Five takeaways from Auburn basketball’s 68-54 win over Southern Indiana

We love this team already.

I’m already in love with this team.

Auburn didn’t shoot the basketball well, they were sloppy throughout the entire game, and were down 9-0 early in the contest. I still love them.

The Tigers defeated Southern Indiana 68-54 in their exhibition game on Friday night. Devan Cambridge lead Auburn with 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting. Isaiah Swope of USI led all scorers with 15 points, knocking down a trio of threes.

Overall, as to be expected, the Tigers were sloppy, but this keep in mind this was an exhibition game. AU’s Final Four squad lost their exhibition game.

Here are five takeaways from Auburns win over USI.

Stats from Auburn basketball’s Orange vs Blue scrimmage

Auburn looked flashy in their self-scrimmage on Friday night!

Auburn held its dunk contest and self-scrimmage on Friday night following Auburn volleyball’s 3-0 loss to LSU.

According to reports, Bruce Pearl was ‘unhappy’ with the team’s performance, but overall fans seemed to be entertained by the scrimmage that went 45-37 in favor of the orange team.

Here are the stats from Auburn basketball’s self-scrimmage, unofficially kept by a handful of Auburn beat writers (shoutout my guy Christian Clemente, who never misses).

Wendell Green, PG: 13 points, 4-for-8 FG, 2-for-4 3-point FG, two assists, one rebound, one steal, two turnovers.

Zep Jasper, PG: 7 points, 3-for-6 FG, 1-for-2 3-point FG.

KD Johnson, G: 0 points, 0-for-2 FG, one rebound.

Devan Cambridge, SF: 0 points, 0-for-1 3-point FG, one block.

Chris Moore, SF: 2 points, 1-for-1 FG, one rebound, one steal, one turnover.

Jabari Smith, F: 9 points, 3-for-4 FG, 0-for-1 3-point FG, 3-for-4 FT, six rebounds, two assists, no turnovers.

Jaylin Williams, F: 3 points, 1-for-2 FG, 1-for-2 FT, three rebounds, one block one turnover.

Walker Kessler, C: 8 points, 3-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 3-point FG, four rebounds, two blocks, one steal.

Dylan Cardwell, C: 5 points, 2-for-3 FG, 1-for-1 FT, six rebounds (four offensive).

Stretch Akingbola, C: 3 points, 1-for-1 FG, 1-for-2 FT, two rebounds.

Michael Whitmore, G: 12 points, 4-for-5 3-point FG.

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Three Tigers among CBS Sports top 101 players

Jabari Smith, Walker Kessler and Allen Flanigan were included among the top players in the country by CBS Sports.

Auburn’s roster is one of the most talented the Tigers have ever had.

CBS Sports released their annual ranking of the best 101 players in college basketball and freshman forward Jabari Smith (No. 44), sophomore center Walker Kessler (No. 65) and junior guard Allen Flanigan (No. 86) made the list.

Smith, the highest-rated recruit in program history, continues to earn recognition ahead of the season, he was named to both the media and coaches preseason All-SEC second team. He was the only freshman on either list.

Kessler, another former five-star recruit, transferred from North Carolina in the offseason and was one of the top transfers in the country. The 7-foot-1 center had a limited role last season but showed his potential at the end of the season.

Flanigan took a massive step forward as a sophomore, starting all 27 games and emerging as an offensive threat as well as a defensive stopper. He averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

The coaches named him to their preseason All-SEC first team, but he will not be available December as he recovers from surgery on his Achilles.

Kentucky led all SEC schools with four players named to the list, while Auburn and Alabama tied for second with three each.

Auburn basketball duo voted preseason All-SEC by league’s coaches

Auburn picked up two All-SEC selections in the Preseason Coaches All-SEC teams.

The following is a release from Auburn Athletics.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Auburn’s Allen Flanigan and Jabari Smith earned preseason All-SEC honors as voted on by the 14 coaches in the Southeastern Conference, the league announced Tuesday. Flanigan was a First Team selection while Smith made Second Team.

Flanigan, who will miss the beginning of the 2021-22 season due to injury, is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. The junior was the most improved scorer in the SEC last year and scored in double figures in 22 of the team’s 27 games, including six games with 20 or more points.

