Tag: zep jasper

Senior rewind: A look back at Zep Jasper’s Auburn career

Our first installment of ‘senior rewind’ focuses on Zep Jasper, who has started in all 63 games of his Auburn career.

As the 2022-23 regular season comes to a close, Auburn Wire will begin taking a look back at the careers of Auburn basketball’s senior class, and their accomplishments during their time on the Plains.

First up is graduate senior [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag].

Jasper arrived in Auburn after spending three seasons at the College of Charleston. While in Charleston, he started in 63 of the 83 games that he participated in, and scored an average of 9.5 points per game. His best season was his junior year, where he scored 15.3 points per contest.

In two seasons at Auburn, Jasper has started in all 63 games primarily at the two-guard spot, scoring an average of 4.1 points per game. His best game in an Auburn uniform happened on Feb. 23, 2022, when he scored 15 points by shooting 71.4% from the field in Auburn’s 77-64 win over Ole Miss.

Here’s a look back at Zep Jasper’s career as an Auburn Tiger.

Could Allen Flanigan and Jaylin Williams return to Auburn’s roster next season?

Both players went through senior day ceremonies on Saturday, but is there a chance that they could be doing the same thing next season?

Prior to Auburn’s 79-70 win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday afternoon, seven players took part in the annual “senior day” festivities as they prepared to play their final game at Neville Arena.

However, due to the extra season of eligibility that a majority of Auburn’s upperclassmen own, there is a possibility that two starters could grace next season’s roster.

[autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] have been mainstays in Auburn’s starting rotation all season long and were heavily influential in Auburn’s important win over Tennessee to close out the season by scoring 16 and 13 points respectively.

“Hopefully we can get both of them back,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said of Flanigan and Williams after Saturday’s game.

Is there a true possibility of both players returning for next season? Neither has ruled out the possibility.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, both players were asked to share their thoughts on using their extra season of eligibility due to COVID next season.

“Right now, I’m focused on the season and finishing this thing out the right way. Once that comes to an end I will start thinking about the factors then,” Flanigan said Friday during Auburn’s scheduled media availability.

Williams responded by saying that he is focused on ending the season in a strong way.

“Yeah, I haven’t really been thinking about it much,” Williams said. “We have been struggling to win games like the last five weekends. I’m just trying to get on track with my teammates and figure out how we are going to win and play through March.”

Flanigan has played in all 31 of Auburn’s games this season, starting 16 of them. As for Williams, he has started in all 30 games that he has participated in. Other seniors that took part in senior day include [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], [autotag]Chandler Leopard[/autotag], [autotag]Lior Berman[/autotag], [autotag]Babatunde Akingbola[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalen Harper[/autotag].

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Best photos from Auburn’s key win over Tennessee

The Tigers picked up a win they had to have.

The Auburn Tigers picked up the win they had to have Saturday, taking down the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers 79-70 in Neville Arena.

Auburn’s starters led the way with four of them finishing in double figures. The only exception was [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] who played tenacious defense and did his part.

[autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] led all players with 24 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line to help ice the game. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] was just short of a double-double with 17 points and seven rebounds but added four blocks as he controlled the paint.

If it was their last game inside Neville Arena, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] both went out with a bang. Williams had 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists while Flanigan added 16 points.

Here are the top photos from Auburn’s win that fired up the Auburn fans and all but ensured the Tiger’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Instant Analysis: Four reach double-figures in Auburn’s close win over Ole Miss

The Tigers remain in the NCAA Tournament hunt after a tight win over Ole Miss at Neville Arena.

Auburn did not officially earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday, but they sure helped their case.

In a game that saw five lead changes and six moments with a tie score, Auburn won its battle with Ole Miss at Neville Arena, 78-74, earning the season sweep over the Rebels.

The Tigers were seen as heavy favorites heading into the contest and showed signs of dominance at times throughout the game, leading by as many as 12. But no matter how many runs or strong leads that the Tigers put together, they could not seem to run away from the Rebels.

After a back-and-forth effort throughout, Auburn was able to put the nail in the coffin at the 4:44 mark in the second half. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] made a second-chance layup to break a 64-64 tie. That basket would prove to be vital, as Auburn would only outscore the Rebels 12-10 over the final five minutes to escape with the win.

The Tigers jumped out to an 8-4 lead at the first media timeout behind a perfect free-throw outing by [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] and [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag]. Flanigan set the tone of the game with a wide-open dunk at the 17:13 mark that put Auburn ahead, 6-4.

