2023-24 Season Practice/Preview (Multiple Threads Merged)

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247sports.com

 

Bruce Pearl: 'This has been the hardest-working group I've had'

Nathan King

7–9 minutes

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It’s early, but Bruce Pearl has already been extremely impressed with one aspect of his 2023-24 squad.

Pearl is entering his 10th season at Auburn, and he’s not sure he’s ever seen this level of effort from a team in summer workouts and practices.

“This has been the hardest-working group I've had, ever,” Pearl said. “This has been the hardest-working group all summer long with the greatest consistency. Normally, you have two or three guys that are working all day, everyday, 24/7 kind of stuff. I’ve got seven or eight guys, maybe six or seven you can absolutely put in that category.”

Pearl’s staff didn’t conduct a full-scale roster overhaul, but there are plenty of fresh faces for the Tigers this offseason. There are five new scholarship players between 5-star freshman Aden Holloway, two transfers and two JUCO pickups.

But that hasn’t at all affected the chemistry of Pearl’s 10th Auburn team. If anything, the roster changes have enhanced it. Returning players like Jaylin Williams and Tre Donaldson talked earlier this offseason about this being a closer and more easy going group than last season. Part of that obviously should be credited to the leadership of key veterans and returning pieces.

“I was disappointed that we had some guys transfer last year,” Pearl said. “We've not been a program, even with the transfer portal, where we've lost many guys. And I didn't want to lose a single one of them, but I think in many ways we've improved ourselves. We've gotten older, and we're more experienced.”

Pearl later added: “I just think it's bringing in the right people, bringing in guys who are humble, hungry, grateful and appreciative. I think that's what we've done. So, look, you bring in good guys, and you've got good guys. You've got the makings for very, very good chemistry.”

Friday morning, Pearl chatted with a few local reporters to provide an update on the Tigers’ offseason work, discuss some developments heading into preseason practice and break down Auburn’s newly announced nonconference slate. Here are some additional notes and nuggets from meeting with Pearl. More content to come.

PEARL BULLISH ON NEW ADDITIONS

Auburn’s transfer class, which is technically composed only of FIU guard Denver Jones and UAH forward Chaney Johnson, won’t be ranked near the top nationally or even in the SEC. Even the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class, with Holloway and JUCO additions Chad Baker-Mazara and Addarin Scott, is ranked No. 64.

But Pearl said he and his staff were more focused on getting proper replacements for departures like Wendell Green Jr., Allen Flanigan and Zep Jasper. With Holloway at point guard, Baker-Mazara on the wing and Jones and the 2-guard — and even Johnson taking over the backup power forward role from Yohan Traore — Pearl feels Auburn has more than adequately accomplished its goals of setting a balanced lineup with plenty of experience and potential.

“Our transfers were not nearly as heralded, I think, from a recruiting standpoint as I think a lot of transfers were based on coming from Power Five schools,” Pearl said. “But I hope that once again — if you look at the guys that we’ve had come in and transfer over the years whether it be K.D. (Johnson) and Walker (Kessler), and Zep and Wendell, or Johni Broome a year ago, just taking those five or six guys that have transferred to us — I thought our staff did an outstanding job in the evaluation process. We studied the film, we studied them against certain opponents and we made evaluations not based on the name on the front of the jerseys. We made evaluations based on how good we thought they were going to be.

“I don’t think any of them are going to be disappointing. I think they are all going to be a little better than what they’re perceived or how they’re ranked.”

COULD HAVE SWUNG BIGGER AT CENTER

After Traore, a former 5-star big man, opted to transfer after his freshman season, Pearl admitted he and his staff had opportunities to swing bigger in the frontcourt. The Tigers were involved with a few high-level transfers at center, but they were comfortable with what they had returning in Broome and backup Dylan Cardwell.

And Pearl didn’t want to make any playing-time promises he couldn’t keep. So he decided to use his last scholarship on a developmental piece.

