KD Johnson – Page 2 – Syndication Server

How Auburn’s win over Alabama State affects its KenPom ranking

Does Auburn remain a top-10 team in the KenPom after its blowout victory over Alabama State?

The wins keep rolling in for the Auburn Tigers.

The Tigers earned its fourth-straight win on Friday evening by blasting Alabama State, 82-62, at Neville Arena. Auburn got off to a slow start, as Alabama State stayed within 10 points of the Tigers through the first 13 minutes of the contest.

The scare quickly went away, as a [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] free throw pushed Auburn’s lead to 26-16 with 7:21 remaining in the first half. The Tigers’ lead would not dip below double-digits for the remainder of the contest. Auburn would lead by as many as 31 points in the game before cruising to a 20-point victory.

Three players reached double-figures in Friday’s win. Two of those, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]KD Johnson[/autotag], each scored their 1,000th career point during the game.

Auburn ended the game with a higher field goal and three-point percentage than Alabama State, and scored 19 points off of 18 Hornet turnovers.

How much of an impact did Auburn’s win over Alabama State have on their KenPom ranking? Here’s a look at where the Tigers stand according to Saturday morning’s KenPom update.

Tigers of the Game: Williams, Johnson join elite club

Auburn’s monster win over Alabama State is capped off with a pair of Tigers reaching incredible milestones.

Friday night was special inside Neville Arena.

Not only did Auburn knock off in-state foe Alabama State, 82-62, to earn its fourth consecutive victory, but two of the most beloved members of the roster reached incredible milestones in the process.

In Friday’s win, senior guard [autotag]KD Johnson[/autotag] and senior forward [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] each eclipsed 1,000 points scored in their college careers. Williams reached the mark in five seasons with the Tigers while Johnson is in his fourth season, his second at Auburn.

Williams’ 20-point performance, as well as Johnson’s 13-point effort, were impressive in the eyes of head coach Bruce Pearl.

“Congratulations to Jaylin Williams. What a great game he had on both ends of the floor. He has been tremendously consistent over the last couple weeks. It was also great to see K.D. – that ball going in for him. I thought K.D. brought great energy into his rotation at the start of the first half where it really kind of ignited our defense.”

Following the game, Auburn Wire writers, as well as Auburn fans, shared their takes on who made the biggest impact in Auburn’s win over Alabama State. Here is a look at which players were voted “Tigers of the Game.”

A look at Auburn Basketball’s 2023-24 roster

Get to know the 2023-24 Auburn Tigers before they begin the season!

The Auburn Tigers are set to officially begin the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 against the No. 17 Baylor Bears at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This season’s team features a healthy mix of veteran leadership, exciting transfers, and a five-star freshman. As head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] prepares to begin his 10th season as the Tigers’ leading man, he says that he is excited about the parity that his roster brings to the table.

“I’ve not been asked by one player,” Pearl said during his time on the podium at SEC Media Days regarding the set starting lineup. “We’ve got so much parity, so much competition in each position, I’m not sure they want to know, which I think is a good thing.”

This year’s veterans are [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]KD Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag], who have collectively logged a total of 255 games in an Auburn uniform.

The main attraction as far as returners go is center [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag]. Broome joined the Tigers roster last season after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Morehead State. He was great as advertised, as he scored 14.2 points and pulled down 8.4 rebounds per game. He also recorded 10 double-doubles last season and had a stretch of recording a double-double in four straight games to open SEC play. He is expected to replicate those stats this season, as he was named preseason All-SEC.

A plethora of bench options return to the roster this season as well. Broome will be complemented by [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] at the five spot while [autotag]Lior Berman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] will provide relief to the Tigers’ backcourt.

This season’s roster features plenty of recognizable names, but there are also a few names to familiarize yourself with. Auburn landed two big names from the transfer portal, as well as a few junior college players to beef up its rotation.

Auburn added guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], who was a first-team All-CUSA selection after scoring 20 points per game last season at FIU. [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], a 1,000-point scorer, also joins the roster after spending three seasons at Alabama-Huntsville. He dropped 15.3 points per game last season, en route to earning the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year award. JUCO transfers [autotag]Addarin Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] are also expected to contribute heavily this season.

The most notable addition to the program, however, has to be freshman [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag]. Holloway was the No. 16 overall prospect of the 2023 class and was the No. 3 point guard of the cycle. The Athletic recently listed him as one of the top freshmen to watch this season and he is expected to run the point for the Tigers, taking over for [autotag]Wendell Green Jr[/autotag].

