Tag: K.D. Johnson

Gallery: The best images from Auburn’s road win over Ole Miss

The best images from Auburn’s road win over Ole Miss

The Auburn Tigers are riding high heading into their home matchup with Alabama.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl'[/autotag]s team was in danger of dropping another conference road game on Saturday in Oxford, MS before junior guard [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] ignited his team to a second-half comeback.

The aforementioned Baker-Mazara, star forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], and longtime Tiger [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] took over in the second half of the 14-point victory.

Auburn’s win was arguably its most impressive and biggest of the season, as the Tigers now have a chance to regain the lead in the SEC with a home win over their rival on Wednesday.

Here are some of the best images from the win.

Recap: Auburn erupts in second half, takes down Ole Miss for season sweep

It wasn’t easy, but the Auburn Tigers found a way to win on Saturday in Oxford.

Johni took out the Broom(e) on the Ole Miss Rebels Saturday afternoon.

The superstar forward took over in the final 10 minutes of No. 16 Auburn’s 91-77 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, scoring 15 points to help the Tigers improve to 18-4 on the season and complete the season sweep of the Rebels. Broome also added 9 rebounds and a season-high 7 assists.

Most importantly, the road win finally gives Auburn its first “Quad 1” victory of the season.

The double-digit victory was anything but smooth sailing for [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad.

After a hot start that saw Ole Miss shoot 8 out of their first 12 from the field, the Rebels took a 9-point lead into the halftime locker room.

Guards Matthew Murrell and old friend Allen Flanigan could not miss in the first half and ultimately stayed hot throughout the game, combining for 38 of the Rebels points in the loss.

Unfortunately for them, the supporting cast of Sharks mostly sank in the second half. Forward Moussa Cissé was solid, but foul trouble and a mental-match with [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led him to disappear in stretches.

The exact opposite can be said for Auburn. Six Tigers finished in double figures in the game.

[autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Trae Donaldson,[/autotag] and [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] all finished with 10+ points in the game.

While Donaldson did most of his damage in the first half to keep the Tigers afloat, the other four scored their points almost exclusively in the final 20 minutes.

Auburn’s 91 points are the most the team has scored on the road this season. The Tigers will hope to take that momentum into their biggest home game of the season on Wednesday night, when they host Alabama at 6 PM CST.

As for Ole Miss, the Rebels may be see their SEC record drop below .500 after upcoming games at South Carolina and Kentucky.

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Recap: Auburn loses second straight in Starkville

The Auburn Tigers lost their second straight SEC game on Saturday, losing in disappointing fashion to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Plains weren’t the only thing that looked flat in Auburn on Saturday.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and the No. 6 Auburn Tigers barely showed up for their seventh SEC tilt against Mississippi State, losing 64-58 to the Bulldogs.

The Tigers shot just 35% from the field in the game.

Forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] was efficient but overall not very productive on an afternoon where his team desperately needed him, as the junior finished with a team-high 14 points on just 7 attempts from the field.

Auburn’s backcourt struggled once again on the road, as [autotag]Trae Donaldson[/autotag], [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], and [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] combined for just 13 points in the contest.

Mississippi State came into the game with a ferocious defense, especially at home, but Auburn’s inability to score the basketball for the second straight road came is definitely cause for concern.

As for Mississippi State, star forward Tolu Smith arguably outplayed Broome in this game. The senior not only shut down Broome on the defensive end, but also contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds in the game. He was a key cog in the Bulldogs defensive stand to hold off Auburn’s comeback attempt as well. Smith also helped Mississippi State out-rebound Auburn by 15 in the game.

Auburn’s second-straight loss drops the Tigers to 5-2 in SEC play. They’ll go back to the drawing board before returning to Neville Arena to host Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

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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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Recap: Auburn wins big again, takes down Arkansas 83-51

Recap: Auburn wins big again, takes down Arkansas 83-51

The Auburn Tigers are an elite basketball team.

Bruce Pearl’s squad dismantled an above-average Arkansas team on Saturday afternoon, pulling away late in the first half and never looking back.

The Tigers rebounded from a poor offensive start to finish with above 80 points for the seventh consecutive game, while the defense was again elite, holding Arkansas to just 51 points in the contest.

The 32-point margin of victory was the biggest margin of defeat for the Razorbacks in Bud Walton Arena history

Guard [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] was the star of the day for the Tigers, scoring 16 points on an efficient 5/9 from the field. The junior added 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Tre Donaldson was also incredible off the bench, missing only one shot all day in an 11-point, 7-rebound, and 4-assist performance.

Bruce Pearl played 9 other Tigers in the win. Forwards [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] were effective once again, while [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], and [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] all contributed 5 points or more.

The Tigers shot 49% from the field and 39% from 3-point range in total. Both numbers are extremely impressive on the road, but the 16-7 assist-to-turnover ratio was the standout statistic of the day.

As for the Razorbacks, a gritty Auburn defense paired with a horrific shooting afternoon spelled disaster for the Hogs.

Arkansas shot an abysmal 31% from the field and was nearly identical from point range, connecting on just 7 of 24 shots from deep.

Guards Khalif Battle, Davonte Davis, and Tramon mark combined for just 16 points on 4/16 from the field.

Auburn’s 32-point was easily its most impressive of the season. The Tigers are a lock to move up in the Coaches and AP Polls after this week, and are an early team to beat in the SEC.

Bruce Pearl’s team can enjoy a few days off before they return to Neville Arena to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.

As for Arkansas, the loss knocks them down to 9-6 on the season before traveling to UGA on Wednesday.

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Recap: Auburn notches another blowout victory over Alabama State

Auburn notches another blowout victory over Alabama State

Auburn continues to play terrific team basketball.

[autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] led a scorching hot Tigers’ offense to a fourth-straight 80-plus point game on Friday Night, as Auburn once again secured a double-digit victory at Neville Arena, 82-62.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad is now 9-2 in the non-conference schedule and has made yet another case of earning a top-25 spot in the upcoming USA Today Coaches Poll.

The aforementioned duo of Broome and Williams combined for 36 of Auburn’s 82 points in the win over the Alabama State Hornets.

Guard [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] contributed 13 points in 16 minutes off the bench, landing as the only other Tiger in double-figures. The senior also had 2 steals on the defensive end.

Despite shooting 25% from the 3-point line, the “Orange and Blue” shot 46% from the field overall and made great use of their 32 free-throw attempts, sinking 26 of them.

It is also worth noting freshmen [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] had a successful game splitting point guard duties.

Holloway finished with 6 points and 4 assists in 19 minutes on the floor, while Donaldson filled up the stat sheet with a 6-point, 4-assist, and 3-rebound performance across 20 minutes of playing time.

As for Alabama State, the Hornets are now 4-7 on the season, although 6 of those losses have come against high major competition.

Head coach Tony Madlock does have some things to be confident about heading into SWAC play. His talented backcourt of TJ Madlock and Isiah Range combined for 32 points in the loss which is slightly above their season average of 29.

The 32 points were impressive given Auburn’s early-season ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end. This is the seventh time in 11 games this season an Auburn opponent has scored under 65 points. The Tigers have an 21-point average margin of victory in those contests.

Auburn will enjoy an 8-day Holiday break before returning to action to host a pair of solid mid major programs.

The Tigers return to Neville Arena to host the Chattanooga Mocs on December 30 before opening 2024 against the Penn Quakers on January 2.

A grueling SEC schedule awaits after that.

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Recap: Auburn blows out UNC Asheville in Rocket City Classic

The Auburn Tigers have themselves a new win streak. Auburn won its second game in a row Wednesday night, taking down UNC Asheville 87-62.

The Auburn Tigers improved to 7-2 on the young season on Wednesday, defeating 2022 NCAA Tournament team UNC Asheville by 87-62 in Huntsville, Alabama.

It was another great offensive night for the Tigers, as Auburn shot an impressive 53% from the field. [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s team has now scored 191 points over their last two games.

Perhaps the most reaffirming aspect of the night came in the second half, where Auburn has struggled to put the “petal to the metal” against weaker competition.