“When you are returning Dylan Cardwell, you are returning Johni Broome, you could take the approach of a number of programs that are top 25 in the country and simply go iron sharpens iron,” Pearl said. “Go out and get the very best center or power forward you could possibly find, promise him playing time, then sit there and have three guys and only 40 minutes — and have a bunch of unhappy campers. I've never believed in that; I've never believed in over-recruiting. There was just no way I was going to bring in a starter-caliber type player. Now, would it have been difficult? Yeah, because a starting-caliber type player would have been concerned about Dylan or Johni.

“But there were a couple guys out there we could have pushed on and maybe loaded up at the position and said, OK, let the best man win. We didn't do that; we went with a prospect.”

INJURY REHAB FOR MOORE

Rising senior wing Chris Moore dealt with a shoulder injury on and off last season, first separating it in January against Ole Miss and proceeding to miss two games and see what was previously a starting role diminish significantly. Moore then aggravated his shoulder again in the first-round NCAA Tournament win over Iowa.

After the season, Moore opted to undergo a procedure on that shoulder, which held him out “all summer long,” according to Pearl. It sounds as if the expectation is for Moore to be back at practice and be ready for the season opener.

“He's been rehabbing and just now getting back,” Pearl said.

‘THE SCHEDULE FROM HELL'

Earlier this month, Auburn locked in its full nonconference schedule for 2023-24, which includes two teams in ESPN’s current offseason top 25: No. 20 Baylor and No. 21 USC. Pearl is also high on Indiana, which Auburn faces in Atlanta in December.

“The schedule is unbelievable,” Pearl said. “Thanks again to Mike Burgomaster for putting the schedule from hell together. We potentially could play two preseason top-10 teams in USC in a return game, as well as Indiana over in Atlanta. The opportunity to play against Baylor to open up the season in South Dakota. … Great way to open the season because we’re going to find out right where we’re at to open the season. We’re going to get punched in the mouth in a big way.”

Pearl also briefly noted, while discussing the Tigers’ trip to Appalachian State this fall, that Auburn will make a return trip to Georgia State in 2024-25 after hosting the Panthers this past season.

Here’s a refresher on Auburn’s 2023-24 nonconference schedule:

Nov. 1 vs. AU Montgomery (exhibition)

Nov. 7 vs. Baylor (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

Nov. 10 vs. Southeastern Louisiana

Nov. 16 vs. Notre Dame (Brooklyn)

Nov. 17 vs. Oklahoma State/St. Bonaventure (Brooklyn)

Nov. 21 vs. Alabama A&M

Nov. 29 vs. Virginia Tech

Dec. 3 at Appalachian State

Dec. 9 vs. Indiana (Atlanta)

Dec. 13 vs. UNC Asheville

Dec. 17 vs. USC

Dec. 22 vs. Alabama State

Dec. 30 vs. Chattanooga

Jan. 2 vs. Penn

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al.com

 

How Bruce Pearl is fitting Auburn's small school transfers, Aden Holloway into big roles

Updated: Aug. 25, 2023, 4:06 p.m.|Published: Aug. 25, 2023, 11:50 a.m.

5–7 minutes

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Bruce Pearl isn’t doing this the way that draws too many headlines in the flashy new age of the transfer portal. Aside from, say, a Walker Kessler coming from North Carolina, his approach to the transfer portal hasn’t centered around highly ranked recruits looking for a new home or those leaving big programs.

That’s what brought him players like Johni Broome from Morehead State, Wendell Green from Eastern Kentucky or Zep Jasper from Charleston.

And this offseason, looking to replace Green, Jasper and Allen Flanigan among other spots on the roster, Pearl looked further to the Division II and junior college levels.

“Our transfers were not nearly as heralded, I think, from a recruiting standpoint as I think a lot of transfers were based on coming from Power 5 schools,” Pearl said in a press conference Friday. “We made evaluations not based on the name on the front of the jerseys. We made evaluations based on how good we thought they were going to be.”

