Tag: sec basketball

Bruce Pearl is not ‘celebrating’ blowout win over Vermont

Pearl says that each opponent going forward will present a tougher challenge than the one from Vermont.

Auburn basketball passed its first test on Wednesday but will quickly move on from it and shift their focus to their next opponent, No. 4 Houston.

Following No. 11 Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] shared that he was pleased with his defense’s ability to “guard without fouling” and his team’s overall execution against Vermont- a team that won the America East last season and has appeared in three-straight NCAA Tournaments.

However, he warned his team and fans alike that Auburn’s next opponent, Houston, will provide another set of challenges.

“Obviously, Saturday at Houston is going to be a completely different matchup. Different team, different size, athleticism, physicality, and so we are not celebrating this,” Pearl said Wednesday. “Don’t read into it too much, other than we shot it really well and played pretty hard.”

The Tigers shot 56% from the field on Wednesday, which included 16 made three-pointers. Defensively, Auburn exposed Vermont’s weakness of poor shooting by forcing the Catamounts to connect on just 26% of their attempted shots while creating 16 turnovers.

Houston defeated Jackson State in its season opener on Monday, 97-40. Four players reached double-figures in points, led by LJ Cryer’s 16. The Cougars also took down Texas A&M in a charity scrimmage before the season, 79-64. Houston and Auburn rank No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the KenPom following Wednesday’s action, and both spot top-five offenses and defenses ahead of the game.

Auburn will look to earn its first major win of the season on Saturday when it battles Houston at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

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In photos: Auburn crushes Vermont to open the season

Five players reached double figures in No. 11 Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers kicked the season off on Wednesday by taking down Vermont, 94-43 at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburn (1-0) trailed by just 0:24 in Wednesday’s game after Vermont’s Ileri Ayo-Faleye nailed a three-pointer to put the Catamounts ahead, 3-2 with 18:45 remaining in the first half. The Tigers closed out the first half by taking a 46-21 lead into the locker room and widened their lead to as many as 57 points with less than nine minutes to go in the contest.

Returning stars Johni Broome, Denver Jones, and Chad Baker-Mazara played in midseason form by reaching double-figures in points, with Broome leading the way in rebounds with seven. However, the star of the night was Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly, who shot 63% (7-of-11) from the field, all from three-point land, scoring 21 points.

The win was a great motivator for the Tigers, who will face No. 4 Houston on Saturday night. Ahead of Auburn’s next game, relive some of the key moments from Auburn’s 94-43 win over Vermont on Wednesday.

A look at Auburn basketball’s 2024-25 schedule

Check out Auburn basketball’s 2024-25 slate ahead of Wednesday’s season-opener!

Auburn basketball returns to action this week, and if you are looking for their 2024-25 schedule, you have come to the right place.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers won last season’s SEC Tournament but was bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. To prevent a similar fate this season, head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] has built a schedule filled with teams that will challenge the Tigers, thus preparing them for the NCAA Tournament gauntlet.

The Tigers will face 14 teams that are nationally ranked or receiving votes, heading into the season. In addition to its taxing SEC schedule, Auburn will face No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Duke, No. 6 Iowa State, and No. 14 Purdue. Auburn also faces the possibility of meeting No. 3 UConn and No. 10 North Carolina during its stay at the Maui Invitational this month.

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Pearl says that this season’s schedule should provide opportunities for Auburn to prove their worth on the court.

“I just think from the standpoint of our players, I think our players deserve the opportunity to play against the best and have that great, great challenge. Adversity doesn’t always build character, but adversity will reveal character. We’re going to have some adversity. We’re going to lose some games in non-conference, perhaps more than we have in the past, just because of the strength of the schedule. How do we handle that? How do we bounce back? What do we learn? And obviously getting better throughout the season. Then also if you look at the SEC-ACC matchup, the fact that Alabama and Auburn are both going to North Carolina and Duke and a lot of responsibility in those two matchups because those are going to be two of the hardest games in that matchup, and so I will wear the responsibility of trying to uphold our end, knowing the challenge of going to Duke.”

