Tag: Miles Kelly

Auburn takes down FAU in final tune up before season

The Tigers thrashed a 2022 Final Four team in its final preseason tune-up over the weekend.

The Auburn Tigers finished off an undefeated preseason exhibition run with a 102-70 thrashing of the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday at Neville Arena in Auburn.

FAU, who reached the Final Four two seasons ago before receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, is not expected to contend for another postseason spot this year after head coach Dusty May departed for Michigan in the offseason.

Even with May, and stars such as Johnell Davis, who is now an Arkansas Razorback, no longer with the Owls, the lopsided victory was still an important and impressive result for a Tigers team hoping to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019 this season. Superstar forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led the way for [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad, chipping in 15 points and nine rebounds while stuffing the stat sheet with four blocks and a pair of steals as well.

The backcourt quartet of [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] (13 points), [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] (11 points), [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] (12 points), and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] (15 points) supplied just over half of the Tigers points in the contest, further cementing the idea that [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] may possess the deepest and most talented composite of guards since he took over as the Tigers head coach.

With the offensive firepower supplied by the backcourt and Broome, forward [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] is expected to take a facilitator role in Bruce Pearl’s offense. The senior displayed that fully in the exhibition, finishing with a team-high six assists to go along with his 2 steals and block. Perhaps most impressively, the second-year Tiger turned the ball over just once.

Six of the ten Tigers that saw at least 10 minutes of action in Friday’s exhibition scored double-digit points, while [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] (seven points) and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] (six points) added a combined 12 rebounds. Bruce Pearl has made it a point to display extremely deep and talented rotations during his last few seasons on the Plains, and this iteration of the Tigers may be the most talented group he’s compiled during his tenure.

The No. 11 ranked Tigers will look to prove that sentiment when the regular season tips off on November 6 against perennial American East powerhouse Vermont. Auburn will be put to the test right away following the home opener, as the Tigers have a date with No. 4 ranked Houston in Birmingham on November 9.

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Auburn earns top-five spot in first KenPom rankings of season

Auburn will meet up with nearly half of the KenPom’s preseason top-13 at some point in the 2024-25 season.

With the college basketball season begins in three short weeks, Ken Pomeroy has released his initial “KenPom Rankings” ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

The rankings, which have become one of the predominant metrics in analyzing team success, rank each college basketball program using various factors, such as offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo, and strength of schedule.

While the ranking is not a perfect indicator of future success (Auburn and Arizona were top-five heading into last season’s NCAA Tournament before bowing out early) it is a useful tool.

After claiming spots throughout the top 10 throughout last season’s SEC Tournament winning campaign, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s Auburn Tigers have opened the season at the No. 3 spot in KenPom, trailing only Houston (1) and Duke (2), teams Auburn will face during the 2024-25 slate. The Tigers check in just ahead of rival Alabama (4) and defending back-to-back National Champion UConn (5) to round out the top 5.

With future 2024 opponents Purdue (No. 10), Iowa State (No. 7), and SEC counterpart Tennessee (No. 13) also ranked in the top 15, the Tigers are guaranteed to face off against nearly half of the top-13 ranked teams at some point this season. That number could elevate to more than half if the Tigers match up with Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies during the Maui Invitational in late November.

Auburn’s basketball program is in arguably a better spot than it was at this point a year ago. With transfers [autotag]JP Peagues[/autotag] and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] joining a great incumbent core featuring Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, and Dylan Cardwell, Bruce Pearl should again feature one of the better and deeper rotations in the country.

A much more difficult non-conference schedule could suit the Tigers well in the SEC and in March. We’ll see if Auburn can live up to the preseason hype when the season tips off at Neville Arena on November 6 against American East opponent Vermont.

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Dick Vitale places Auburn at No. 10 in ‘Sweet 16’ Rankings ahead of next season

Five SEC programs join Auburn in Vitale’s preseason rankings.

Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale released his annual “Sweet 16” college basketball rankings on Thursday afternoon.

While the 85-year-old’s rankings are nothing more than his personal list, he certainly has been following the sport long enough that his preference carries some legitimacy.

Five SEC programs landed in Vitale’s “Sweet 16”, with the Alabama Crimson Tide leading the pack all the way up at number two, behind only Kansas and one spot ahead of back-to-back champion Uconn. The only other SEC team to land in the top 10 was Auburn, as the Tigers landed at the 10 spot, ahead of Arkansas (13), Texas A&M (14), and Kentucky (15).

Auburn’s spot in Vitale’s top 10 is certainly warranted after [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad won the SEC Tournament after finishing near the top of the conference a year ago.

The Tigers bring back last season’s leading scorer in Johni Broome as well as key pieces like [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag]. The returning cast of players pairs with newly acquired transfers [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag], and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] to create not only one of the more talented rosters in the SEC, but in the country as well.