Auburn’s class of transfers includes players who could contribute right away like Denver Jones from FIU, Chaney Johnson from Alabama-Huntsville, Addarin Scott from Navarro College and Chad Baker-Mazara from Northwest Florida State College.

Some, like Jones and Baker-Mazara, have the potential to be immediate starters. But none have experience on a Power 5 level. Pearl’s approach instead focuses on players who had a wide breadth of experience and execution at whatever school they were at, regardless of the level of competition.

Pearl has Jones penciled in to take Jasper’s spot as the starting shooting guard. In a video tweeted this week, Jones made 21 consecutive 3-pointers in practice.

Jones isn’t going to be as good a defender as Jasper was, Pearl said, but he may bring better offense because of his shooting. Jones averaged more than 20 points per game last season at FIU. Those stats matter more to Pearl than the conference he played in.

“It’s just that Denver Jones could be a candidate for one of our top two or three scorers,” Pearl said. “Without question. A great shooter with great range. An ability to get downhill and score through contact. He’ll get to the foul line. A good passer.”

Baker-Mazara seems in line to take Flanigan’s place as the small forward. But finding the replacement for Flanigan was the toughest search for Pearl.

What he found in Baker-Mazara is a 6-foot-7 forward who, when playing at a junior college, stood out as one of the best players at that level. Baker-Mazara has previously played in Division I with San Diego State and Duquesne. Certainly, this level is still a jump, and one he’ll need to make quickly.

“The bad news is he’s about a buck-85, so he’s a little light in the ass,” Pearl said. “When you run certain things that require some basketball IQ offensively and defensively, I kind of can put my head down on my pillow at night knowing Chad’s going to make good decisions.”

Johnson is going to compete with Jaylin Williams for the starting spot at power forward after being, “one of the very best players in Division II basketball” according to Pearl. Pearl initially looked at Johnson and Scott’s addition as finding the backup to Williams after the departure of Yohan Traore. But Johnson has made an impact quickly to push for more playing time.

Pearl didn’t rule out playing both at the same time.

And yet mixed into it all is the newcomer who doesn’t fit into the scope of the smaller school standouts getting their chance on a bigger stage: freshman Aden Holloway.

Where Holloway does immediately fit into this experiment of new pieces is his work ethic. Pearl said Holloway is a “gym rat” and that as a whole, this may be the hardest working team he’s ever had.

The 5-star freshman brings the pedigree a player like Jones of Baker-Mazara didn’t. He may fit the profile of the star, one-and-done type point guard that lights up a highlight reel and NBA draft boards.

Where bringing in the Division II and junior college transfers who could start right away may serve as a new challenge for Pearl, he’s certainly had players like Holloway in the past. Whether it’s guards like Green, or Sharife Cooper or Jared Harper, Pearl said Holloway’s skillset is a combination of all of them.

“He probably shoots it as well or better than any of them,” Pearl said. “He’s got another gear. He’s probably physically a little farther ahead than some of the freshman point guards that we’ve had that have come in and done well.”

Holloway has the track to replace Green as Auburn’s point guard, but Tre Donaldson has pushed him in a competition, Pearl said. Like the battle between Johnson and Williams, Pearl imagines scenarios where the two could play together.

And where Pearl’s experiment may then lead to a question of chemistry, Auburn’s coach believes the fact that he brought in pieces that didn’t have the limelight helps this bunch fit together. He’s said his goal is to “get old and stay old.”

And through zigging where everyone else zagged in the transfer total, he’s done just that.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

[aubiefifty 16,940]

they showed a blood port hanging out of one of Bruce's shirt sleeve? is he sick? i hope he is ok...............

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[LPTiger 5,173]

16 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

they showed a blood port hanging out of one of Bruce's shirt sleeve? is he sick? i hope he is ok...............

I was about to ask the same thing Fifty.   Maybe someone with a medical background can list the possibilities.