Before the season starts, get to know the 2023-24 Auburn Tigers by checking out the full roster, plus their accomplishments as Auburn players, below.

What is Auburn basketball’s key strength and weakness heading into 2022?

247sports recently broke down each SEC program’s strengths and weaknesses heading into the 2022-23 season. What are Auburn’s areas of concern?

The month of July is referred to as “talking season”, with most of the talking being about the College Football season that is set to begin in less than two months.

However, with basketball continuing to grow in the Southeastern Conference, the season can be broadened to the hardwood.

Auburn Basketball had one of the most successful seasons in history during the 2021-22 athletic year and is looking to build by winning a potential second-straight SEC regular-season title and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

What will help [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad reach their goal of winning the program’s first national championship? What will stand in their way? 247sports’ Issac Trotter has taken the time to dissect each SEC program’s strengths and weaknesses in great detail, which included an in-depth look at the Auburn Tigers.

The Tigers will receive a boost in production thanks to an incoming freshman as well as an important transfer this season, but what will be the major area of concern for Auburn? Here’s what Trotter said about the reigning SEC regular-season champions:

How Georgia basketball transfers did in 2021-2022

How did all nine of Georgia’s 2021 basketball transfers do at their new schools in 2021-2022?

Georgia men’s basketball had a disappointing 2021-2022 season. The Bulldogs finished 6-26 and won one SEC conference game.

Georgia parted ways with head coach Tom Crean following the season and hired Florida head coach Mike White to the same position.

Georgia’s 2021-2022 season was poor due to a variety of reasons. Injuries did not help the cause either. Key FAU transfer Jailyn Ingram missed much of the 2021-2022 season with an injury. Georgia’s only returning starter, P.J. Horne, missed the entire season with a right knee injury.

The Bulldogs returned almost no production and experience from the 2020-2021 team. Georgia added several transfers, but lost a number of valuable pieces to the transfer portal.

Here’s how all nine of Georgia’s 2021 basketball transfers did at their new schools in 2021-2022:

Three stars from Auburn’s dominant first-round win

A look back at the game and who stood out.

Auburn didn’t intend to relive past mistakes on Friday. The Tigers defeated Jacksonville State 80-61 to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament where they’ll play either Miami or USC.

First Half Thoughts

For a little bit, it seemed as history would repeat itself.

Auburn started on a 5-0 run, but. Jacksonville State came back with a 8-0 run of its own. The Gamecocks lead for a good portion of the first half and at one point was dominating the three-ball by outshooting Auburn 22 percent from beyond the arc, but the Tigers managed to adjust and closed it out with an 11-0 run to end the first half up 39-27.

Auburn seemed to have fixed its shooting woes at the end of the first half, finishing 53.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. The Tigers also did a much better job getting rebounds on both sides of the ball, out-rebounding the Gamecocks 32-22.

Second Half Thoughts

Auburn wasn’t done once the second half started, though.

The Tigers went on a staggering 18-0 run to open up the second half, racking up even more points to add to the lead. Jacksonville State’s initial burst of aggression was quickly silenced by Auburn’s superior physicality and the Gamecocks’ own lack of length, and things were generally procedural for the Tigers until the buzzer when the Tigers’ 19-point victory was etched in stone.

Auburn finished a strong 44 percent from the floor and 37 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers absolutely dominated on the defensive side of the ball, out-rebounding JSU 50-32 and blocking 10 shots to the Gamecocks’ one.

Next, we look at the three stars from the game.

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Auburn vs South Carolina: Three stars and Tigers recap

Jabari Smith and KD Johnson lead the way to the SEC Championship.

The Auburn Tigers secured the SEC Championship on Saturday.

First Half Thoughts

It was a half of runs as the Tigers came out firing with a 9-2 run to begin the game. They opened the game with Walker Kessler leading the way early with a big dunk and wide-open three-point shot. Auburn remained in control throughout the first half but a run by South Carolina got the Gamecocks within two points before another run by Auburn.

Auburn finished the first half on a 24-9 run to close it out. Freshman Jarbai Smith led the way with 15 points and five rebounds.

Second Half Thoughts

As we have seen time and time again, the Auburn offense came out in a shooting slump to begin the half. Over the first four-plus minutes, the Gamecocks got back into the game after falling behind by 19. At one point. The game tightened up at 50-40 with 15:43 to go in the half.