Auburn extended its lead to nine points over the next three minutes to move their lead to 17-8. [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] scored his first basket of the game, a three-pointer, and [autotag]Lior Berman[/autotag] slammed home a shot with 12:20 to go in the half, forcing Ole Miss to call a timeout.

Following the timeout, Ole Miss began chipping away at Auburn’s lead, and ultimately re-took the lead. Theo Akwuba tied the game at 24-24 with 6:36 remaining in the first half, and Matthew Murrell gave his team the 26-24 lead 36 seconds later on a layup to erase the once nine-point deficit.

Both teams would trade leads two times over the final 5:39 in the half before Auburn entered halftime with the 40-33 lead. Auburn outscored Ole Miss 14-7 over the final 5:05 to jump out to a seven-point halftime lead, and led by as many as nine points during the stretch.

Auburn’s first-half momentum stayed with them into the second half, as they would lead by as many as 12 points through the first four minutes of the half. Flanigan connected on a three-pointer with 18:10 remaining in regulation to give Auburn the 46-34 lead, their first double-digit lead of the game.

The lead was shortlived, however, as Ole Miss went on a 13-0 run over a span of 3:19 to take a 58-55 lead over Auburn with 9:44 remaining in the game. [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] ended Ole Miss’ run with a dunk at the 7:51 mark to cut their lead to 60-59.

James White of Ole Miss nailed a three-pointer with 6:21 remaining to move their lead to 63-59. That shot would light a spark for Auburn as the Tigers would rattle off five unanswered points in 32 seconds to retake the lead, 64-63.

Auburn solidified the win by taking control of the final 5:12 of game time. The Tigers broke the 64-64 tie with a Broome layup. The score would give Auburn a six-point boost with 3:14 left in the game, 70-64.

Four Tigers ended the game in double-figures led by Green’s 23-point outing. Broome followed with 19, Williams posted 12 points while Flanigan scored 11.

Auburn will take part in its final SEC road weekend game of the season on Saturday when it faces Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT and can be seen on CBS.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn gets back on track with dominant showing against Missouri

Auburn took out their recent frustrations on the visiting Missouri Tigers on Tuesday night.

When a team loses three straight games and four of their last five, it would be safe to assume that said team is frustrated.

On Tuesday, Auburn put those assumptions to bed and proved just how frustrated they had become. Auburn shot 49% from the field and dominated the boards on their way to crushing the visiting Missouri Tigers, 89-56 at Neville Arena.

Auburn was in control for the entire contest and refused to take their foot off the gas. Auburn held a 7-2 advantage through the first four minutes of the game, then would go on to outscore Missouri 17-2 over a four-minute span to take a 20-point lead, 24-4, with 11:34 remaining in the half.

Auburn took a 45-18 lead into the locker room behind 50% shooting and an outstanding half from [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag], who shot 83% from the field on his way to scoring 14 first-half points. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] ended the half with 11 points and eight rebounds after going 5-for-10 from the field.

Auburn’s commanding effort spilled over into the second half, as they outscored Missouri, 44-38 to solidify the win. [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] converted a Missouri turnover into a three-pointer to give Auburn the 57-25 lead with 16:16 remaining in the game, which pushed Auburn over the 30-point-lead mark for the first time in the contest.

[autotag]Lior Berman[/autotag] connected on a three-pointer with 2:10 remaining in the game to put Auburn up 89-50. The 39-point deficit would be Auburn’s largest lead of the game. Berman ended the game with eight points, which ties a career-high. He has scored eight points three times during his four-year career, he last reached the total in Auburn’s 67-49 win over LSU last month.

Broome ended the night as Auburn’s leading scorer and rebounder, recording 20 and 10 respectively. [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] was next in line with 16 points, and Johnson followed suit with 15 points.

Auburn will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday by visiting Vanderbilt. Tipoff from Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and can be seen live on SEC Network.

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Instant Analysis: Texas A&M upsets Auburn; snaps 28-game home winning streak

The Aggies outplayed Auburn in several categories, which led to the rare road win at Neville Arena.

The No. 16 Auburn Tigers entered Wednesday’s contest with Texas A&M with confidence after winning five straight games, two of which were on the road. However, a tough Aggies squad grabbed a late first-half lead that it would not relinquish, and would leave Neville Arena with a 79-63 win.

