Tag: K.D. Johnson

Instant Analysis: Second-half surge lifts Auburn to victory over Texas Southern

Auburn shot 56% from the field in the second half to pull away from a feisty Texas Southern team on Friday night.

The No. 15 Auburn Tigers turned a sour first half into a monster second-half performance en route to its fourth win of the season.

Auburn shot 56% from the field and picked up 11 points from [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag] in the second half as Auburn defeated Texas Southern on Friday night, 72-56 at Neville Arena.

Texas Southern outshot Auburn 43% to 35% in the first half, and took advantage of Auburn’s turnovers by scoring 14 points off of 11 cough-ups. Despite Auburn’s struggles in the first half, they would enter the locker room with a 29-27 lead.

Auburn’s shooting woes struck again in the first half of Friday’s game, as the Tigers shot 11-of-31 from the field, and 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] led in scoring with eight points each. Johnson made three baskets while Williams recorded three rebounds and went 3-for-4 at the free-throw line in the first half.

Auburn opened the second half by posting a 14-2 run, which allowed them to jump out to a 10-point lead at the 14:56 mark in the half, 43-33. Tempers flared shortly before the timeout, as Texas Southern’s Zytarious Mortle committed a flagrant foul on Johnson. The foul appeared to be committed out of frustration, as Texas Southern players showed emotion towards Auburn’s bench following the foul.

Chris Moore had a phenomenal second half, as he shot 100% from the field, three-point territory, and from the stripe en route to an 11-point half, and a 14-point night. Overall, Johnson led with 16 points, followed by Williams’ 14-point outing.

Next up for Auburn is a date with Bradley at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico. Tipoff between the Tigers and Braves is set for Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT.

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Instant Analysis: Tigers find offensive rhythm in blowout win over Winthrop

The Tigers were more comfortable on offense in Tuesday’s win, which pushes their record to 3-0.

The early storyline for the No. 15 Auburn Tigers was offensive production… or lack thereof.

That narrative changed on Tuesday night, as the Tigers knocked off Winthrop, 89-65, in a non-bracketed game of the Cancun Challenge.

After shooting 40% in last Friday’s win over South Florida, the Tigers improved on the floor by shooting 47% on Tuesday. Auburn also scored 19 points higher than its’ previous high score in the win.

Three players reached double-digits for Auburn. [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], the team’s leading scorer for the team’s first two games, finished with 16 points on the night. For the first time all season, Green was not the team’s leader in points. That honor belonged to [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] scored a season-high 11 points in the win.

The Tigers continued their strong defensive efforts in the game. Auburn limited Winthrop to just 36% from the field and out-rebounded the Eagles 53-33.

After allowing the Eagles to score the first basket of the game, Auburn’s Zep Jasper put the Tigers on the board with a three-pointer to give Auburn the lead. Auburn would go on to post a 10-0 run over a 3:20 span to take a huge, early lead over Winthrop, 12-2 with 16:20 remaining in the half.

After the run, Auburn kept Winthrop at bay, never letting the Eagles cut the lead closer than five points. Broome, whose status for the game was questionable until 24 hours prior to tipoff due to an ankle injury, led the team in scoring with eight points in the first half with six rebounds. Wendell Green and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] was next in line with six points each.

The Tigers improved its’ shooting in the first half against Winthrop, shooting 41% from the field, and 33% from three-point territory.

Auburn continued its offensive drive in the second half by shooting 52% to close the game. Green, who has been the most productive in the 2nd half of each game played this season, furthered that trend by scoring 10 additional points in the half, shooting 66% from the field.

Broome added ten points and seven rebounds in the 2nd half as well.

Auburn returns to the floor on Friday for one final home game before departing for Cancun next week by hosting Texas Southern. Tipoff from Neville Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT.

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Instant Analysis: Defense shines as Auburn cruises to season-opening win over George Mason

Auburn turned 19 George Mason turnovers into 21 points in Monday’s season-opening win at Neville Arena.

Auburn basketball picked up where Walker Kessler left off last season.

The Tigers played a stellar defensive game in Monday’s season opener, as they roll to a 70-52 win over George Mason at Neville Arena in Auburn.

As a team, Auburn turned 19 turnovers into 21 points while recording 14 steals and 10 blocks. Junior center [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] led the defensive charge by pulling down nine boards and blocking five shots.

As well as the Tigers played on defense, the offense came out a little rusty. Auburn shot 34% from the field, with only one player shooting over 50% from the floor. Three players reached double figures in the game, with Wendell Green Jr. leading the way with 16 points.