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[arktiger1975 557]

"Can really shoot the basketball". Love hearing that!

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[Tiger 8,833]

 

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Johni Broome finds himself in veteran role in Year 2 at Auburn

"I felt like coming back to Auburn was the best choice — the best choice for me and the best for the team."

95 mins

In a year’s time, Johni Broome has undergone a significant role reversal within the Auburn program.

As the Tigers opened preseason practices Tuesday, Broome, the senior big man, is now arguably the team’s most important returning piece, and a clear veteran on Bruce Pearl’s 2023-24 roster. 

This time last year, he was the team’s only transfer addition. Now he’s going to be relied upon as a leader on a team that brought in five newcomers this offseason: freshman point guard Aden Holloway, transfers Denver Jones and Chaney Johnson, and JUCO pickups Chad Baker-Mazara and Addarin Scott.

“Last year, I didn't really know what to expect,” Broome said. “My first year, I'm still trying to get used to everybody. This year, I'm more of a leader on the team. I'm helping the new guys learn the offense and get their feet wet with everything. My mindset is more mature, I would say.”

Pearl was close to needing some serious legwork in the offseason to replace his second team All-SEC center. After a standout season on the Plains following his transfer from Morehead State, Broome impressed in the NBA draft process — so much so that he earned a combine invite, and was torn on his decision all the way up until the day before the withdrawal deadline.

Auburn also brings back veteran forward Jaylin Williams in the frontcourt, and Pearl has said previously the offseason that the staff was prepared to start increasing their aggression in pursuit of replacements for Broome via the transfer portal.

But luckily for the Tigers, a huge piece of their success on both ends of the floor chose to give it one more go at the college level.

“Ultimately, I felt like coming back to Auburn was the best choice — the best choice for me and the best for the team,” Broome said.

Broome made his presence felt in the league after making the jump from the mid-major level. At 6-foot-10, the Morehead State transfer was the SEC’s only player to finish in the top five in the conference in field-goal percentage, blocks and rebounding. He led Auburn in scoring at 14.2 points per game (52.7 percent from the floor), plus 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

In the latter stages of last season, Broome continued to develop his 3-pointer as part of his offensive repertoire, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc over the Tigers’ final eight games of the season.

Almost every newcomer on Pearl’s 10th Auburn team has shown an ability to shoot the ball from deep effectively at some point in his career, after the Tigers have struggled from 3-point land for the better part of the past four seasons. Broome thinks if he can be a threat to stretch the floor, too.

“I work out on the perimeter each and every day,” Broome said. “We've got a couple of offenses where I'm on the perimeter as well. I think Coach trusts me, my teammates trust me, my coaches trust me to take those shots. It'll definitely be better this year.”

Auburn expects stiff competition at almost every position on the floor, but Broome’s role as the anchor at center is essentially set in stone. And with that being the case, the team’s confidence level certainly isn’t lacking.

“It gives us the best shot at getting a championship,” senior center Dylan Cardwell said of Broome returning.

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Practice begins for Auburn men's basketball: 'The best time of the year'

9/26/2023 8:11:00 PM

AUBURN, Ala. – Six weeks prior to tipping off the 2023-24 season, Auburn practiced Tuesday, the next step in preparing a team that blends proven performers with promising newcomers.

"This is the best time of the year for us because we're trying to put together what we think we have," said coach Bruce Pearl, in his 10^th season on the Plains.

Summer workouts – four hours per week on the court and four hours of strength and conditioning – have given Pearl a glimpse of what fans will see when the Tigers take on Baylor in the season opener Nov. 7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"We bring enough guys and enough experience back to build on," Pearl said. "That gives us enough new players to put a little bit of pop in the lineup, new things we can work on with new personnel which makes it very exciting.

"This has been the hardest-working group we've had as far as guys coming in on their own and putting in the work. Everybody stepped up."

Pointing to Auburn's success over the past six years including three SEC championships and the 2019 Final Four appearance, Pearl plans to build on that foundation.

