Tag: wendell green

SEC announces time, TV network for Auburn vs Virginia Tech in ACC/SEC Challange

Neville Arena will be a host site for the inaugral ACC/SEC Challenge in November.

The SEC announced the TV schedule for the first-ever ACC/SEC Challenge on Monday.

The challenge, which spans two days, begins on November 28 and will take place at campus sites.

Auburn takes the floor in the late window on the second day, November 29, when they host the Virginia Tech Hokies at Neville Arena. The game will be aired on ESPN2 at 8:15 CST.

The Hokies and the Tigers both rank outside of the top 25 in ESPN’s “Way Too Early Top 25”

Virginia Tech is coming off a so-so-season in the ACC. The Hokies finished 8-12 in the conference and 19-15 overall, settling for a bid in the NIT, where they would go on to lose to Cincinnati.

The team will go into this season with a new look after losing their leading scorer, Grant Basile, and their leading rebounder and assist man, Justyn Mutts, to graduation.

The Hokies do return junior guard Sean Pedulla and graduate guard Hunter Cattoor this year. Both players averaged double figures in 2022-2023, and they figure to be the focal point of the Tech attack in 2024.

As for Auburn, the Tigers finished last season 10-8 in the SEC and 21-13 overall. The record was good enough for Auburn to qualify for the NCAA Tournament as a 9 seed.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s team was good enough to win their first game in the Round of 64 over Iowa, before losing to 1 seed Houston in the second round.

The Tigers return their leading point scorer from last year, [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], but have lost their starting backcourt from last season as [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag] has moved on to the NBA and Zep Jasper has graduated.

Freshmen five star recruit [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] is most likely to soak up the majority of the backcourt minutes in Bruce Pearl’s 2023-2024 rotation.

We’ll have a better idea how these two teams stack up after the season begins.

For Auburn, they get things started on November 7 against Baylor in Sioux Falls, ND.

Virginia Tech’s season tips off when they host Coppin State on November 6.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Bruce Pearl hints at Auburn’s 2024 rotation

Auburn will have a very different looking rotation this season.

Auburn men’s basketball coach [autotag]Bruce Pear[/autotag]l addressed the media via Zoom on Friday. With fall camp fast approaching, Pearl pointed out four key areas where the Tigers need to make up for lost production from last season.

“We gotta replace [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and we gotta replace whoever backed up [autotag]Jaylin Williams [/autotag] last year.”

Pearl mentioned freshmen guard [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] as the likely replacement for Green.

He called Holloway “a combination of a lot of the guards [Auburn] has had in the past.” Holloway was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022, leading his team to a 36-1 record while averaging 18.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior.

Auburn’s head coach is high on the former five-star recruit, likening his work ethic to that of former Auburn first-round picks [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaac Okoro[/autotag].

The starting point guard spot is Holloway’s to lose, although Pearl did mention [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] as a player who will see some minutes and push Holloway to be better.

Pearl’s next test will be replacing defensive wizard [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag]. While the loss of Jasper will hurt the Tigers defensively, Pearl did note the potential for the team to improve scoring the basketball, where he is opting to give transfer guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] a run in the starting five over fan-favorite [autotag]K.D Johnson,[/autotag] at least for now, due to his high-volume scoring ability.

“Denver Jones could be a candidate for one of our top two or three scorers.”

It’s hard to argue with that statement, Jones was absolutely lethal as a scorer last season. The sophomore guard was one of only 26 players in Division 1 to average at least 20.0 points per game in 2022, helping him become the first-ever FIU Panther to win Conference USA first-team all-conference honors.

Pearl was a little more ambiguous when discussing how he would deploy his front-court options.

He did take time to praise JUCO transfer [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and Division 2 transfer [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], calling Baker-Mazara “really good,” while citing his accomplishments at Northwest Florida State College and San Diego State.

The issue with Baker-Mazara is his size, where he measures 6 feet 7 inches but weighs only 190 pounds. That body type does not bode well for a healthy season, especially in the physical SEC.

As for Johnson, Pearl called him “one of the best athletes on our team,” citing his ability to shoot, guard multiple positions, and dribble the basketball.

Of course, returning Tigers [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell [/autotag] will see ample minutes in the front court as well.

Pearl still has plenty of time to figure out his final rotation ahead of Auburn’s season opener against Baylor on Nov. 7, but it seems like he at least has an idea of how he would like to deploy his roster ahead of this season.

Fall camp performances and injuries will surely change some things too.

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Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

He’s back! Jaylin Williams to return to the Plains

Williams joins Johni Broome in dipping out of NBA draft consideration.

After testing out the NBA Draft waters, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] has decided to return to Auburn for another season.

The native of Nahunta, Georgia was a key part of Auburn’s success in 2023.

Williams averaged 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, the third-highest on the team in both categories. He was the second-best three-point shooter on the team, knocking down 40 throughout the season.

