Five reasons why Auburn basketball is going to win the SEC

Sip the Kool-Aid with us, will you?

It’s never to late to pump some sunshine.

Auburn played decently well against Morehead State on Tuesday night in a 77-54 win. The Tigers let off the gas in the second half, but overall their talent was shining through, and as a fan that’s what I wanted to see most.

I know there are a lot of folks high up on teams like Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, and even LSU and Mississippi State. The Southeastern Conference has a loaded field of teams this season. But I think the Tigers of Auburn are going to be the ones that come out on top.

Here are five reasons why.

Stats from Auburn basketball’s Orange vs Blue scrimmage

Auburn looked flashy in their self-scrimmage on Friday night!

Auburn held its dunk contest and self-scrimmage on Friday night following Auburn volleyball’s 3-0 loss to LSU.

According to reports, Bruce Pearl was ‘unhappy’ with the team’s performance, but overall fans seemed to be entertained by the scrimmage that went 45-37 in favor of the orange team.

Here are the stats from Auburn basketball’s self-scrimmage, unofficially kept by a handful of Auburn beat writers (shoutout my guy Christian Clemente, who never misses).

Wendell Green, PG: 13 points, 4-for-8 FG, 2-for-4 3-point FG, two assists, one rebound, one steal, two turnovers.

Zep Jasper, PG: 7 points, 3-for-6 FG, 1-for-2 3-point FG.

KD Johnson, G: 0 points, 0-for-2 FG, one rebound.

Devan Cambridge, SF: 0 points, 0-for-1 3-point FG, one block.

Chris Moore, SF: 2 points, 1-for-1 FG, one rebound, one steal, one turnover.

Jabari Smith, F: 9 points, 3-for-4 FG, 0-for-1 3-point FG, 3-for-4 FT, six rebounds, two assists, no turnovers.

Jaylin Williams, F: 3 points, 1-for-2 FG, 1-for-2 FT, three rebounds, one block one turnover.

Walker Kessler, C: 8 points, 3-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 3-point FG, four rebounds, two blocks, one steal.

Dylan Cardwell, C: 5 points, 2-for-3 FG, 1-for-1 FT, six rebounds (four offensive).

Stretch Akingbola, C: 3 points, 1-for-1 FG, 1-for-2 FT, two rebounds.

Michael Whitmore, G: 12 points, 4-for-5 3-point FG.

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Three Tigers among CBS Sports top 101 players

Jabari Smith, Walker Kessler and Allen Flanigan were included among the top players in the country by CBS Sports.

Auburn’s roster is one of the most talented the Tigers have ever had.

CBS Sports released their annual ranking of the best 101 players in college basketball and freshman forward Jabari Smith (No. 44), sophomore center Walker Kessler (No. 65) and junior guard Allen Flanigan (No. 86) made the list.

Smith, the highest-rated recruit in program history, continues to earn recognition ahead of the season, he was named to both the media and coaches preseason All-SEC second team. He was the only freshman on either list.

Kessler, another former five-star recruit, transferred from North Carolina in the offseason and was one of the top transfers in the country. The 7-foot-1 center had a limited role last season but showed his potential at the end of the season.

Flanigan took a massive step forward as a sophomore, starting all 27 games and emerging as an offensive threat as well as a defensive stopper. He averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

The coaches named him to their preseason All-SEC first team, but he will not be available December as he recovers from surgery on his Achilles.

Kentucky led all SEC schools with four players named to the list, while Auburn and Alabama tied for second with three each.

Walker Kessler named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List

Is Walker Kessler the goat?

The following is a release from Auburn Athletics.

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn newcomer Walker Kessler was one of 20 players selected to be part of the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday.

Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor recognizes the top centers in men’s college basketball as determined by a national committee of top college basketball personnel.

“Rounding out the Men’s Starting Five watch list is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished and decorated athletes of all time, so it is truly fitting to have his name associated with such a prestigious award. As a strong advocate for education and character, he brings a significant and meaningful perspective when evaluating talent and we truly cherish his involvement.”

Kessler, one of four SEC centers to make the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, transferred to Auburn from North Carolina where he averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks last year as a freshman. He scored in double figures five times with a season-high 20 points at home against Florida State. He shot 57.8 percent from the floor.

Coming out of high school, Kessler was the 2020 Gatorade High School Player of the Year and was also named Mr. Basketball in the state of Georgia. He averaged 17.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game as a senior and led Woodward Academy to the first boys’ basketball state title in the school’s 120-year history.

Kessler is the second Auburn player to be selected to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List, now in its eighth year. Former Tiger Austin Wiley made the list in 2017 and 2018.

The watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be narrowed to 10 in late January and then to just five in late February. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected. College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds.

Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include two-time winner Luka Garza, Iowa (2021, 2020); Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019); Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018); Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017); Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016); and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).

2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List
Walker Kessler, Auburn
Nick Muszyinski, Belmont
Mark Williams, Duke
Colin Castleton, Florida
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
David McCormack, Kansas
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah, Lipscomb
Qudus Wahab, Maryland
Jalen Duren, Memphis
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State
Nate Watson, Providence
Zach Edey, Purdue
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Myles Johnson, UCLA
Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt

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Projecting Auburn basketball’s starting lineup

Who do you think starts at small forward?