"Our goal is to be able to come back next year and say over the last seven years, we've had the best program in the league," he said. "That's going to be challenging because there are some people who are right behind us. To do that, we're going to have to have a great year."
 

'He's got some special in him': Bruce Pearl on freshman guard Aden Holloway

Freshman Aden Holloway and sophomore Tre Donaldson will share point guard duties, surrounded by seasoned teammates at the other four positions.

"Aden's in there every morning without fail," Pearl said. He's got some special in him. He can really shoot the ball and he's got great range. He's a quiet leader. He and Tre have done a phenomenal job working together, competing against each other but being unbelievable teammates."

Transfers Denver Jones (35.7 percent in 2022-23) , Chaney Johnson (37.2 percent career) and Chad Baker-Mazara (46.9 percent in 2022-23) should give the Tigers ample perimeter shooting options.

"So far this fall we've shot it better," Pearl said, referencing Auburn's 31.5-percent 3-point shooting last season. "I don't know if it's because we're not defending it as well. It's something we definitely need to improve on and I think we have the personnel to do it."

High-profile opponents fill Auburn's non-conference schedule. Notre Dame in Brooklyn. Indiana in Atlanta. Southern Cal and Virginia Tech. A Dec. 13 matchup vs. UNC Asheville in Huntsville is already sold out.

"It's about getting ready and staying relevant," Pearl said.

Familiar names return: Johni Broome, Jaylin Williams, K.D. Johnson, Dylan Cardwell, Lior Berman and Chris Moore have all endeared themselves to Auburn fans while proving themselves during the rigors of SEC play.

Opening night vs. Baylor will be here soon.

"We're a little bigger, we're a little older," Pearl said. "Will we use that age and experience? Will we pick up our physicality, our defense and our toughness That's to be determined."

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[aubiefifty 16,940]

i love the blue practice jerseys

[gravejd 3,272]

Always enjoy watching a Bruce interview. He seems to like this teams potential. If our new guys are able to up the offensive production then i'll like our changes as well. Just gotta get that PG position up to the task. 2 really young guys we are relying on there. 

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PMARSHONAU: How a basketball coach became the face of Auburn athletics

Bruce Pearl's joyful Auburn basketball journey continues

Phillip Marshall42 mins

AUBURN, Alabama – The first thing Bruce Pearl brought to Auburn basketball was hope, which was in short supply after the dreadful years under Tony Barbee. But in the end, he brought so much more than hope – on and off the court.

The accomplishments on the court are obvious – a Final Four, two regular-season SEC championships, an SEC Tournament championship, four NCAAA Tournament appearances, more SEC wins than any program over the past six years.

Off the court, he has raised millions of dollars for charity. He has become, in many ways, the face of Auburn athletics, quite an accomplishment at a school addicted to football. He has won over students, alumni and just everyday folks.

On the court, it didn’t happen overnight. Pearl inherited a roster almost bereft of SEC talent. He added some transfers, but so difficult was the task that Auburn ended the 2015 season with 280-pound Cinmeon Bowers playing point guard. Still, after a 4-14 SEC record, the Tigers won three SEC Tournament games to reach the semifinals.

The 2016 team won just 11 games, five in the SEC. All the while, fans routinely filled Auburn Arena. Hope had turned into confidence that the turnaround was coming. It got better in 2017, and a lot better in 2018 when the Tigers won their first SEC championship since 1999. In 2019, they stormed through the SEC Tournament and went to the Final Four, beating Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky. They won another SEC championship in 2022, spending three weeks as the nation’s No. 1 team.

And now, heading toward 2024, the Tigers are once again a threat in the SEC. Pearl expressed pride in being what he called “the best program in the SEC” over the last six years. And he said he hopes to say the same thing about the last seven years when this season is done.