After allowing Auburn (16-4, 6-2 SEC) to get a hot start in the game, Texas A&M (14-6, 6-1 SEC) would slow down the Tigers’ attack while making noise offensively. The Aggies took a 45-30 lead into the locker room behind a 58.6% shooting effort, and by connecting on 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc. Auburn ended the half with a scoring drought over the final 3:21 after succeeding control to Texas A&M with 8:54 left in the first half.

The Tigers outshot Texas A&M 38% to 35% in the second half, and were only outscored 34-33 in the final 20 minutes, but could not overcome the large halftime deficit, as they could not get closer than eight points to the Aggies’ lead. Turnovers were a killer as well, as Texas A&M scored 16 points off of 13 Auburn turnovers.

Auburn got the crowd into it very quickly. After a Julius Marble jumper put Texas A&M ahead 2-0, the Tigers would rattle off 10 points in a span of 1:28 to take a 10-2 lead with 17:41 remaining in the first half.

Over the stretch, [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] would connect on three-pointers. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] would contribute by succeeding on a layup, and [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] capped the run with a shattering dunk.

After the run, Texas A&M stormed back to tie the game at 15-15 with 13:54 remaining in the half and would take their first lead of the game at the 13:10 mark on a layup by Andersson Garcia to make the game 17-15 in favor of the Aggies. Auburn would combat the lead change by going on a 7-0 run over a 2:13 span to re-take the lead, 23-17. Texas A&M would then use a 7-0 run of their own to re-take the lead, 24-23 inside 9:00 remaining.

The Aggies would continue to increase their lead to 10 points, 38-28, with 3:48 remaining in the first half. Texas A&M built their convincing lead by holding Auburn scoreless for 3:14 of game time, and by connecting on 6-of-11 shots from three-point range.

Auburn opened the second half by shooting 4-of-6 from the field through the first four minutes of the period to trim Texas A&M’s lead to 50-38 with 15:47 to go. Broome scored five of Auburn’s eight points in the stretch, while [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] assisted with six of the Tigers’ nine points.

With the loss, Auburn’s 28-game home winning streak, which was the nation’s longest, is snapped. Broome ends the night with 16 points and seven rebounds. Green also scored 16 points and recorded five assists. The Tigers will get a shot at redemption on Feb. 7 at Reed Arena in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Auburn will step away from conference play on Saturday to compete in the annual SEC-Big 12 Challenge. Tipoff with West Virginia is set for 11 a.m. CT in Morgantown on Saturday and will be broadcasted on ESPN.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn crushes LSU for fourth-straight win

Auburn won its fourth-straight game on Wednesday by staying in control for a majority of the game.

The No. 16 Auburn Tigers earned its’ fourth straight win by dominating Wednesday’s game in Baton Rouge from wire-to-wire.

Auburn held a comfortable lead for most of the game by shooting well and by forcing LSU to shoot poorly, which lead to a 67-49 win at The Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Auburn shot 44% from the field while LSU could only muster 32%.

The only scare that Auburn suffered in the game was LSU’s hot start to the second half. The visiting Tigers led LSU, 32-21 at halftime, and the Bayou Bengals trimmed Auburn’s lead to just two points with 15:50 remaining in regulation. After a timeout, Auburn went on to outscore LSU 33-17 from that point to run away with the win.

[autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] each scored 14 points for Auburn in the win, Williams pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots. [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] scored eight points and secured seven boards in his second-straight start, filling in for injured [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag].

Auburn got off to a much-needed hot start in Wednesday’s game. [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] connected on the opening bucket of the night by nailing a three-pointer with 19:47 remaining in the first half to put Auburn ahead, 3-0. Auburn kept its’ hot streak alive by outscoring LSU, 11-5 through the first media timeout. LSU’s K.J. Williams scored all five points, while the team shot 22% through the game’s first five minutes.

LSU’s poor shooting continued into the final media timeout of the half as they only connected on 17% of its’ shots to that point. Auburn went on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 25-13 with 2:56 remaining in the half. Auburn also held LSU scoreless for over six minutes during the stretch.

LSU outscored Auburn 8-7 over the final 2:39, but Auburn would carry the 32-21 lead into the locker room.

After trailing by 11 points at halftime, LSU outscored Auburn 14-7 at the first media timeout of the second half to cut Auburn’s lead to 39-35. Adam Miller and Justice Williams combined to score 10 points in LSU’s second-half start.

The run would be short-lived, however, as a Jasper  jump shot would  kickstart an Auburn 20-7 run in a span of 7:16 to give Auburn the 59-42 lead with 7:19 remaining in the game.

Auburn continues its two-game road trip on Saturday when they visit South Carolina. Tipoff from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and can be seen live on SEC Network.