That didn’t happen tonight. The Tigers scored 48 points in the final 20 minutes, receiving major contributions from forward [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag].

Donaldson ended up leading all Auburn players in scoring with 15 points in the game. Baker-Mazara was the only other Tiger in double figures on a night where sharing was caring with the basketball.

[autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], and [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] all contributed multiple made field goals.

2022 Big South Male Athlete of the Year Drew Pember paced both teams in scoring with 23 points.

Pember is a great player who will be playing at the professional level, but his fellow Bulldogs simply weren’t good enough tonight to keep up with a consistent Auburn attack.

UNC Ashville was able to shoot a very-solid 45% from the field, but a 9/18 mark from the free throw line and 13 turnovers doomed the Big South favorites.

As long as Pember is healthy, the Bulldogs will have a chance to get back to the NCAA Tournament this season as Big South Champions.

As for Auburn, the Tigers now sit at 7-2 ahead of a huge showdown against Isiah Collier and the newly-healthy Bronny James on Sunday as USC visits Neville Arena for a noon CT tipoff.

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Recap: Auburn Basketball cruises to Legends Classic Championship

The Auburn Tigers defeated the St. Bonaventure Bonnies to capture the Legends Classic Championship on Friday night.

The Auburn Tigers have won their first trophy of the season.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad improved to 3-1 on the young season Friday Night, defeating the St. Bonaventure Bonnies 77-60 in front of a large crowd at the Barclays Center.

The win secured a “Legends Classic” Championship for Auburn. They won both games by double digits and were clearly the best team in the tournament.

[autotag]Johni Brrome [/autotag] once again led the Auburn offensive attack, muscling his way to 18 points and 5 rebounds.

As will normally be the case this season. plenty of Tigers stuffed the stat sheet in the win. [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] all contributed 8 points or more and could have done more if not for the blowout nature of the second half.

Auburn’s offense was great, but the real story of their early season continues to be the perimeter defense of [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag].

Tiger guards held the opposition to under 15% from the 3-point line for the second night in a row, as the Bonnies shot just 3/24 from deep.

Auburn also out-rebounded, out-assisted, and out-blocked St. Bonaventure. The Orange and Blue also had one less turnover.

St. Bonaventure’s premier player and Atlantic 10 Preseason First-Team guard Daryl Banks III had just 4 points, giving the Bonnies virtually no chance at making a comeback.

Auburn will enjoy this early season championship before they return to action Tuesday at Neville Arena to take on Alabama A&M.

Recap: Auburn takes down Southeastern Louisiana 86-71

The Auburn Tigers picked up their first win of the season of Friday night, taking down the SE Louisiana Lions 86-71 at Neville Arena.

The Auburn basketball team is in the win column for the first time this season. The Tigers took down the Southeastern Louisiana Lions on Friday in Neville Arena by a final score of 86-71.

Final scores can often be misleading, and this one fits the bill. Much of Auburn’s first win was sloppy, as [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad struggled to pull away from a team picked to finish atop a historically bad Southland Conference.

The Tigers turned the ball over two more times and shot only 1% better than the Lions in this one, showing they still have plenty of work to do.

Auburn will surely take the win, however.

Junior center [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led the way for the “Orange and Blue”, securing his second double-double of the season in a 16-point, 11-rebound effort.

Senior guard [autotag]K.D Johnson[/autotag] was the second leading scorer for the Tigers, pouring in 13 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Newcomers [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] were the only other Auburn players in double figures, scoring 11 and 12, respectively.

SE Louisiana junior guard Roger McFarlane led the game in scoring, making 9/23 shots from the field for 24 points. The 6 foot 5 guard also secured 11 rebounds.

McFarlane’s backcourt mate Roscoe Eastmond scored 15 points of his own in 35 minutes on the court.

This marks the second game in a row Auburn has struggled to guard the opponents perimeter players, showing the loss of [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] may be a bigger deal than originally thought.

Bruce Pearl and Co. will hope to sure up the defense and the offensive inefficiency when they take on Notre Dame in the Legends Classic on November 16.

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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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