1/9/23 Auburn Articles

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SEC men's basketball power rankings

Cooper Posey

2–3 minutes

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With Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Auburn in the top 25 the SEC is proving that they are more than just a football conference. Just a few games into conference play let's rank each team in the SEC. 

Last weekend's slate of SEC games gave us a clearer picture on where teams stand in the SEC. 

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-2)

Alabama has knocked off the #1 team in the country twice this year.

2. Tennessee Volunteers (13-2) 

Tennessee continues to win games by a large margin. 

3. Auburn Tigers (12-3)

Despite Auburn's recent loss to Georgia. Their win over #13 Arkansas is convincing enough to put the Tigers at #3.

4. Arkansas Razorbacks (12-3)

Although the Razorbacks have two SEC losses they are the third-highest-ranked SEC team according to RPI. 

5. Missouri Tigers (13-2) 

The Tigers are a top-25 team and have two SEC wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-3)

Mississippi State has three losses with two of those coming from Alabama and Tennessee.  

7. LSU Tigers (12-3)

LSU does have two SEC losses but they also have a win over a top-ten team.

8. Texas A&M (10-5)

Texas A&M is 2-0 in conference play.

9. Kentucky Wildcats (10-5)

Kentucky is 1-2 in SEC play with a win over LSU

10.  Georgia Bulldogs (11-4)

Georgia is 1-1 in conference play with a win over Auburn.

11. Florida Gators (8-7)

Florida is 1-2 in conference play with a win over Georgia.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (8-7)

Vandy is just above .500 after barely being beaten by Missouri. 

13. Ole Miss (8-7) 

Ole Miss Is on a four-game losing streak with Auburn next on the schedule. 

14. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-8)

South Carolina is the only SEC team with a losing record and has yet to win a game against an SEC opponent. 

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Allen Flanigan's patience, preparation show 'player that he’s capable of being'

Nathan King

5–6 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama — Smiles were hard to come by for Bruce Pearl when Auburn lost at Georgia last week. Until he began talking about Allen Flanigan after the game.

The Tigers’ recent offensive struggles culminated in a road loss against a bottom-tier team in the conference, giving Auburn three losses in its past six games. But Pearl couldn’t help but beam over his senior.

It didn’t appear to be the most electric performance for Flanigan in Athens: 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, though he was the second-leading scorer behind Johni Broome, and was one of only three Tigers to make three or more shots. But it was what the senior wing had done behind closed doors that made Pearl so proud after the loss.

“Al didn't play great against Florida and really worked hard, all week long, just coming in and grinding and just having a really good attitude and doing the best he could — instead of just being frustrated,” Pearl said. “It's interesting, God's got a way of blessing that good behavior. I just told him, 'Al, even if you didn't play well tonight, you had a great week of preparation.' I could see Al working hard to do the right things, do the little things. It translated pretty quickly. That could be something he can build on.”

And build he did. Flanigan continued to excel, this time against his home-state team: No. 13 Arkansas. Off the bench, the senior poured in 18 points — including a 3-of-6 clip from beyond the arc, eight rebounds, two steals and only one turnover — as No. 22 Auburn rebounded from its recent struggles, cashed in on its strength-in-numbers style of play, and notched what Pearl called one of the most important home wins of his time in the program.

Flanigan has still yet to start a game in 2022-23, though he plays the fourth-most minutes of anyone on the team, ahead of Auburn’s starter at the 3 spot, Chris Moore. But that hasn’t doused his leadership or his efforts on both ends of the floor, even after a rough couple games where he scored just 4 points between wins over Washington and Florida at the end of last month.

“He’s just been trying to do the little things, trying to keep his attitude right,” Pearl said. “Al’s coming off the bench, and certainly is good enough to start, the way he played tonight and he played well against Georgia.”

He started 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and his second triple gave Auburn its first double-digit lead early, 24-14 with under 11 minutes left in the first half.

Flanigan led Auburn in scoring in the second half with 9 points, as the Tigers impressively kept the Razorbacks at bay, holding firm on a double-digit lead for all but 63 seconds of the second half. Flanigan went 2-of-3 from the field, including another triple, and 4-of-4 from the foul line after halftime.