Auburn has something they haven’t had at every position under Bruce Pearl.

Depth.

The Tigers dipped into the transfer portal and picked up three transfer guards to solidify the depth there. Auburn can go four-deep at small forward. The Tigers have a spot-up shooter in Jabari Smith at power forward… and don’t forget Auburn has three centers on the roster who are expected to play significant minutes.

This is easily the most well-rounded roster Bruce Pearl has ever had. The issue doesn’t lie in the talent, but in the fact that there may be too many mouths to feed.

Here is the projected starting lineup for Auburn basketball’s season opener vs Morehead State. Keep in mind that Allen Flanigan will be out until mid-December.

2022 aggregate NBA mock draft: Debut ranking of all notable prospects

The 2021 NBA draft class finished their first go-around in the summer league, which means evaluators are fully focused on next year’s class.

The 2021 NBA draft class finished their first go-around in the summer league, which means evaluators are fully focused on next year’s class.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Bleacher Report, Yahoo, The Athletic, Yahoo, SB Nation, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Collegiate teams who had more than two players appear on a mock were Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA. Three players will be on the G League’s Ignite roster and one is on Overtime’s Elite squad.

Additionally, seven players are rostered in Spain and four are playing in Australia’s NBL. There are also three players on Serbia’s KK Mega Basket included.

Freshmen one-and-done candidates who didn’t make the list but could climb on to join during the season: Harrison Ingram (Stanford), Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), Josh Minott (Memphis), Kowacie Reeves (Florida), Bryce Hopkins (Kentucky), Nathan Bittle (Oregon) and Jeremy Sochan (Baylor).

Some of the most notable collegiate returners who were snubbed from these rankings: Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), Jonathan Davis (Wisconsin), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Zach Edey (Purdue), Adam Miller (LSU), Colin Castleton (Florida) and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Relevant international prospects to know who were not included below: Fedor Zugic, Lefteris Mantzoukas, Jayson Tchicamboud, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Yoan MakoundouTom Digbeu and Makur Maker.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Main Image: Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group

ESPN ranks Walker Kessler as second-best offseason transfer

Auburn received a big gift in the form of five-star center Walker Kessler, a transfer from UNC, who will play for the Tigers in 2021.

Auburn got some good news in April when former five-star recruit Walker Kessler, a center from the University of North Carolina, announced that he will be playing for the Tigers in 2021.

How big is it? According to ESPN, Kessler is the second-best pickup in the nation during the offseason.

“A former five-star prospect, Kessler really showed flashes of his ability toward the end of the season. He had a four-game stretch in February when he scored in double-figures in each one, and he posted 16 points, 12 boards and eight blocks against Notre Dame in the ACC tournament.”

Ranked behind just Remy Martin, who has yet to announce his destination, Kessler will be the starting center for Auburn when the season begins and gives the Tigers plenty of size with his 7-foot-1, 245-pound frame.

Updated look at 2021-22 Auburn basketball potential starting lineup

Auburn’s roster has undergone a major makeover with key departures and incoming stars. Here’s a look at a potential starting lineup.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we took a look at what Auburn’s basketball roster could look like next season and, boy, it has been busy days for Bruce Pearl and company.

Vaunted guard signee Trey Alexander decided to reopen his commitment and said he won’t be playing with the Tigers now while the future of JT Thor in an Auburn uniform looks shaky as ever.

The NCAA transfer portal has been helpful for the Tigers, though, as they have signed some quality players in North Carolina center Walker Kessler, College of Charleston guard Zep Jasper, Eastern Kentucky guard Wendell Green Jr. and Arkansas guard Desi Sills.

With those additions along with the departures of Sharife Cooper, Justin Powell, Jamal Johnson and Javon Franklin, here’s an updated look at what the lineup could look like along with some key contributors.

Early look at 2021-22 Auburn basketball potential starting lineup, key contributors

Auburn has added three quality players including former 5-star recruit Walker Kessler heading into the 2021-22 season.

The Auburn men’s basketball roster will not look as different as it did this past season but there are many changes to Bruce Pearl’s team.

With the departure of Sharife Cooper to the NBA draft, Justin Powell, Jamal Johnson and Javon Franklin to the transfer portal and the possibility of J.T. Thor also going to the NBA, Auburn has hit the portal hard for talented players including Zep Jasper, Wendell Green and Walker Kessler.

All-in-all, the Tigers will be a much improved team after a season in which Auburn had no experience returning.

Here’s a quick look at a potential starting lineup along with key contributors for Pearl.

LOOK: Jabari Smith pumped about playing with Walker Kessler

Incoming five-star power forward Jabari Smith reacted to the news of Auburn landing Walker Kessler with joy on Monday.

Jabari Smith’s arrival on Auburn’s campus was already being hype. Now, with the addition of North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler, the Tigers and Bruce Pearl are going to be even better.

Smith seems especially excited about the arrival of Kessler, posting a response to the news on his Instagram feed.

A five-star recruit out of Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia, Smith is the top-ranked player ever to sign with the Tigers, taking over for Sharife Cooper. Kessler was also a five-star recruit in the 2020 class and the No. 22 overall recruit in the nation.