“The biggest thing about a reflection would be, I want to do the best job I possibly can with what we have,” Pearl said. “I'm not into making any excuses. I'm very proud of the fact that in our first two years where we were not successful. When we weren't successful my first two years, there were moments - getting to the SEC semifinals in Year 1 with a really depleted roster. Winning three games in Nashville was as important as anything we accomplished, because it set the tone. Our second year, we weren't very good either. But for the first time in about 18 years, we beat Kentucky and we had a few moments.”

Along the way, Neville Arena has become one of the most feared venues in college basketball. Seats are to be cherished in the student section dubbed “The Jungle”

There have been bumps along the way. Assistant coach and Auburn icon Chuck Person was arrested by the FBI. Auburn self-imposed a one-year postseason ban in 2021. What might have been another trip to the Final Four in 2020 was derailed by COVID-19.

But Pearl’s smile and contagious optimism about Auburn basketball and about life never faded. And it still hasn’t faded.

The journey that started when Pearl climbed out of the school plane and jumped into the arms of celebrating students in 2014 has been more fun than even Pearl could have imagined.

“My goal in coming to Auburn was to get the basketball program up to the level of excellence that the rest of the sports programs enjoyed and the other parts of the university enjoyed,” Pearl said. Did I expect to get to a Final Four? You know, as a Division I head coach I had not been to a Final Four before. I won a national championship in Division II. I finished second one year. I went to a few Elite Eights. So that exceeded my expectations if I had an expectation.”

Pearl has done what most would have deemed impossible, putting Auburn basketball on the level with Kentucky, Tennessee and all of the SEC’s best. Four Auburn players have been first-round NBA draft picks.

And no slowdown is in sight.

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Takeaways: Bruce Pearl goes in-depth on newcomers, team chemistry, schedule and much more as basketball practice begins

Justin Hokanson

It's not even October, but the next season of Auburn basketball has arrived. Bruce Pearl met the media on Tuesday as practice officially began, and the roster has undergone a renovation much like what it did prior to Auburn's regular season championship two seasons ago. Then, it was Walker Kessler, Zep Jasper, KD Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. arriving, joined by freshman Jabari Smith Jr. Now, it's Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, Chad Baker-Mazara and Addarin Scott arriving, joined by freshman Aden Holloway. "This is the best time of the year for us because we’re trying to put together what we think we have," Pearl said. "It’s time to put it all together and we have a month before we start playing someone else. The guys are ready to play someone else. There’s still so many things about what we do offensively and defensively that we need to put in to get ourselves obviously ready." Last year's team finished 21-13, with a first-round loss in the SEC Tournament and a second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament to top-seeded Houston. Over the last six seasons, the Auburn program has reached a ranking of No. 11 or better, with four or the last six seasons seeing the Tigers ranked inside the top 10. In the same time period, Auburn has more NCAA Tournament wins than everyone in the SEC other than Arkansas, more championships than everyone other than Alabama, and more overall wins than everyone other than Tennessee. "Our goal is to come back and say over the last seven years, we’ve had the best program in the league," Pearl said. "That’s going to be challenging because there’s some people right behind us. That’s kind of what my goal is, and obviously to compete for championships." Here's much more from Pearl from our media session on Tuesday.

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Several Tigers bulk up after 'another level' of offseason conditioning

Several members of Auburn's 2023-24 rotation have bulked up this offseason

Nathan King21 hrs

Jaylin Williams emerged from the tunnels under Neville Arena onto the hardwood, looking winded.

It’s finally time for preseason practice, as Auburn looks to make it three straight NCAA tournament appearances, But the Tigers

“Offseason has been really tough for us, but it's great work for us at the same time,” Williams said. “We're trying to win championships. I just got done lifting, I can barely talk right now."

One of the main talking points when Auburn opened preseason work Tuesday, both from Bruce Pearl and players, was the effectiveness of the program’s offseason regimen with longtime strength coach Damon Davis. Relative to each player’s needs, the Tigers feel they’ve bulked up or slimmed down effectively over the past few months, and are excited to show off the returns from their conditioning in just over a month when the 2023-24 season begins.