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Instant Analysis: Strong second half lifts Auburn to victory at Ole Miss

The Tigers scored 48 points in the second half to earn its’ first SEC road win of the season.

Tuesday’s game between No. 22 Auburn and Ole Miss began as a tight contest and appeared that the winner would be crowned within the final minute of the contest.

However, after strong second-half adjustments, Auburn outscored Ole Miss 48-38 in the second half to earn the 82-73 win at The Pavillion at Ole Miss in Oxford.

After trailing by one point at halftime, Auburn came out of the locker room on a 12-4 run through the first five minutes of the second half to give them the 46-41 lead. [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] opened the final half with six quick points. After going 1-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first half, Auburn also made adjustments to attack the rim more in the second half, as they scored 46 points in the paint, 22 came in the second half.

Four players reached double-figures in scoring, led by Wendell Green Jr.’s 23, Allen Flanigan with 15, and 12 points from [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag]. Johni Broome recorded his fourth-straight double-double with 11 rebounds to go with his 19 points, which is the first since [autotag]Cinmeon Bowers[/autotag] accomplished the feat during the 2015-16 season.

Both teams traded leads three times in the final 3:42 of the first half, which ended with Ole Miss taking a 35-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. Auburn actually out-shot Ole Miss, 41% to 38% through the first 20 minutes, but three-point shooting and turning turnovers into points separated the Rebels in the end. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] ended the half with 12 points and seven rebounds, [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] was next with six points.

Ole Miss jumped early on Auburn by taking a 15-10 lead at the under-15 media timeout. The Rebels’ hot start was fueled by their key players Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield, who combined to score 11 of Ole Miss’ 15 points. Broome scored the first seven points of the contest for Auburn, while [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] hit a three-pointer with 15:15 remaining in the half to put Auburn in double-digits.

Ole Miss led by as many as seven before Auburn stormed back to take a 20-19 lead. [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag]’s second-chance layup gave Auburn their first lead since the 16:34 mark.

Auburn returns to Neville Arena Saturday to host Mississippi State for a 7:30 p.m. CT tip-off. Before visiting Auburn, the Bulldogs will visit Georgia on Wednesday.

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Auburn has 96% chance to beat Georgia State on Wednesday

Auburn hopes to return to the win column on Wednesday, and the ESPN Matchup Predictor suggests that it will happen.

The No. 18 Auburn Tigers look to bounce back this Wednesday night by hosting Georgia State for a 7 p.m. CT tip at Neville Arena.

Auburn suffered its first loss of the season last Saturday to Memphis at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, as part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving event. The Tigers could not connect on most shots, only succeeding on 38% of their attempts from the field. Auburn could not take advantage of Memphis’ turnovers, only scoring 11 points off of 19 turnovers.

Auburn’s [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] said the intensity of practice leading up to Wednesday’s game has been on another level following the loss to Memphis, a game that didn’t have pop.

“I just felt like the intensity has been high level,” Jasper said Tuesday. “I just feel like we have been running up and down, communicating, going as hard as possible. It is different from last week.”

Auburn wants to regain momentum by earning a win over Georgia State on Wednesday, and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index suggests it will do just that. According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Auburn has a 96% chance to beat the Panthers.

Georgia State enters the contest 5-4 with wins over Mercer, Texas A&M Commerce and UNC Asheville. The Panthers are ranked No. 277 in the latest ESPN BPI rankings, which leads only Arkansas State among Sun Belt Conference teams.

Auburn has three nonconference games remaining before SEC play opens. The Tigers are favored to win all three games according to the BPI.

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Auburn has 86% chance to beat George Mason on Monday

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index heavily favors the Tigers in Monday’s season opener.

The wait is finally over, Auburn fans. Basketball season has officially arrived. The No. 15 Auburn Tigers open the season on Monday night at Neville Arena, hosting George Mason at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

The Tigers lose first-round talent in [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] from last season’s team to the NBA, but still have plenty of talent returning such as [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag]. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] joins the team as a valuable addition from the transfer portal.

Auburn will enter the game with an overall advantage in talent, which is why the ESPN Basketball Power Index gives the Tigers an 85.6% chance to earn the season-opening win over George Mason on Monday.

According to the initial BPI report, Auburn is ranked No. 12 nationally, which is sixth-best in the SEC. As for the Patriots of George Mason, they are No. 6 in the Atlantic 10, and No. 92 overall.

The ESPN BPI “is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is.”

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