Williams started every game for Auburn in 2023  and played every game the two seasons prior.

Other than Williams, multiple Auburn players explored their options in the draft. These players included[autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag],[autotag]Alan Flanigan[/autotag], and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag].

Williams and Broome have both elected to return to Auburn, Flanigan has announced he will be joining his dad at Ole Miss and Green has stayed in the draft.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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Wendell Green unsure about future at Auburn

Auburn’s point guard has a decision to make regarding his future with the program.

After being the primary ball-handler for the Tigers in 2023, [autotag]Wendell Green Jr[/autotag]. maybe exploring other avenues.

In a recent episode of The Next Round, Green talked about Auburn’s time in the NCAA Tournament, as well as his future with the program. Green says that he is proud to be an Auburn Tiger, but has not made a decision regarding returning to the roster for the 2023-24 season.

“For me, I love Auburn,” Green said on The Next Round. “I haven’t thought about it too much yet…that’s a conversation I’m gonna have with my family and, you know, we’re gonna see what’s happening next”

Green has held a big role in the program for the past two seasons. The former Eastern Kentucky Colonel transferred to Auburn in 2021. He played in 33 games that season, starting four of them. Green saw his role greatly expand for the 2022-23 season, starting all 34 games.

Green averaged 13.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season. His season-high was scoring 24 points in Auburn’s final regular season game, the 79-70 win over the Tennessee Volunteers on March 4th.

Auburn will have [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], the No. 27 player and the No. 6 point guard in the class of 2023 according to 247Sports, coming in for next season. The Tigers will also be looking to make some additions to the roster via the transfer portal.

The junior from Detroit, Michigan has one year of eligibility remaining. Time will tell if he decides to use it with Auburn or explore other options that may be available for him.

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Auburn-Iowa among NCAA Tournament’s most intriguing first round games

The fiery coaching styles of Bruce Pearl and Fran McCaffery will make this game fun to watch.

Auburn basketball snuck into the NCAA Tournament by earning their 20th win of the season on the final day of regular season play, and their reward will be playing in one of the most interesting matchups of the first round.

No. 9 seed Auburn will square off with No. 8 seed Iowa in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday evening at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Playing in the 8-9 game is usually intriguing in itself, but CBS’ David Cobb feels that there is another factor that will draw in viewers.

Cobb ranked every NCAA Tournament opening-round matchup and has placed Auburn-Iowa at No. 3 on the list, trailing only Arkansas-Illinois and Texas A&M–Penn State as the best matchups in the first round. He says that Auburn’s guards, as well as the coaching matchup, should provide quality entertainment to the college basketball fan.

If you’re into seeing coaches act like children, you’ll love this one. We’ll set the over/under on coach technicals at a cautious 1.5 and won’t be surprised if either Auburn’s [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] or Iowa’s Fran McCaffery get tossed for their antics. The Hawkeyes are a fun offensive team led by a potential first-round NBA Draft pick in Kris Murray, and Auburn’s backcourt of [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag] and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] is constant chaos.

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The chaos of the No. 8 Iowa- No. 9 Auburn matchup will tipoff at 5:45 p.m. CT on Thursday evening on TNT.

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Everything Bruce Pearl, Allen Flanigan and Wendell Green Jr. said after beating Arkansas

Bruce Pearl, and the game’s key stars, share their thoughts on Auburn’s 72-59 win over Arkansas on Saturday night.

It was an SEC victory to get back on track for the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.

After a tough loss to Georgia, Auburn picked up a definitive win against No. 12 Arkansas at home by a score of 72-59, which should serve as a recovery game after the team lost to unranked Georgia a few days prior. Auburn moves to 2-1 in SEC play thus far on the year.

The game saw head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] use a different style of defense and players [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] and [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag] Jr. have great games on the day, and all three talked about the victory and team contributions after the buzzer sounded.

Here is what the trio had to say:

Auburn Basketball has 92% chance to beat Colgate on Friday

Auburn’s solid defense is expected to hinder Colgate’s high-powered offense according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

The No. 19 Auburn Tigers are refreshed after a five-day break and are set to host the Colgate Raiders at Neville Arena on Friday night.

Auburn posted three wins last week, two of which took place at the Cancun Challenge, which the Tigers ultimately won. While in Mexico, Auburn had its’ best, as well as its’ worst, offensive outputs of the season. In the 85-64 win over Bradley, the Tigers converted 56.4% of its shots from the field to points and shot 47% from three-point territory.

The following night, Auburn was only able to shoot 26% in a last-minute win over Northwestern. [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], the Tigers’ leading scorer, scored just two points while going 1-for-9 from the field.

Friday’s opponent, Colgate, is a trigger-happy offensive team. The Raiders shoot 50% from the field while converting 40% of its three-point shots. Their efforts lead them to score 81 points per game, which is second in the Patriot League.

Despite Colgate’s strength being a weakness for Auburn, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives Auburn a 92% chance to win on Friday night.