Flanigan was one of three players in the SEC to average at least 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game and was the only guard in the league to rank in the top 15 in both points and rebounds per game during conference play.

Smith is the only freshman to be voted All-SEC by the coaches. He was the highest-rated player to sign with Auburn in the history of the program and was the fourth player in program history to make the McDonald’s All-American Team. He was a Naismith First Team All-American and was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Georgia in 2021.

Last week, the 6-foot-10 Smith was named Second Team All-SEC by the media. He was also one of 20 players to make the 2021 Karl Malone Award Watch List.

The coaches preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad. Auburn was one of six teams with multiple selections.

The 2021-22 campaign begins Nov. 9, with conference play set to begin Dec. 29. The 2022 SEC Tournament will be held March 9-13 at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

First Team All-SEC
Jaden Shackelford – Alabama
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
JD Notae – Arkansas
Allen Flanigan – Auburn
Colin Castleton – Florida
Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
Darius Days – LSU
Iverson Molinar – Mississippi State
John Fulkerson – Tennessee
Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC
Davonte Davis – Arkansas
Jabari Smith – Auburn
Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky
Kellan Grady – Kentucky
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
Xavier Pinson – LSU
Garrison Brooks – Mississippi State
Keyshawn Bryant – South Carolina

Projecting Auburn basketball’s starting lineup

Who do you think starts at small forward?

Auburn has something they haven’t had at every position under Bruce Pearl.

Depth.

The Tigers dipped into the transfer portal and picked up three transfer guards to solidify the depth there. Auburn can go four-deep at small forward. The Tigers have a spot-up shooter in Jabari Smith at power forward… and don’t forget Auburn has three centers on the roster who are expected to play significant minutes.

This is easily the most well-rounded roster Bruce Pearl has ever had. The issue doesn’t lie in the talent, but in the fact that there may be too many mouths to feed.

Here is the projected starting lineup for Auburn basketball’s season opener vs Morehead State. Keep in mind that Allen Flanigan will be out until mid-December.

Auburn’s Jabari Smith makes watch list for Karl Malone Award

Jabari Smith is getting a lot of preseason love.

The following is a release from Auburn Athletics.

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn freshman Jabari Smith was named to the 2022 Karl Malone Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor – now in its eighth year – recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. Smith is one of 20 candidates on the watch list, which was determined by a national committee of top college basketball personnel.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to annually recognize the best student-athletes in the collegiate game with positional awards bearing the names of some of the greatest players of all time,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “To be named to the watchlist of the Naismith Starting Five is a great honor and I know our Hall of Famers sincerely enjoy the opportunity to watch these players compete.

“We thank Mr. Malone for his unwavering support over the years and the unique perspective he brings to ultimately selecting a winner.”

Smith is one of two freshmen on this year’s watch list, along with Duke’s Paolo Banchero. As a senior at Sandy Creek High School last season, the 6-foot-10 Smith averaged 23. 4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He was a Naismith First Team All-American and became the fourth player in program history to be named a McDonald’s All-American.

In the class of 2021, Smith was ranked No. 4 nationally by Rivals and No. 5 by 247 Sports and ESPN, making him the high-rated signee in the history of Auburn basketball. Earlier in the week, he earned Preseason Second Team All-SEC honors.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected. College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds.

Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021); Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020); Zion Williamson, Duke (2019); Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018); Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017); Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016); and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).

Smith will make his Auburn debut on Nov. 5 when the Tigers host Southern Indiana for an exhibition game beginning at 7 p.m. CT.

2022 Karl Malone Award Watch List
Azoulas Tubelis, Arizona
Jabari Smith, Auburn
David Roddy, Colorado St.
Paolo Banchero, Duke
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech
Eli Scott, Loyola Marymount
Darius Days, LSU
Donta Scott, Maryland
DeAndre Williams, Memphis
Dawson Garcia, North Carolina
EJ Lidell, Ohio State
Quincy Guerrier, Oregon
Trevion Williams, Purdue
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
Tre Mitchell, Texas
Isaiah Mobley, USC
Jayden Gardner, Virginia
Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech

Auburn basketball’s 2021-22 roster

Who are you most excited to see play this season?

The Auburn basketball season is upon us.