Auburn grabbed control early in the game by starting the game on a 7-0 run. Morehead State transfer [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] set the tone by scoring the game’s first four points. [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag] would go on to score the next three points with a jumper and a free throw.

Auburn led by as many as 18 points in the first half before George Mason used a 13-2 run over the final 3:31 to close the Auburn lead to 31-24. [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag], who was Auburn’s sixth man off of the bench in the game, ended the half with eight points, two assists, and two steals in 12 minutes of first-half action.

Out of the locker room, George Mason’s Josh Oduro nailed a free throw to trim the Auburn lead to 31-25 with 18:58 remaining in regulation. The Tigers jumped back to a double-digit lead with 17:17 remaining in the game thanks to a jumper by Moore to give Auburn the 38-27 lead. The Auburn lead would only dip below ten points just twice more in the second half, and the Tigers would lead by as many as 20 in the final 2:09 of game time.

Next up for Auburn is a date with South Florida. The Tigers and the Bulls will meet Friday at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT. Last season, Auburn defeated South Florida, 58-52, behind K.D. Johnson’s 15 points and [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag]’s 10 rebounds.

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Auburn has 86% chance to beat George Mason on Monday

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index heavily favors the Tigers in Monday’s season opener.

The wait is finally over, Auburn fans. Basketball season has officially arrived. The No. 15 Auburn Tigers open the season on Monday night at Neville Arena, hosting George Mason at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

The Tigers lose first-round talent in [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] from last season’s team to the NBA, but still have plenty of talent returning such as [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag]. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] joins the team as a valuable addition from the transfer portal.

Auburn will enter the game with an overall advantage in talent, which is why the ESPN Basketball Power Index gives the Tigers an 85.6% chance to earn the season-opening win over George Mason on Monday.

According to the initial BPI report, Auburn is ranked No. 12 nationally, which is sixth-best in the SEC. As for the Patriots of George Mason, they are No. 6 in the Atlantic 10, and No. 92 overall.

The ESPN BPI “is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is.”

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Auburn vs. George Mason: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Monday’s season opener

Here is all of the key information that you need to know for No. 15 Auburn Basketball’s season opener with George Mason.

No. 15 Auburn plays George Mason to open the 2022-23 season on Monday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Auburn Tigers look to make another run towards an NCAA Tournament berth, and the first step of that journey begins Monday night as they host the George Mason Patriots on Monday at Neville Arena for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.

The Tigers won the SEC regular season championship one season ago and made it to the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Miami in Greenville, South Carolina.

Auburn loses two NBA first-rounders in Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler from its roster, but assets such as [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] return, while newcomers [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] are expected to contribute to this season as well.

The Patriots of George Mason finished with a 14-16 record last season and held a 7-9 record in Atlantic 10 play. Several players to watch from George Mason are guards Devon Cooper and Davonte Gaines, as well as forward Josh Oduro, who returns as the team’s leading scorer.

Below, you will find key information regarding tonight’s season opener, including a “how to watch” guide, injury report, and the projected starting five for both squads.

K.D. Johnson, Wendell Green Jr. make preseason coaches All-SEC 2nd Team

Two of Auburn’s guards are among the best in the SEC according to the league’s coaches.

Two of Auburn’s top returning players were named to the preseason coaches’ All-SEC team. Both [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] were named to the second team, the conference announced Wednesday.

Green scored 12.0 points and averaged 5.06 assists per game. He is entering his second season as a Tiger and was named to the Bob Cousy Award watchlist, which is given to the top point guard in the country.

The fiery Johson averaged 12.3 points per game and is Auburn’s top returning scorer.

Auburn basketball will return to action Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT  in Neville Arena against the UAH Chargers in an exhibition game. The game will not be televised or streamed but you can listen to the radio call on the Auburn Athletics app, on their website, Facebook page, or Youtube page.

Here are the full teams as voted on by the league’s coaches.

First Team All-SEC

Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama

Nick Smith Jr. – Arkansas

Colin Castleton – Florida

Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky

Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky

Tolu Smith – Mississippi State

Kobe Brown – Missouri

Santiago Vescovi – Tennessee

Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC

Brandon Miller – Alabama

Wendell Green Jr. – Auburn

K.D. Johnson – Auburn

Kario Oquendo – Georgia

KJ Williams – LSU

Matthew Murrell – Ole Miss

Josiah-Jordan James – Tennessee

Henry Coleman III – Texas A&M

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Photo Gallery: Auburn’s time at SEC Tipoff

Bruce Pearl, Jaylin Williams, and Wendell Green represented Auburn on Wednesday at SEC Tipoff 22 in Mountain Brook.