Williams, a fifth-year senior at power forward, said Davis has been “pushing us to another level” since the summer. And even a veteran like Williams, who’s played in 107 games on the Plains, wanted to tune up his body this offseason to become a more complete player in the frontcourt. 

He’s up to 245 pounds, the heaviest weight of his Auburn career, but still feels just as athletic. Williams thinks that’s the case for a lot of players on the roster right now.

“I told (Davis) I want to get bigger, stronger, and be just as quick,” Williams said. “That's what happened for a lot of guys — so that we're physical enough to compete in the SEC and whoever we play against."

FIU transfer Denver Jones, Auburn’s likely starter at the 2-guard spot after scoring 20.1 points per game on 37.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc, also added 15 pounds since his listing at his previous program last season. Jones is a proven outside scorer, whom Auburn’s staff made a big push for right after the season to help improve the Tigers’ offense in that regard. But his improved physicality within Auburn’s strength program can help Jones add more weapons to his offensive game, Bruce Pearlhopes.

“You wouldn't recognize Denver Jones if you saw him in the spring, compared to where he is right now,” Pearl said. “He's put on 15, all muscle, and now he's able to get downhill and get to the rim — which is an element of his game he didn't have before.”

UAH transfer Chaney Johnson, who’s been competing with Williams at the 4 spot all offseason, immediately became one of the Tigers’ most athletic players when he was added in April. The Gulf South Conference player of the year last season, Johnson does a lot of damage running the floor and catching lobs in transition, and now he’s bulked up in preparation for a jump in talent level from Division-II ball to the SEC.

“In addition to the fact just got a haircut, I walked into the gym and couldn't recognize him,” Pearl said of UAH transfer Chaney Johnson. “He's put on 15 (pounds). He's a tremendously powerful athlete.”

One of the most intriguing pieces of Auburn’s lineup is Chad Baker-Mazara, a JUCO transfer now on his fourth college program, after also playing at Duquesne and San Diego State early in his career. A 6-foot-7 wing, Baker-Mazara is hoped to bring a significant infusion of outside shooting, as he’s a 44 percent career shooter from 3-point range. 

His length is a nice boost for Auburn defensively, but Pearl knew Baker-Mazara would have to get stronger in order to compete physically in the SEC. Strides were made in that department this offseason.

“The bad news is he weighs 180 pounds,” Pearl said. “The good news is he weighed 170 when he got here. Literally has picked up 10 pounds. And that's going to really, really help him.”

Returning All-SEC center Johni Broome also added five pounds, as did shooting guard K.D. Johnson. Sophomore point guard Tre Donaldson is up 10 pounds since last season. Senior Chris Moore, who’s been a bit of tweener between the 3 and 4 spots over the past couple seasons, has slimmed down 10 pounds from last season and is now expected to play primarily on the wing. Freshman point guard Aden Holloway, the No. 2-rated recruit in program history, was listed at 155 pounds his senior year of high school by 247Sports, and is now at 178 pounds this preseason for Auburn.

“We've always been a program that's all about development,” Pearl said. “It's been a huge part of who we are, what we sell and guys getting better.”

AUBURN 2023-24 NOTABLE WEIGHTS (from last season)

* SF Chris Moore: 230 -> 220

* SG K.D. Johnson: 185 -> 190

* PG Tre Donaldson: 190 -> 200

* SG Denver Jones: 190 -> 205

* PF Jaylin Williams: 230 -> 245

[tigeraddikt 1,619]

15 hours ago, toddc said:

Several Tigers bulk up after 'another level' of offseason conditioning

Several members of Auburn's 2023-24 rotation have bulked up this offseason

Nathan King21 hrs

Jaylin Williams emerged from the tunnels under Neville Arena onto the hardwood, looking winded.

It’s finally time for preseason practice, as Auburn looks to make it three straight NCAA tournament appearances, But the Tigers

“Offseason has been really tough for us, but it's great work for us at the same time,” Williams said. “We're trying to win championships. I just got done lifting, I can barely talk right now."