Here is a look at Auburn’s 2024-25 slate, including start times and networks.

November

  • Nov. 6 vs. Vermont (7 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)
  • Nov. 9 at Houston (Toyota Center, Houston, 8:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU)
  • Nov. 13 vs. Kent State (7 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)
  • Nov. 18 vs. North Alabama (8 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Nov. 25 vs. Iowa State (Maui Invitational, 8 p.m. CT, ESPNU)
  • Nov. 26 vs. TBA (Maui Invitational)
  • Nov. 27 vs. TBA (Maui Invitational)

December

  • Dec. 4 at Duke (ACC/SEC Challenge, 8:15 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • Dec. 8 vs. Richmond (11 a.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Dec. 14 vs. Ohio State (Holiday Hoopsgiving, Atlanta, noon CT, ESPN 2)
  • Dec. 17 vs. Georgia State (7 p.m. CT)
  • Dec. 21 vs. Purdue (Legacy Arena, Birmingham, 3:30 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • Dec. 30 vs. Monmouth (5:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network+)

January

  • Jan. 4 vs. Missouri (3 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 7 at Texas (8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Jan. 11 at South Carolina (Noon CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 14 vs. Mississippi State (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 18 at Georgia (Noon CT, SEC Network)
  • Jan. 25 vs. Tennessee (7:30 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Jan. 29 at LSU (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)

February

  • Feb. 1 at Ole Miss (1 or 3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 4 vs. Oklahoma (8 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Feb. 8 vs. Florida (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 11 at Vanderbilt (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)
  • Feb. 15 at Alabama (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 19 vs. Arkansas (8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 22 vs. Georgia (3 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2)
  • Feb. 26 vs. Ole Miss (6 p.m. CT, ESPN 2/ESPNU)

March

  • March 1 at Kentucky (noon or 3 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN)
  • March 4 at Texas A&M (6 or 8 p.m. CT, ESPN/ESPN 2/ ESPNU)
  • March 8 vs. Alabama (1 p.m. CT, ESPN)
  • March 12-16 SEC Tournament (Bridgestone Arena, Nashville)

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Where does Auburn rank in College Sports Wire’s preseason top 25?

The reigning SEC Tournament champs are poised for another great season says College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton.

College basketball returns this week, and the No. 11 Auburn Tigers are looking to build upon last season’s SEC Tournament championship.

This week, Auburn hosts Vermont on Wednesday at Neville Arena before traveling to Houston, Texas to compete against the No. 4 Houston Cougars at Toyota Center, as part of “The Battleground 2K” on Saturday.

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton released his preseason rankings ahead of this week’s action, giving Auburn a favorable starting position. Auburn checks in at No. 10, trailing Alabama (No. 2) for the top spot among SEC teams.

Patton says that Auburn will be a force this season due to its upgrades at the guard position.

Auburn returns NPOY candidate Johni Broome to the frontcourt, as well as Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones. The team was a top five KenPom squad last year, and despite the loss to Yale in the first round they are primed for another big season in the SEC – especially after shoring up the guard play with portal additions Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech) and JP Pegues (Furman).

Kelly and Pegues come to Auburn with stacked resumes. Kelly averaged 11.1 points in three seasons at Georgia Tech. Last season, he pulled down a career-best 5.5 rebounds per game and scored 13.9 points per contest. Pegues earned first-team All-SoCon honors last season after scoring an impressive 18.4 points per game.

Rival Alabama checks in at No. 1 in Patton’s preseason poll while Saturday’s opponent, Houston, starts the season at No. 2. Four SEC teams rank below Auburn this week: No. 13 Florida, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 17 Tennessee, and No. 22 Texas.

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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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Alabama’s Mark Sears named Preseason SEC Player of the Year by coaches

The preseason accolades continue to come in for Alabama guard Mark Sears.

On Wednesday afternoon, the preseason All-SEC teams and Player of the Year were officially announced by the conference, as voted on by the 16 basketball coaches across the Southeastern Conference.

