11/12/22 Auburn Basketball Articles

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Instant analysis: Auburn hoops shakes off ugly 1st half, rallies past USF

Updated: Nov. 11, 2022, 11:01 p.m.|Published: Nov. 11, 2022, 9:20 p.m.

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Allen Flanigan pump-faked, then took a dribble before collecting himself and pulling up from the corner just in front of The Jungle.

The eruption behind him was equal parts exhilaration and relief. Flanigan drilled a corner 3-pointer with 12:50 to go Friday night in Neville Arena, and suddenly an evening of frustration turned into one of celebration. Flanigan’s 3-pointer gave Auburn its first lead since the opening minutes against USF — as well as its last. The 15th-ranked Tigers overcame a horrendous first half offensively and survived a rock fight against the Bulls, 67-59, on their home court to improve to 2-0 on the season.

“It was big,” Flanigan said of the shot. “He came closing out fast, so I had to shot-fake. Just seeing that one fall was big.”

Flanigan’s timely triple was followed by a steal and fastbreak dunk by Dylan Cardwell, capping a game-altering 12-2 run for Auburn, which trailed by nine at halftime and early in the second half before coming alive on its home floor. Flanigan finished with 18 points for Auburn, while Wendell Green Jr. led the way with 20 -- much of his damage coming down the stretch -- as the Tigers survived an early scare in nonconference play.

“Auburn’s defense was pretty good, and right now, that’s going to have to be what carries us, because we’re not very good offensively right now,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Our defense is going to have to carry us, and it did tonight.”

Here are AL.com’s takeaways from Friday night’s Auburn win:

About that first half…

Auburn couldn’t have imagined a worse first half offensively than the one it conjured up against South Florida.

The Tigers shot just 25 percent from the field (6-of-24), 14.3 percent from 3-point range (2-of-14) and 53.8 percent from the free-throw line (7-of-13), while committing 11 turnovers and scoring just 21 points. Auburn went into the break down 30-21 in a first half that was somewhat reminiscent of last year’s against USF in Tampa.

“Eerily similar to last year,” Pearl said. “I knew South Florida would do a good job guarding us and I knew they would do good preparation and scout. I thought it would be a low-scoring game, but we weren’t sharp.... Glad we got the win.”

Auburn’s only lead in the first half came in the opening minutes, when it knocked down a pair of free throws to go up 2-0. After that, offense was difficult to come by. Neither team made a basket until three-plus minutes into the game, when USF’s Sam Hines Jr. hit a fadeaway in the key. Before that, the two teams combined for eight turnovers and five missed shots through the game’s first three minutes.

Auburn didn’t make its first basket until 12:42 to go in the first half, when Allen Flanigan drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing after the Bulls jumped out to a six-point lead. Flanigan’s shot snapped a 0-for-5 start from the field for Auburn.

It didn’t get much better from there for the Tigers, despite getting quality looks. Among the misses that mounted throughout the first half: a short baby hook from Johni Broome that went halfway down before rattling out of the rim, a corner 3-pointer from Zep Jasper that took three seemingly friendly bounces off the rim before caroming off it, an early 3-point attempt from Wendell Green Jr. that refused to go through the net and even an air-balled free throw by Broome in the waning seconds of the first half.

“We didn’t execute, we didn’t make shots and we turned the ball over too much,” Pearl said. “Despite all of our best efforts to get them ready to go, I just didn’t think we had that edge.”

The last time Auburn had a first half that dreadful offensively was last season’s SEC Tournament loss to Texas A&M, when the Tigers had 21 points and shot just 16.2 percent from the field and 15 percent from beyond the arc at Amalie Arena. Coincidentally, that was also the venue in which Auburn struggled against USF last season.

The Tigers turned it around in the second half, shooting 53.6 percent after the break and knocking down 13-of-19 free throws, including several to seal the game late.

“Our defensive energy, it stepped up a lot, and that led to offense,” Green said of the second half. “We scored in transition more, we hit -- I don’t think we hit too many shots, but we were getting to the basket, and we finished. We were looking for contact and finished through contact, and we scored in transition, so I think our defense was the main thing that picked up.”

Allen Flanigan was that dude

Allen Flanigan was the only person in Neville Arena who didn’t have trouble finding the bottom of the net early on Friday night. Flanigan opened the game 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, with the first 3-pointer representing Auburn’s first made basket of the night and coming more than seven minutes into the game.

Flanigan was crucial to Auburn’s second-half rally, chipping in five points during that 12-2 run—including the corner 3-pointer that put the Tigers in front for good. At one point in the second half, he was responsible for one-third of Auburn’s points (15 of the team’s 45 after a thunderous dunk with 9:39 to play).

“We need him,” Green said. “We need Al. I told him that last year. We need Al. So, it’s great to see him back out there. I told y’all before the season, I’ve been seeing it all summer, all fall, and now it’s showing. He had 18 tonight -- an efficient 18. It’s showing. He’s going to keep going as the season keeps going.”