After the Tigers were able to build up another 19-point lead, the Gamecocks just came fighting back. They were able to chip away down to a seven-point game with 1:16 remaining in the second half.

The Tigers found a way after Smith sealed the deal with two late free throws.

Next, the first of three stars of the game.

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Buy or Sell: Auburn men’s basketball chances in the NCAA Tournament

Are buying in on Auburn in the tourney?

Over the last handful of games for the Auburn men’s basketball team, it has been a mixed bag of outcomes. At times they look like the team could get back to their dominant ways. Other times they either lose or play an opponent extremely close.

Case in point, the team struggled against the Georgia Bulldogs. That came less than a week after blowing the doors off of the Alabama Crimson Tide. They played a struggling Florida Gators team close and ultimately lost that game. The very next time out, they cruised to a double-digit win over the Ole Miss Rebels.

Despite their recent up and downs, some experts still want you to buy into Auburn and Bruce Pearl in the NCAA Tournament. They have the talent, that is never been a question. Can they put it all together for six straight games to win the championship?

Dalen Cuff is buying the Auburn Tigers in the tourney.

I, more than most, believe in Auburn to win the national title. Its ability to play at pace, be comfortable in chaos and have arguably the best frontcourt in the nation in Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler present unique challenges. The Tigers’ struggles with shooting on the road in SEC play have been a bit concerning, but I think they’re going to learn from their late game losses at Arkansas and Florida. With a 10-1 price, I’m buying.

Verdict: Buy

One should believe with the play of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, this team should be poised for a long run in the tournament. If they can shoot a better percentage from behind the arc, you have to really like their chances in the postseason.

Cold second half dooms Auburn in Knoxville

Jabari Smith’s 27 points not enough to hold off Tennessee.

It was a battle early on between the Auburn Tigers and Tennesee Vols, as the two went back and forth.

Facing a 19-13 deficit in the latter part of the first half, the Tigers defense put on the pressure and the offense answered with a 13-0 run. The Vols were finally able to stop the bleeding as they cut into the Auburn lead 26-21 with under three to play until halftime.

The Vols were cleaning the class in the first half, they pulled down 11 offensive rebounds leading to 10 second-chance points. Tennessee was getting those opportunities due to the 23 missed shots early on. They were shooting 28.1% from the floor.

Jabari led the way in the first half with 11 points, five rebounds, and one block. Walker Kessler was held to just two points in the first half with four rebounds and two blocks. Wendell Green Jr provided the energy with five points, five rebounds, and four steals off the bench.

Coming out in the second half, it got chippy with Smith and Tennessee’s Uros Plavsic. It culminated in Smith getting a very questionable technical foul called against him. It was a lot of sloppy play to open the second half as emotions ran high for both teams.

Once Smith and Kessler went to the bench, the Vols were able to make a run to get the game tied at 39 with under 13 to go. During this stretch, the Tigers went a full five minutes without a single field goal, their two points coming from Smith at the charity stripe. KD Johnson finally broke through. with under eight to go in the game.

Down the stretch, Auburn just couldn’t stop the bleeding with the lack of scoring. The team went from the 16:42 mark of the second half to 7:19 between field goals. Following the cold streak being snapped, Tennessee did basically what they wanted. Tigers were down 11 with 3:38 left in the game and they needed some Jabari magic to happen to win this game.

Smith wouldn’t score until 1:08 remaining when he sunk both free throw attempts after getting fouled on a jump shot. The Tigers trailed 63-56 at that point of the game. On the following inbound, Smith nailed a three-pointer in which he was fouled. He added another free throw on the four-point play. Despite getting within three, it just wasn’t enough.

Auburn dropped their fourth game of the year, 67-62. Smith led the team with 27 points.

Instant Analysis: Takeaways from Auburn’s last-second win over Georgia

It was not pretty but a win is a win.

It wasn’t pretty, but Auburn beat Georgia 74-72 Saturday in Athens.

Auburn led by as many as 15 points in the first half but needed some last-minute heroics from Wendell Green Jr. to complete the season sweep of Georgia.

Green, who was thrust into a starting role with Zep Jasper unable to play due to an illness, shined in the first half for Auburn.

Without Jasper, Green and KD Johnson had their biggest workloads of the season and it showed. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half but went 4-of-21 from the field in the second half.

But those baskets were huge, Johnson tied the game at 72 with 38 seconds to play and Green made the game-winning basket with 3.3 seconds left.

With the win, Auburn improved to 22-1 on the season and 10-0 in the SEC. Here are some takeaways from the game.