“I thought he was mentally locked in and didn’t over-penetrate,” Pearl said. “Used his physicality defensively and rebounding. … Look at his percentages. Seven defensive rebounds. It sort of translates.”

Flanigan’s 29 points between the Georgia loss and Arkansas win are his most across a two-game span against SEC competition since his sophomore year.

"You're only going to get out of the game what you put into it,” Flanigan said. “It's just me constantly staying in the gym, and tonight it showed."

Pearl even admitted he was a bit surprised by the Tigers’ performance and execution in what was their biggest game of the season so far. But it was proof of concept that Auburn’s depth can be a real weapon when even just half the lineup is playing well offensively — and likely of the most importance is the play of point guard Wendell Green Jr., who bounced back from rough numbers in Auburn’s first two SEC games with 19 points and five assists.

As Auburn looks to brush off its brief string of losses and establish a baseline of SEC wins in the coming weeks, it will continue to rely on Flanigan to be a top scorer, defender and leader.

For now, though, Pearl is just pleased to see the senior’s patience pay off in a public light.

“I’m just happy,” Pearl said. “I’m so happy for him. That’s the player that he’s capable of being.”

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Joseph Goodman: Bruising Auburn flexes on Arkansas, SEC

Updated: Jan. 08, 2023, 8:52 a.m.|Published: Jan. 08, 2023, 6:45 a.m.

5–7 minutes

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Auburn forward Dylan Cardwell doesn’t waste his fouls.

There are a few basketball players in the SEC this season who can take over games with their offense. Anthony Black of Arkansas is one. He was in Auburn on Saturday night. Brandon Miller of Alabama is another. He scored 19 against Kentucky earlier in the day. I’m not saying Cardwell is an offensive maven like Black or Miller, but when the game-changers of this league drive the lane against Auburn for the rest of this season, and actually walk away without a limp or busted lip, then they should all thank Mr. Cardwell by his family name for not dropping them on the ones stitched across their backs.

No.22 Auburn might not be pretty like last season, but the Tigers served notice on Saturday night with their beautiful 72-59 roughneck victory against No.13 Arkansas that opponents are going to earn their buckets with a side of pain and maybe a little paint on the uniforms from here on out.

“They never were able to effectively attack,” coach Bruce Pearl said. “Simple.”

Such a wonderful euphemism, coach, for the bruising reality Auburn inflicted on an Arkansas team that’s led by some great finishers at the rim. Take Auburn’s Cardwell, for example. He only played 10 minutes, but he made them count more than any amount of offense by Arkansas. Cardwell picked up two fouls during his time on the court, but they were each so devastating that officials went to the video review monitors both times to determine if the common fouls should be upgraded to the flagrant variety.

Nope. Just good, clean fun inside The Jungle.

GOODMAN: Opportunity is power in college football’s new world

GOODMAN: Arrive early for Alabama’s shooting exhibition

What should opponents know when they drive to the basket against Dylan Cardwell? I asked Auburn’s Wendell Green Jr. that exact question after the game.

It’s “not safe,” he said. “They’re going to get whooped up.”

Such a pure, uncut gem of truth. That’s Auburn basketball at its best whether there’s a first-rounder on the roster this season or not.

Auburn sent Arkansas to the line 32 times. The Razorbacks only made 19 free throws.

“They really showed me something tonight,” Pearl said. “The bounce-back, the quick turnaround, played great from the start.”

Here’s something I don’t think enough people appreciate about Pearl as a coach. Yes, he’s gregarious. Yes, he’s a great recruiter. Yes, he has scratched out a little piece of college basketball heaven on a speck of road in Auburn that’s literally named Heisman Drive. Ask yourself this. How many times have you found yourself saying, “Man, Pearl’s team really came out flat today?”

It doesn’t happen much at all, and if it does then no way it’s going to happen two games in a row. Rare are the days when Auburn comes out looking like a team stuck in the mud. That’s not luck or by accident or because of some mysterious cosmic force. It’s great coaching. On this night, Auburn started things off with a four-point play by Green, and after that Arkansas was playing catch up all game.

Down season for Auburn (12-3, 2-1 in the SEC), you say? Still pretty great. This game didn’t have a single change of the lead from the opening seconds, and the score was never even tied. The Tigers led the whole way against a team that’s going to be penciled deep in the NCAA Tournament on a lot of brackets.