Even with the abundance of offensive and defensive ammunition, the Tigers are no lock to have the same success they had a year ago. Vitale’s praise and a likely top 15 spot in the preseason polls is nice are nice accolades, but winning games in a grueling SEC is never an easy task.

We’ll see if the Tigers can live up to the preseason hype when they open the season in November.

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How Miles Kelly’s pledge affects Auburn in On3’s way-too-early top-25 rankings

Auburn acquired wing help over the weekend by adding former Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly from the transfer portal.

Auburn basketball filled another need over the weekend by adding former Georgia Tech guard [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] to its roster from the transfer portal.

Kelly is Auburn’s third transfer portal addition of the offseason, joining former Furman guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] and former SMU forward [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag]. Kelly has averaged double-figures in points over the last two seasons at Georgia Tech and reached a career-high 5.5 rebounds last season.

Adding Kelly was important for Auburn, as the Tigers earned assistance on the wing. The commitment also impressed On3’s James Fletcher, who has placed Auburn at No. 8 in his “way-too-early top-25” ranking following Kelly’s pledge.

Auburn got a transfer portal commitment from Miles Kelly this week to sure up the wing scoring and provide help to the backcourt which includes veteran transfer JP Pegues.

Auburn will boast one of the most experienced rosters during the 2024-25 season, as 10 seniors will make up the roster including returning starters [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag].

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Former Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly commits to Auburn

As rosters begin to fill out for the 2024-25 college basketball season, Auburn lands another talent out of the transfer portal in Miles Kelly

Auburn basketball is continuing to work through the offseason, attempting to fill out its roster for the 2024-25 season. Some of that work is coming through the transfer portal, where the Tigers have made some significant moves.

Auburn was able to make another notable addition to its roster, as former Georgia Tech combo guard [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Plains on Sunday.

Kelly commits to the program after having entered the transfer portal on April 29. He spent the previous three years of his college career with the Yellow Jackets.

He started in all 32 games last season, shooting 36.9% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range. He was the leading scorer with Georgia Tech last year, as well, dropping 13.9 points per game.

Earning an Honorable Mention for All-ACC honors in the 2023-24 campaign, Kelly’s experience fills out a highly veteran group for head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]. He will join transfers [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] and [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag] on the roster in Auburn.

With the addition, Kelly now fills out the Tigers’ 12th scholarship spot out of a possible 13, likely being the final addition for the team for next season.

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Auburn receives prediction for Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly

Kelly averaged 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season at Georgia Tech.

The transfer portal season in college basketball has been hectic since the offseason started, with big names from last season moving all around the country and shifting up rosters. Auburn is a team who is making big moves, and looking to make more.

One such hope that the Tigers have is to land Georgia Tech transfer [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag], who received a prediction to land on the Plains on Thursday by Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live.

Kelly entered the transfer portal on April 29 after spending the last three seasons of his college career with the Yellow Jackets.

He averaged 11.1 points per game over the course of his time with Georgia Tech. Kelly started all 32 games in the 2023-24 season and shot 36.9% from the field, including 32.1% from 3-point range. He also was a 78.6% free throw shooter in his three years.

The 6-6, 180-pound combo guard had a successful campaign on the boards last year, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. He also shared the ball more than he had his whole career, racking up 59 assists for the Yellow Jackets.

Kelly was also awarded for his play last season, earning an Honorable Mention for All-ACC honors.

A commitment from Kelly would add to a portal class that already includes Furman transfer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] and SMU transfer [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag].

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Report: Georgia Tech junior Miles Kelly declares for 2024 NBA draft

Kelly was an All-ACC honorable mention after averaging 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 32 games.

Georgia Tech junior guard Miles Kelly reportedly declared for the 2024 NBA draft as an early entrant prospect, according to Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.

Kelly was an All-ACC honorable mention after averaging 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 32.1% shooting from 3-point range in 32 games. He was one of two players on the team to start every game and led the group in scoring.

The 6-foot-6 standout registered eight 20-point games, including a career-high 36 points, seven rebounds and two assists on Feb. 10 in a loss to Louisville. His 36 points were the most scored by a Yellow Jacket since Josh Okogie in 2016.

Kelly, who is highly touted as a scorer and shooter, tested the pre-draft process last year and eventually returned to school for his junior season. He became the 48th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (1,057) this past season.

He will have the opportunity to improve his draft positioning in team interviews and workouts over the pre-draft process. He could also be invited to compete in the G League Elite Camp or draft combine next month in Chicago, Illinois.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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ACC men’s basketball leaders as of Nov. 12

Quite a few names lead in free throws.

College basketball season is back, and fans couldn’t be more excited. What that initially means is high statistics across the board. Even if you know these numbers won’t hold up, they still are thrilling to look at. Here are the players who posses those numbers: