can help on both sides of the ball thanks to his versatility. Also an SEC-level football recruit, Donaldson is a tough and physical four-star floor general. This class has a chance to get much better on Thursday and landing five-star small forward Julian Phillips would give them a major boost in the team rankings.

Other SEC schools to make the list:

Among the remainder of the top 20, future SEC opponent the Texas Longhorns checked in at No. 5 overall. Plenty of competition is on the way to the SEC and should make for an exciting brand of basketball in the conference for years to come.

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Where Auburn recruits stack in latest On3 basketball recruit ranking

The Plains are well represented on this list of top basketball recruits.

On3 has released its final ranking for 2022’s basketball recruits, and the Auburn Tigers are well represented.

The list ranks the top 150 basketball recruits in the nation, and three of those recruits are currently committed to come to the Plains next year. Head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] will certainly enjoy the added firepower after the departures of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler to the NBA.

The highest-ranked recruit is five-star [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], who slots in at No. 12 on the list. Traore was originally committed to play for the LSU Tigers, but he reopened his commitment after the departure of head coach Will Wade. Traore chose Auburn, and he’ll be joined by two other players on this list — [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag].

Westry is No. 33 on the list. The combo guard from Pennsylvania committed to Auburn on Nov. 10 of last year, and the four-star will form what the Tigers hope to be a lethal partnership with the likes of Traore and Donaldson — he’s ranked the second-best player in the state by On3. Donaldson himself clocks in a 120, and the point guard from Tallahassee was also a four-star recruit as a safety (although Pearl confirmed he will only play basketball as a freshman).

Finally, there is a recruit to watch on the list that could be favoring Auburn. The 14th-ranked recruit on the list, Julian Philips, is currently projected to Auburn via On3’s RPM at 46 percent. The five-star small forward out of South Carolina would complete a phenomenal recruiting class from Bruce Pearl, so he’s certainly a name to watch as next season approaches.

Two Auburn basketball players set to test NBA draft waters

Two more players to test the professional waters, but could return to the Plains.

On Wednesday, Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live reported that four Auburn players are early entrants for this year’s NBA Draft. Both [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] have signed agents and will not be able to return next season. However, both [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] declared for the draft on Wednesday morning without hiring an agent. In simpler terms, both Flanigan and Cardwell will likely return.

The option to declare for the draft without hiring an agent has been useful over the years. Barring something extremely unexpected, the two will utilize the draft process to receive feedback on areas of concern and areas that they are already well-equipped in.

Therefore, it is beneficial for the players to take that feedback and implement it into their game for the preceding season.

Last season, Flanigan missed time early on in the season as he was still recovering from a lingering Achilles injury. This past season the Arkansas native averaged 6.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. His role will likely increase if he elects to return.

In the ’20-’21 season, he averaged 14.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. If he can duplicate that, his draft stock will certainly rise even higher. He still needs to work on some things like his three-point shooting and his decision-making.

(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

On the other hand, Cardwell’s entry into the NBA Draft was unexpected to say the least. His role as a sophomore with the Tigers lessened from his freshman season. He did however play in more games (34) as opposed to just 27 as a freshman.

The Georgia native is one of the better rim protectors in the conference. Cardwell averaged 1.2 blocks per game and 3.3 rebounds per game last season in 11.5 minutes per game. His decision to enter his name in the NBA Draft is likely just to evaluate his game and gather feedback on what his next steps need to be in order to be an elite big man.

With the two likely coming back to Auburn next season, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and his staff should have a sure-handed contender in the SEC next season. With the addition of players like [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], and [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], the future certainly looks bright. The 2022 season looks bright in particular. It will be interesting to see how the roster unfolds for this upcoming season.

Auburn listed as program showing interest in NC State transfer

Auburn has reached out to a talented North Carolina State transfer.

On Monday, Jon Rothstein of CollegeHoopsToday reported that several schools had reached out to NC State transfer Manny Bates. One of the programs listed were the Auburn Tigers, and several others interested are Ohio State, Illinois, Georgetown, Houston, and Iowa State.

The North Carolina native spent three seasons in Raleigh. In first two seasons, he averaged 7.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. Perhaps the most intriguing statistic was his blocks per game (2.8). In 2021, his season ended before it virtually ever started when he dislocated his right shoulder in his first game, causing him to miss the rest of the season. It is worth noting that Bates did start 50 games in his first two seasons. He also blocked 147 shots, which ranks as the fourth most in North Carolina State history. The season was set to be promising for the Wolfpack prior to Bates getting injured. They would finish the season with an 11-21 record.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers coaching staff has put an emphasis on big men in the portal. Louisiana Tech transfer Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome have both been in touch with [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and his staff. With Bates coming into the fold, the likelihood increases that Auburn will land a big man via the transfer portal. Standing at 6’11, Bates would certainly be a big presence down low. His ability to block shots is impressive and something the Tigers would love to have in 2022.

Auburn is bringing in three players in its’ 2022 class. [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], and [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] are all set to join the program for next season. Traore is interesting because he is a 6’10 big man from Arizona — adding Bates would likely create competition. One of the two could also move to the four spot, as Auburn is also bringing back center [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag].

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Five-star center Yohan Traore commits to Auburn

Yohan Traore will be the second-highest recruit in Auburn history when he signs.

Auburn has to find a way to replace All-American and potential No. 1 pick [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag], the highest-rated recruit in program history.

The Tigers took the first step in doing this Thursday evening, when five-star center [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] committed to Auburn as a member of the 2022 recruiting class. He is the No. 4 center and No. 15 overall prospect in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is also the second-highest rated recruit in program history.

Traore was originally committed to LSU but backed off his pledge after head coach Will Wade was fired.

Checking in at 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds Traore projects as either a four five at Auburn. If [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] does leave for the NBA he could slide in as the starting center or move to the four if Kessler returns.

Traore is originally from France and is the third member of Auburn’s recruiting class. He joins four-star wing [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] and three-star point guard [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag].

Auburn went 27-4 last season and were SEC Regular season champions but lost in the Round of 32 to Miami. Adding Traore will be a major boost for the Tigers.