Flanigan finished with 18 points to go along with four rebounds, an assist and a block, and while he committed five turnovers, it was his highest-scoring performance since the Achilles tear he suffered last preseason. The last time Flanigan scored at least 18 points in a game was the final game of his breakout sophomore season, when he finished with 22 against Mississippi State.

“It felt good just being able to go out there and see the rim again, see the goal, see shots fall in,” Flanigan said. “It was a blessing.”

Wendell Green Jr. took over down the stretch

While Flanigan did his part to keep Auburn in it early and then mount a comeback in the second half, it was Wendell Green Jr. who shut the door on any chances of a USF upset and sealed the win down the stretch for Auburn.

Green ignited Auburn Arena with an absurd alley-oop to Dylan Cardwell to give Auburn a seven-point lead with 9:22 to play, which was the Tigers’ largest lead to that point. Then Auburn’s floor general made three straight baskets for the Tigers in the final five minutes -- all coming on strong drives to the hoop -- to keep South Florida at arm’s length. Green scored 12 of Auburn’s final 13 points on the night, icing the game at the free-throw line in the process, and finished with a game-high 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. Eighteen of Green’s 20 points came in the second half after he shot 0-of-3 in the first half, including 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.

“You got to put the ball in your point guard’s hands, let him go score and let him get fouled,” Pearl said. “Obviously, that’s what Wendell was able to do, and he had good command out there. And defensively, he’s not taking possessions off, which is huge.”

Quick hits

-- Dylan Cardwell had five blocks against USF and now has 10 through Auburn’s first two games. He also added seven points on 2-of-2 shooting and 3-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line.

“His effort and energy, his ability to block shots and rebound... Dylan Cardwell was a factor,” Pearl said.

-- Along with Flanigan’s big game at the three, Chris Moore chipped in seven points and five rebounds in his second straight start. In all, Auburn got 25 points and nine rebounds from its wings, which helped make up for a rough night from the two-guard spot, where K.D. Johnson and Zep Jasper combined to shoot 0-of-8 from the field and 0-of-5 from deep.

“When Chris Moore came in, it really started picking up physically,” Pearl said. “If you look at both Chris Moore and (Allen) Flanigan together, they had an incredible stat line. If you add Allen’s 18 points and four rebounds with Chris’ seven (points) and five (rebounds), that’s a great stat line except for the turnovers. That’s something they need to work on.”

-- Johni Broome also had a rough night, finishing with three points on 0-of-6 shooting. He also added eight rebounds and a pair of steals but committed three turnovers. Pearl said Broome is still dealing with an ankle injury he sustained in the preseason.

“He can’t jump off that thing, so we got to do something about it,” Pearl said. “He just is not the same player, because he is playing on a bad wheel.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Auburn Basketball

Rewinding Auburn’s 67-59 win against USF

Updated: Nov. 11, 2022, 9:25 p.m.|

Published: Nov. 11, 2022, 6:35 p.m.

Bruce Pearl during the game between George Mason University and the #15 Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2022. Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers

NEW!

By

Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Wendell Green scored 18 points in the second half to help the Tigers overcome a nine-point halftime deficit in Auburn’s 67-59 win against South Florida.

Green led the Tigers with 20 points. Allen Flanigan had 18 points off the bench on 6-10 shooting, and Dylan Cardwell had seven points.

Auburn is 2-0 and hosts Winthrop next Tuesday at Jordan-Hare.

Pregame

Greetings and salutations from Neville Arena, where #15 Auburn (1-0) will compete on Friday against the South Florida Bulls in the second home game of the 2022-23 season.

Auburn won its home opener on Monday against George Mason with a 70-52 final score. The Bulls dropped a close opening-night game to SE Missouri State, 64-61. Wendell Green Jr. registered a game-high 16 points in the Tigers’ season opener versus George Mason. He has now scored in double figures in 43 of 64 career games played.

The Tigers have won 39 consecutive non-conference games at Neville Arena. Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl is 49-3 at Auburn in non-conference home games. Auburn hopes to continue the streak of good fortune against foes outside the Southeastern Conference.

We’ll have live updates right here on AL.Com.

Auburn’s starting lineup is the same as the opener against George Mason: Green, Zep Jasper, Chris Moore, Jaylin Williams, and Johni Broome.

1st Half

Auburn 21 USF 30 1st Half 0:03

Broome missed both free throws with 3.4 seconds left. Auburn is shooting 6-24, 2-14 from three, and 7-13 from the free throw line.

Auburn 18 USF 26 1:37 1st Half

The Bulls are on a 6-0 run over the last 1:44, while the Tigers are shooting 2-13 and on are on scoring drought over the previous 2:20 minutes.

Auburn 18 USF 20 3:53 1st Half

Auburn is 5-25 from the field and 2-11 from three. Credit to Auburn’s defense for holding USF to 8-22 and keeping the game close. Flanigan hit two free throws to draw the Tigers within two points.