As expected, the Alabama Crimson Tide were featured in this, headlined by guard Mark Sears being named the 2024-25 preseason SEC Player of the Year.

Sears was also a preseason First Team All-SEC selection by the conference’s coaches, while forward Grant Nelson was named Second Team All-SEC.

As mentioned, this was voted on by the conference’s 16 coaches, which is different than the preseason media poll that came out a few weeks ago. In that poll, Alabama was picked to win the SEC, while Sears was also picked as the preseason SEC Player of the Year as well.

Sears and Nelson were also both preseason First and Second Team All-SEC selections, respectively.

The Crimson Tide are set to begin the 2024-25 season November 4 at home against UNC Asheville.

Auburn basketball takes down Furman in preseason exhibition

Five players reach double-figures in points during the Tigers preseason win on Sunday.

The 2024-25 Auburn Tigers hit the hardwood for the first time on Sunday and emerged victorious.

Five Tigers reached double-figures in points while Johni Broome recorded a double-double in Auburn’s 83-62 win over the Furman Paladins on Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Bruce Pearl’s squad overcame an early five-point deficit to take a 36-29 lead into the locker room at halftime despite shooting 29% from the field. Auburn surged in the second half, outscoring the Paladins, 47-33 in the final stretch to secure the 21-point victory.

Following the game, Pearl shared his disappointment with the team’s overall shooting performance. However, he walked away pleased with a win.

“We missed a lot of shots. The front line in the first half only made two baskets. We only made 10 field goals in the first half. When we look back at the tape, we will like where we got the ball. We just didn’t finish or execute. I thought our energy was okay and I hope that we can build it up a bit. It’s a 20-point road win. This is a team like App State (who can make it very difficult on the road). From that standpoint, I’m pleased with the outcome.”

Johni Broome was Auburn’s top performer by scoring 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. He was also perfect at the free-throw line, connecting on all six opportunities. Chad Baker-Mazara was next with 13 points and seven rebounds while freshman Tahaad Pettiford dropped 13 points in his debut. Chaney Johnson and Jakhi Howard scored 10 points in the win.

Former Paladin JP Pegues scored just two points against his former team but played a factor in the rebound game by hauling in six, the fourth-highest on the team behind Broome (14), SMU transfer Ja’heim Hudson, and Baker-Mazara (7).

Auburn will play one more charity exhibition game before the regular season starts on Friday at 7 p.m. against Florida Atlantic at Neville Arena. The Owls followed up its 2022-23 Final Four run by posting a 25-9 record last season and making a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

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Big 12 was a grind but SEC Men’s Basketball is deep

Oklahoma Men’s Basketball team faces stiff challenge in deep SEC.

Oklahoma Men’s Basketball will open the season on Nov. 4. With less than two weeks to the start of the 2024-2025 men’s basketball season, the USA TODAY Sports Preseason Men’s Coaches Poll was released on Wednesday.

The Oklahoma Sooners weren’t ranked after missing the tournament for the third time in three seasons under Porter Moser. One would think after leaving the Big 12 that they’d get a reprieve from the tough schedules they’ve had to endure. But that won’t be the case in the SEC.

In the preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, nine SEC teams were featured compared to just five in the Big 12.

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton discussed that depth in and several more takeaways in reaction to the release of the preseason Coaches Poll.

The conference is now arguably the deepest and most talented in the entire sport, and could conceivably get as many as ten teams in the NCAA Tournament, with other programs like South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State (who received 2 votes) in the mix as well. – Patton, College Sports Wire

The Sooners have an upward climb on their hands and Moser and his staff are hoping this year’s collection of portal additions and incoming freshmen can help Jalon Moore push this team into the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2020-2021 season.

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Where does Auburn rank in the first USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll of the season?

Expectations are high for the defending SEC Tournament champions heading into the 2024-25 season.