“You guys have seen us play all fall, and we needed that,” Pearl said, opening up with reporters in his postgame news conference. “I think everyone in here would agree. Could you have expected it?”

Uhh, going to answer that one in the affirmative, coach. To play off a euphemism, we’ve seen your positive interactions with highly motivated student-athletes for more than a minute.

“Probably one of the Top 5 wins I’ve had at home at Neville Arena,” Pearl said. “It was an important win. I’m very proud of the kids. It was a great team effort.”

Top 5? Well, maybe only because it came on the same day that Alabama clobbered Kentucky by 26 points over at Coleman.

Is Auburn the favorite to win the SEC regular-season championship this season? Probably not. It’s No.7 Alabama (13-2, 3-0 in the SEC) at this point, but I’m still not picking anyone to win at Neville Arena. Don’t get me wrong. Alabama is great, but Auburn has won 27 in a row at home. It’s so many consecutive victories that the building where it’s all gone down has had two different names and the football stadium across the street has introduced three different head coaches.

It was Auburn Arena when the streak started and now they call their little shop of horrors Neville Arena because the stuff that grows so wild inside The Jungle inspired a guy who isn’t even an Auburn graduate to donate a preposterous amount of money.

The Tigers entered this weekend with questions after losing at Georgia. That was a tough game to a rival, but quality wins can mean more in this sport at the end of the season than any loss. Auburn answered all that with what looks like the best victory for any SEC team to begin conference play.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

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

River Wells

4–5 minutes

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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 Bruce Pearl use a different style of defense and players Allen Flanigan and Wendell Green 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:

Bruce Pearl, opening statement

(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

“We needed that. I think everyone in here would agree. Could you have expected it? I don’t know. They (our team) really showed me something tonight – from the bounce back and the quick turnaround. We played great from the start and got Wendell (Green Jr.) some great looks. He played great from the start. Maybe, one of the best games of his career and a really important game here at home. Beating No. 13-ranked Arkansas here at home is probably one of my Top 4-or-5 games at home. It was an important game and it was start-to-finish. I am really proud of the kids. It was a great team effort. (Johni) Broome gets another double-double, so we got to play through him. The key to the game was not turning it over. The key was to really understand getting shots, before we turnover.”

Bruce Pearl, on playing zone defense

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

“Arkansas is better from 2 than 3. That little flat 2-3 zone really bothered them and they struggled with it. They are going to see it all year long and our guys did a great job with it. We have it in the package and I think it also helped our man defense, because in the zone, you have a gap and you have to build a wall. When guys are in zone, they get that feeling that when you play a team that is better from the 2 than the 3 and drive it like Arkansas does, you have to play your man like that also.”

Allen Flanigan, on the win

USA Today Network

“It definitely boosted (our) confidence. It shows what we’re capable of, night-in and night-out. Now, we just have to stick to putting games and days back-to-back.”

Allen Flanigan, on his impact on the court

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

“It means a lot. My teammates needed me to step up, so being able to step up for them tonight was big.”

Allen Flanigan, on the team's freshmen

(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

“BP (Coach Pearl) preaches, ‘stay right and stay ready.’ There’s no let down when the freshmen and underclassmen come into the game.”

Allen Flanigan, on the team playing zone

USA Today Network

“This might be the first. There was a lot of zone that was played tonight and it was my first time here, I played zone the entire game.”

Wendell Green Jr., on his performance in SEC play so far

(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

“I just wanted to come back and show how I play. That’s how I play when I’m out there. I haven’t been like that since I hurt my foot (against Georgia State) and I wanted to come back. I’m healthy, I feel good, and it just felt good to see that first shot go in.”

Wendell Green Jr., on teams trying to drive inside Dylan Cardwell

(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

“They’re going to get fouled hard and get whipped up. You have to go in there safe. It’s like when we had Walker (Kessler) last year. There’s no let down. Walker was crazy down there, but we have Dylan (Cardwell) and Johni (Broome) down there. It’s the same thing. The guards will push them down there. They’re going to clean it up for us and all we have to do is get the loose ball.”