The BPI gives Auburn’s defense plenty of credit. The Tigers lead the SEC with 8.3 blocks per game, and are third in the SEC in rebounds with 42.4 per game, with defensive rebounds outweighing offensive boards by 13.

Auburn’s defense should be enough to decelerate Colgate’s offense and allow for playmakers such as Wendell Green, [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] to lead the offense to a 14-point win says the BPI.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn edges Northwestern, wins Cancun Challenge

Auburn shot 26% from the field but held on to defeat Northwestern on Wednesday night.

The No. 16 Auburn Tigers were crowned champions of the 2022 Cancun Challenge on Wednesday night, but they did not make it easy on themselves.

One night after shooting 56% in a blowout win over Bradley, Auburn connected on just 13 of its’ 50 shots from the field in their 43-42 win over Northwestern on Wednesday night at the Hard Rock Hotel Rivera Maya.

Of all 11 players to see action on Wednesday, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] was the only Tiger to succeed on more than three shots. Williams took 10 shots from the field, and connected on four of them. He also recorded three of Auburn’s five made three pointers.

Neither team was able to find a spark offensively in the first half, as both teams shot 18% in the first half which ended in a 19-19 tie. The Tigers went through a seven-minute stretch to end the half where they did not make a field goal and had a four-minute stretch earlier in the half where they did not record a field goal.

Auburn shot 5-of-27 from the field in the first half and went 2-of-11 from beyond the arc. Northwestern went 4-of-24 from the field but stayed close to Auburn by taking advantage of turnovers. The Tigers turned the ball over eight times in the first half and turned those into six points.

[autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] led the team in points with five in the first half. [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag] went 0-for-7 from the field in the opening half but came down with six defensive rebounds.

Northwestern took its’ first lead of the game at the 16:39 mark in the second half on a made jumper by Ty Berry. Over the next five minutes, the game would remain close. But momentum began to swing back to Auburn at the 11:34 mark. Following a [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] free throw, Williams scored four points in a span of 24 seconds to push Auburn back in front. The go-ahead basket was set up by a Johnson steal, which transitioned to a Williams dunk.

Northwestern regained the lead with 3:00 left in the game on a three-pointer by Chase Audige. The lead would change hands three times over the final three minutes, with Allen Flanigan’s jumper with 0:31 remaining being the deciding basket.

Johnson led the team in scoring with 12, followed by Williams, who scored 11. Green only recorded two points in the game, but finished with 10 total rebounds.

The Tigers will return to Auburn to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday before preparing for Sunday’s game with Saint Louis. Tipoff for Auburn’s next game is set for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoon at Neville Arena.

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Auburn Basketball has 77% chance to beat Bradley on Tuesday

Bradley brings a solid offensive attack into Tuesday’s game with Auburn, but the Tigers’ defense may be too much to handle says the ESPN BPI.

The No. 16 Auburn Tigers are ready to begin their journey at the Cancun Classic, as they face the Bradley Braves on Tuesday evening at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Bradley’s lineup features four players who average double-figures in scoring per game, led by Ja’Shon Henry’s 13 points per contest. In all, six Braves boast double-figure averages. How does that counteract Auburn’s defense?

The Tigers have won all four games this season by an average score of 74-58.  As a team, Auburn averages 44.8 rebounds per game, with [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] leading the way with nine per contest. Broome, alongside [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag], is great in the blocked-shots department as well.

Those numbers, mixed in with [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag]’s 14 points per game, lead the ESPN Basketball Power Index to give Auburn a great chance to beat Bradley on Tuesday night. According to the latest projection, Auburn has a 77% chance to win its first game at the Cancun Challenge on Tuesday.

The Tigers currently rank No. 16 in the ESPN Basketball Power Index rankings, while the Braves are No. 91.

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Tigers of the Game: Broome, Green lead Auburn to third win

Johni Broome and Wendell Green were instrumental in Auburn’s offensive success against Winthrop on Tuesday, which leads them to “Tigers of the Game” honors.

The No. 15 Auburn Tigers earned its third win of the young season on Tuesday night, and did so by showing improvement on the offensive side of the ball.

After shooting just 40% and scoring 67 points in last Friday’s win over South Florida, Auburn improved its’ shooting to 47% in Tuesday’s win over Winthrop. Auburn still struggled beyond the arc by only shooting 9-of-23 from three-point territory.

Defensively, it was business as usual for the Tigers. Auburn limited Winthrop to 36% shooting from the field, outrebounded the Eagles defensively, 28-17, and recorded 11 total blocks.

Two Tigers played key roles in Tuesday’s win, [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag]. Their efforts lead them to “Tigers of the Game” honors as voted on by the Auburn Wire staff.

Here is a look at how writers Taylor Jones, J.D. McCarthy, and River Wells voted following Auburn’s win over Winthrop on Tuesday.