The SEC Tipoff media days took place on Wednesday, which makes the 2022-23 college basketball season just one step closer to commencing.

Head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] was joined by [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] for the occasion. Williams was a late addition because announced representative [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] had to back out due to what the team called a “viral eye infection.”

Pearl was asked about one of his partners at media days, Wendell Green, and how he has grown as a leader during his time at Auburn. Pearl says that Green may be undersized but makes up for that in a myriad of ways.

“Wendell is not undersized in any other way just in where he lines up,” Pearl said Wednesday. “He’s got great confidence. He makes other guys better. He’s dangerous on the floor. And the biggest thing is just physically he’s gotten stronger, and defensively he needs to bring it every possession because there’s not a lot of margin for error. He doesn’t have a ton of length.”

Here’s a look back at Auburn’s time at SEC Tipoff from the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook on Wednesday.

Bruce Pearl updates injury status of freshman guard Chance Westry

Will Auburn’s freshman guard be ready for the season opener on Nov. 7?

Auburn Basketball continues preparations for the upcoming season and has stumbled into a bit of a roadblock.

Head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] spoke with the media ahead of Tuesday’s practice and shared that the team has had a recent struggle with the flu. He mentioned that three players were affected, which includes [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], and [autotag]Haston Alexander[/autotag]. Green has since returned, while Johnson and Alexander are expected to be out until later in the week.

Pearl also touched base on freshman guard [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag], who recently had arthroscopic knee surgery alongside Pearl. Westry’s recovery is going well, but his return is still hinging on one factor.

“Chance (Westry) is doing good. We are just trying to get a little bit of swelling out to be able to let him do a little bit more,” Pearl said Tuesday. “That swelling coming out will determine how quickly we can get him back.”

Westry had a great showing during Auburn’s overseas trip to Israel in August by averaging 10.3 points in three games. Pearl says that he was pleased with Westry’s efforts during the summer, but is understandably concerned about the player Westry will be once he returns from injury.

“Chance has pretty much missed the fall. He will be back in let’s just say three more weeks,” Pearl said. “What is he going to be like when he comes back? Because we will be starting to play by then. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge.”

Pearl and select players are set to speak to the media on Wednesday as part of SEC Tipoff ’23 in Birmingham. Auburn begins the 2022-23 season on Monday, Nov. 7 at Neville Arena against George Mason.

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Where does Auburn Basketball land in 247Sports’ preseason top 25 rankings?

What is the preseason outlook for the reigning SEC Champions according to 247Sports?

The Auburn Tigers are four weeks away from opening the season at Neville Arena, which means it is time to welcome all preseason assessments from the major College Basketball news outlets.

The folks at 247Sports are one of the first to reveal their preseason outlooks and have included Auburn in their preseason top 25 rankings. To begin the season, 247Sports has given Auburn a No. 17 ranking.

Led by the nation’s No. 20 recruiting class for the 2022 cycle, Kevin Flaherty and Isaac Trotter of 247Sports believe that Auburn has the roster to be competitive again in the SEC.

The Tigers’ guard play needs to step up from a year ago if Auburn is going to make a run at the SEC title, but K.D. Johnson showed those kinds of flashes. Yohan Traore and Johni Broome won’t be last year’s twin towers of first-rounders Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, but they should be pretty good.

Despite losing first-rounders in Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, Auburn has  plenty of talent returning such as [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag]. The Tigers also added a talented forward from the transfer portal, [autotag]Johnni Broome[/autotag].

Auburn is one of five teams to be listed in 247Sports’ top 25 preseason rankings, joining Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama to receive a mention.

The 2022-23 season begins Monday, Nov. 7, as Auburn hosts George Mason at Neville Arena.

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Best photos from Auburn basketballs first practice

K.D. Johnson is still as entertaining as ever.

Auburn basketball had its first practice of the season on Monday and [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] is once again excited about his team.

Despite losing Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler to the NBA, it is easy to see why. The Tigers return experienced guards in [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag].

Smith and Zessler will be hard to replace but adding the tandem of transfer [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and five-star [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] is an excellent way to fill their roles. [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] is also a year older and ready for a bigger role off the bench.

[autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] has also gained more experience and is ready to take on a bigger role after taking a step back to let Smith lead the offense. While the team has a long way to go, here is a look at the best photos from their first practice of the season, featuring the always entertaining Johnson.