On Tuesday the SEC preseason media poll was released for the upcoming 2021-22 basketball season, with Auburn being predicted to finish 5th behind Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky. Unlike last year’s 13-14 (7-11 SEC) squad, this team has loaded up at the guard position, and quite frankly every position around it.

The Tigers took a huge dive into the transfer portal, signing four players in the offseason, three of which were guards. Their fourth edition came in the form of former five-star Walker Kessler, who played one season at North Carolina before leaving the Tar Heels for Auburn. With the combined depth and experience on the roster, Auburn should have itself a good season if not a monster one. They have the pieces in place to make a run for the SEC title and much more after that.

Here is a look at Auburn’s 2021-22 basketball roster.

Auburn basketball picked to finish 5th in SEC in preseason poll

Where do you think Auburn will finish in the SEC standings?

Auburn is getting their respect in the preseason.

The Tigers are projected to finish 5th in the SEC, as picked by the national media in the 2021-22 SEC preseason media poll. Auburn is behind Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky.

Here is the entire SEC preseason media poll.

Preseason SEC Media Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Tennessee
5. Auburn
6. LSU
7. Florida
8. Mississippi State
9. Ole Miss
10. Missouri
11. South Carolina
12. Texas A&M
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia

Auburn finished 13-14, 7-11 in the SEC last season, which was good for 11th place. The Tigers did not participate in the SEC tournament because of their self-inflicted postseason ban.

Incoming freshman Jabari Smith was named a 2nd team All-SEC player. He was the only freshman as well as the only Auburn player to make the All-SEC list.

Here are the first and second teams.

First Team All-SEC
Jaden Shackelford – Alabama
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
Colin Castleton – Florida
Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
Iverson Molinar – Mississippi State
Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC
Davonte Davis – Arkansas
Jabari Smith – Auburn
Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky
Kellan Grady – Kentucky
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
Darius Days – LSU

Auburn opens up the season on November 9th against Morehead State at 7:00 p.m. central time.

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2022 aggregate NBA mock draft: Debut ranking of all notable prospects

The 2021 NBA draft class finished their first go-around in the summer league, which means evaluators are fully focused on next year’s class.

The 2021 NBA draft class finished their first go-around in the summer league, which means evaluators are fully focused on next year’s class.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Bleacher Report, Yahoo, The Athletic, Yahoo, SB Nation, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Collegiate teams who had more than two players appear on a mock were Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA. Three players will be on the G League’s Ignite roster and one is on Overtime’s Elite squad.

Additionally, seven players are rostered in Spain and four are playing in Australia’s NBL. There are also three players on Serbia’s KK Mega Basket included.

Freshmen one-and-done candidates who didn’t make the list but could climb on to join during the season: Harrison Ingram (Stanford), Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), Josh Minott (Memphis), Kowacie Reeves (Florida), Bryce Hopkins (Kentucky), Nathan Bittle (Oregon) and Jeremy Sochan (Baylor).

Some of the most notable collegiate returners who were snubbed from these rankings: Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), Jonathan Davis (Wisconsin), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Zach Edey (Purdue), Adam Miller (LSU), Colin Castleton (Florida) and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Relevant international prospects to know who were not included below: Fedor Zugic, Lefteris Mantzoukas, Jayson Tchicamboud, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Yoan MakoundouTom Digbeu and Makur Maker.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Main Image: Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group

Auburn basketball has two players taken in latest NBA mock draft

Two more Auburn TIgers may find their way into the NBA soon.

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Auburn had two players selected in the 2021 NBA mock draft, that may be a similar scenario in next year’s draft as well.

Bryan Kalbroksy of For The Win published a full 2022 NBA mock draft and had an Auburn player going in both rounds of next year’s draft.

The first Tiger off of the board was Jabari Smith, the 6-foot-10 freshman. The mock draft has him going 18th overall to the Atlanta Hawks. Auburn fans would love watching him and Sharife Cooper play on the same squad for the next few years.

Kalbrosky had great things to say about Smith,

Every NBA team wants big guys who can spread the floor and Jabari Smith, who is committed to play for Auburn next season, perfectly fits that mold. He was a Naismith First Team All-American this past season and it’s easy to imagine him finding success in the NBA.

The other Auburn Tiger in the mock draft was Allen Flanigan, the 6-foot-6 junior. He predicted the Boston Celtics to select Flanigan with the 49th overall pick.

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