Auburn 14 USF 18 5:34 1st Half

Flanigan hit a three with 5:51 left to pull the Tigers within four.

Auburn 11 USF 16 6:57 1st Half

Auburn is shooting 3-14 from the field and 1-9 from three. The Tigers are on a 2:14-minute scoring drought. Miguel Selton’s three at the 8:05 mark put the Bulls up 15-11.

Auburn 11 USF 12 9:10 1st Half

Broome hit the first free throw and missed the second with 9:10 left.

Auburn 8 USF 12 10:57 1st Half

Auburn is shooting 2 8 and 1-6 from behind the arc. Freshman guard Tre Donaldson hit a shot inside the paint to bring Auburn within four points at the 11:25 mark in the first half.

Auburn 6 USF 9 12:42 1st Half

Allen Flanigan hits a corner three at the 12:42 mark to break Auburn’s scoreless streak.

Auburn 2 USF 7 13:25 1st Half

Scoring woes continue for the Tigers, who’ve gone nearly five minutes without a point while the Bulls are on a 9-0 run.

Auburn 2 USF 5 15:11 1st Half

Auburn has four turnovers in the last 3:06 and hasn’t scored,d while the Bulls take a three-point lead on a Sam Hines jumper at the 15:46 mark in the first half.

Auburn 2 USF 1 16:56 1st Half

Both teams are 0ff to a slow start on offense. Auburn is 0-5 from the field, and the Bulls are shooting 2-6 through the game’s first five minutes.

Auburn 2 USF 0 18:17 1st Half

Green scores the first points of the game on two free throws. He got fouled in the lane on a drive to the basket for a layup. Auburn is shooting 0-2 from the field.

2nd Half

Auburn 62 USF 54 2nd Half 0:44

Green hit two free throws to stop a scoring drought that went nearly three minutes for the Tigers.

Auburn 60 USF 52 2nd Half 2:56

Wendell Green has Auburn’s last six points. He’s the Tigers’ second-leading scorer with 14 points. Green’s ability to get to the cup is a problem for the Bulls.

Auburn 52 USF 49 2nd Half 6:24

The Tigers are shooting 11-19 and 3-8 from three in the second half. They shot 6-24 and 2-14 from three in the first half.

Auburn 51 USF 44 2nd Half 7:59

The Tigers have outscored the Bulls 30-14 with less than eight minutes left in the second half. Flanigan leads all scorers with 17 points.

Auburn 47 USF 42 2nd Half 9:05

Cardwell connects on two free throws to increase the Tigers’ lead at the 9:34 mark. Green connects with Cardwell on an alley-oop that got the crowd at Neville Arena on their feet.

Auburn 41 USF 39 2nd Half 11:28

Flanigan gives Auburn its first lead since 2-0 on a corner three, and Dylan Cardwell increases the advantage on a two-handed dunk.

Auburn 36 USF 37 2nd Half 13:16

Flanigan scored on a layup with less than five seconds left on the shot clock at the 13:43 mark, and Auburn trails 37-36 against the Bulls. The Tigers have hit six of their last eight field goal tries.

Auburn 34 USF 35 2nd Half 14:19

Green scores again on a layup driving to the basket to bring the Tigers within four points. Traore hit a three with 14:56 left to get Auburn within one point.

Auburn 29 USF 33 16:41 2nd Half

Green missed the second free throw after getting by USF on a jump-shot attempt. Moore scored Auburn’s first bucket of the half on a dunk. He also scored the second with 17:25 on a jumper. Green swished a three with 17:00 left.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

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What Bruce Pearl said about Auburn basketball recruiting with top 2024 prospect visiting against USF

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

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AUBURN — Auburn basketball escaped an embarrassing loss against USF in Neville Arena on Friday night, but perhaps more important than the game itself was who was in attendance.

Most notably in Neville Arena was five-star center Flory Bidunga, who 247Sports ranks as the No. 1 five-man in the Class of 2024 and No. 4 overall. Four-star guard Cam Scott, No. 26 in the same ranking, was also watching the Tigers.

Due to NCAA rules, coach Bruce Pearl cannot comment specifically on recruits who visit the Plains, but he explained why he thinks his program has had so much success pulling in some of the best prospects in the country for visits in recent years.

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"One of the things I'm so very pleased about is just, like tonight, it was sold out," Pearl said. "It's the second game of the year. It's November, and we're selling games out. ... I'm happy for our players that they get to play in this environment. So anytime you bring prospects in they get a chance to see the environment.

"It's the same thing over in Jordan-Hare. I guarantee you that the world of college football took notice that here in November, late in the year, with all that's going on with our football program, Auburn is selling out at home. That's sending a message to the world of college football (and) every prospect out there. That doesn't happen everywhere. It happens at Auburn."

In the Class of 2021, Pearl scored a big win by securing the commitment of Jabari Smith Jr., recognized by 247Sports as the No. 7 prospect in the country and the second-best power forward. Smith is now in the NBA after playing one season with Auburn, selected by the Houston Rockets with the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.