Auburn basketball looks to give the Auburn fan base something to look forward to this season after the football team’s disappointing start to the 2024 season.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s bunch could do just that this season as the Tigers are expected to perform at a high level based on the preseason polls. The Associated Press poll placed Auburn at No. 11 in its debut poll last week. The USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll feels the same sentiments by also giving Auburn the No. 11 slot in its preseason poll.

Auburn is one of nine SEC teams to find a place in the poll and is the second-highest-ranked squad from the conference. No. 2 Alabama is the only SEC school to begin the season ranked higher than Auburn, with Tennessee (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 15), Arkansas (No. 16), Texas (No. 19), Florida (No. 21), Kentucky (No. 23), and Ole Miss (No. 25) following suit.

In non-conference play, Auburn will battle three top-10 teams (No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Duke, and No. 6 Iowa State), with the opportunity to meet No. 3 UConn and No. 10 North Carolina as part of the Maui Invitational.

This season’s schedule will be a challenging one, but it is one that head coach Bruce Pearl and the rest of the Tigers are ready to approach head-on. Here is a look at this season’s first USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

2024-25 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank School Last Year’s Record Points
1 Kansas 23-11 743 (15)
2 Alabama 25-12 718 (6)
3 Connecticut 37-3 717 (6)
4 Houston 32-5 698 (4)
5 Duke 27-9 625
6 Iowa State 29-8 591
7 Gonzaga 27-8 575
8 Baylor 24-11 545
9 Arizona 27-9 510
10 North Carolina 29-8 498
11 Auburn 27-8 465
12 Tennessee 27-9 437
13 Purdue 34-5 390
14 Creighton 25-10 342
15 Texas A&M 21-15 332
16 Arkansas 16-17 272
17 Marquette 27-10 268
18 Indiana 19-14 208
19 Texas 21-13 166
20 Cincinnati 22-15 163
21 Florida 24-12 130
22 UCLA 16-17 123
23 Kentucky 23-10 95
24 Illinois 29-9 87
25 Mississippi 20-12 66

Dropped Out:

No. 13 North Carolina State (26-15); No. 15 Clemson (24-12); No. 18 San Diego State (26-11); No. 20 Utah State (28-7); No. 22 Saint Mary’s (26-8); No. 23 South Carolina (26-8); No. 24 Washington State (25-10); No. 25 Texas Tech (23-11)

Others Receiving Votes:

Texas Tech (23-11) 60; Rutgers (15-17) 57; St. John’s (20-13) 42; Xavier (16-18) 26; Michigan State (20-15) 25; Brigham Young (23-11) 16; Oregon (24-12) 16; Kansas State (19-15) 11; Boise State (22-11) 9; Saint Mary’s (26-8) 9; Clemson (24-12) 8; Dayton (25-8) 7; Ohio State (22-14) 7; Maryland (16-17) 4; Grand Canyon (30-5) 3; Mississippi State (21-14) 2; Princeton (24-5) 2; San Diego State (26-11) 2; Virginia (23-11) 2; Wake Forest (21-14); Wisconsin (22-14)

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In photos: Tipoff at Toomer’s is a major success

Auburn basketball kicked off the 2024-25 season on Thursday by hosting “Tipoff at Toomers.”

Auburn basketball tips off the 2024-25 season in under three weeks, but the Tigers officially kicked off the campaign on Thursday by hosting “Tipoff at Toomer’s” at Toomer’s Corner in downtown Auburn.

Fans flocked to campus to watch their favorite players compete in several events including a dunk contest and a three-point challenge in anticipation of what should be an interesting season of Auburn basketball.

When asked about the progression of his team, head coach Bruce Pearl says that he needs to see his squad play another team in order to get a true feel of what fans can expect.

“We don’t know yet,” Pearl said Thursday. “I honestly don’t know yet. I have some concerns about how we’re playing right now. We absolutely need to play against somebody else. We really do. And I think our guys would be excited about it — because we’ve done about all we can do right now to sort of prepare.”

Tipoff at Toomer’s was a successful event filled with great photographic moments. Here are the best images from Auburn basketball’s table-setting event, Tipoff at Toomer’s.