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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Behind Enemy Lines: Auburn-Ole Miss preview with David Eckert of The Clarion-Ledger

Taylor Jones

5–6 minutes

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After earning a convincing 72-59 win over No. 13 Arkansas last Saturday, the No. 20 Auburn Tigers now turn their focus to the Ole Miss Rebels.

Auburn travels to Oxford to take on the Rebels Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT at the Pavillion at Ole Miss. Auburn looks to win its first SEC game on the road, while the Rebels hope to earn its first conference win in general.

Ole Miss lost to archrival Mississippi State, 64-54 last Saturday. Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield performed well offensively for the Rebels, but as a team, Ole Miss shot 35.8% from the field and was out-rebounded by Mississippi State, 43-32.

To help us learn more about Auburn Basketball’s next opponent, we welcome Ole Miss beat writer David Eckert from The Clarion-Ledger to the next installment of “Behind Enemy Lines.”

In today’s edition of the series, Eckert breaks down Ole Miss’ last game, players that Auburn fans should be aware of, and his final score prediction. Here is today’s “Behind Enemy Lines” with David Eckert of The Clarion-Ledger.

Getting to know Ole Miss

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss enters Tuesday’s game with an 8-7 record and is looking for its first SEC win. What is the overall mood on campus when it comes to the Rebels season to this point?

It’s not good, that’s for sure. Quite a lot of frustration. Maybe even more apathy. The Rebels just haven’t really done very much to generate excitement. They started the season pretty well, but they haven’t beaten anyone of particular consequence, outside of an FAU team that looks like it might win Conference USA. It’s going to take more than one big win to draw folks back in.

Feeling the bite

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss fell to rival Mississippi State last Saturday, 64-54, despite making solid second-half adjustments. In what ways did the Rebels improve their game plan in the second half of the game?

The one thing Ole Miss will do to its opposition to make things tough is provide multiple looks on defense. Much of the run the Rebels went on in the early second half on Saturday resulted from Mississippi State’s inability to score. It’s worth noting, though, that once the Bulldogs got their sea legs back, they exploded, and Ole Miss totally folded.

Keep an eye on Matthew Murrell

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Guard Matthew Murrell leads Ole Miss in several stat categories… what makes him so special, and how much will Ole Miss rely on him for points on Tuesday?

Matthew Murrell is just a really talented scorer. He can beat you from outside. He can play above the rim. He’s an explosive athlete that can change games if he gets hot. One of Ole Miss’ big problems is that hasn’t happened very much lately. He was good against Mississippi State, but didn’t crack double digits in either of the Rebels’ first two SEC games. They’re not going to win games unless he’s a big factor, period.

Pump the brakes

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of Murrell, which players should Auburn fans have on their radar?

This is difficult, because — especially offensively — Ole Miss just hasn’t gotten very much from its supporting cast. Jaemyn Brakefield is probably the Rebels’ closest thing to a secondary scorer. He’s averaging 14 points per game in SEC play. The Rebels are still trying to get Daeshun Ruffin going after he returned from a prolonged knee injury in November. Amaree Abram is a guy who can catch fire at guard on occasion, but he’ll probably come off the bench.

Ole Miss' strength

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn is still trying to solidify an offensive identity. How strong have the Rebels performed defensively this season?

They’ve been pretty good, but not outstanding by any means. They’ve allowed 70 points just once in their last five games. Ole Miss has a lot of length and athleticism that plays well on the defensive side of things. The other end of the court has been their problem.

Searching for their first SEC win

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

What will Ole Miss need to do well in order to grab the win over Auburn?

It probably has to make this game a rock fight. Auburn has way more offensive talent, and the Rebels are mired in a scoring slump that has made them really, really hard to watch lately. Ole Miss turned its SEC opener against Tennessee into something of a coin flip by just making it into a brawl. That’s probably what this game has to be.

The Tigers keep it going

The Montgomery Advertiser/ Jake Crandall

What is your final score prediction?

Auburn 61, Ole Miss 56. The Rebels haven’t shown me anything to indicate that they’re going to get a win against a team like Auburn any time soon. Kermit Davis said after the Mississippi State loss that they lacked toughness. If you can’t score, and you can’t out-tough the opposition, where’s the path to victory? We love college basketball because it’s unpredictable, but all of the tea leaves are pointing toward an Auburn win here.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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