One of the main talking points when Auburn opened preseason work Tuesday, both from Bruce Pearl and players, was the effectiveness of the program’s offseason regimen with longtime strength coach Damon Davis. Relative to each player’s needs, the Tigers feel they’ve bulked up or slimmed down effectively over the past few months, and are excited to show off the returns from their conditioning in just over a month when the 2023-24 season begins.

Williams, a fifth-year senior at power forward, said Davis has been “pushing us to another level” since the summer. And even a veteran like Williams, who’s played in 107 games on the Plains, wanted to tune up his body this offseason to become a more complete player in the frontcourt. 

He’s up to 245 pounds, the heaviest weight of his Auburn career, but still feels just as athletic. Williams thinks that’s the case for a lot of players on the roster right now.

“I told (Davis) I want to get bigger, stronger, and be just as quick,” Williams said. “That's what happened for a lot of guys — so that we're physical enough to compete in the SEC and whoever we play against."

FIU transfer Denver Jones, Auburn’s likely starter at the 2-guard spot after scoring 20.1 points per game on 37.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc, also added 15 pounds since his listing at his previous program last season. Jones is a proven outside scorer, whom Auburn’s staff made a big push for right after the season to help improve the Tigers’ offense in that regard. But his improved physicality within Auburn’s strength program can help Jones add more weapons to his offensive game, Bruce Pearlhopes.

“You wouldn't recognize Denver Jones if you saw him in the spring, compared to where he is right now,” Pearl said. “He's put on 15, all muscle, and now he's able to get downhill and get to the rim — which is an element of his game he didn't have before.”

UAH transfer Chaney Johnson, who’s been competing with Williams at the 4 spot all offseason, immediately became one of the Tigers’ most athletic players when he was added in April. The Gulf South Conference player of the year last season, Johnson does a lot of damage running the floor and catching lobs in transition, and now he’s bulked up in preparation for a jump in talent level from Division-II ball to the SEC.

“In addition to the fact just got a haircut, I walked into the gym and couldn't recognize him,” Pearl said of UAH transfer Chaney Johnson. “He's put on 15 (pounds). He's a tremendously powerful athlete.”

One of the most intriguing pieces of Auburn’s lineup is Chad Baker-Mazara, a JUCO transfer now on his fourth college program, after also playing at Duquesne and San Diego State early in his career. A 6-foot-7 wing, Baker-Mazara is hoped to bring a significant infusion of outside shooting, as he’s a 44 percent career shooter from 3-point range. 

His length is a nice boost for Auburn defensively, but Pearl knew Baker-Mazara would have to get stronger in order to compete physically in the SEC. Strides were made in that department this offseason.

“The bad news is he weighs 180 pounds,” Pearl said. “The good news is he weighed 170 when he got here. Literally has picked up 10 pounds. And that's going to really, really help him.”

Returning All-SEC center Johni Broome also added five pounds, as did shooting guard K.D. Johnson. Sophomore point guard Tre Donaldson is up 10 pounds since last season. Senior Chris Moore, who’s been a bit of tweener between the 3 and 4 spots over the past couple seasons, has slimmed down 10 pounds from last season and is now expected to play primarily on the wing. Freshman point guard Aden Holloway, the No. 2-rated recruit in program history, was listed at 155 pounds his senior year of high school by 247Sports, and is now at 178 pounds this preseason for Auburn.

“We've always been a program that's all about development,” Pearl said. “It's been a huge part of who we are, what we sell and guys getting better.”

AUBURN 2023-24 NOTABLE WEIGHTS (from last season)

* SF Chris Moore: 230 -> 220

* SG K.D. Johnson: 185 -> 190

* PG Tre Donaldson: 190 -> 200

* SG Denver Jones: 190 -> 205

* PF Jaylin Williams: 230 -> 245

Wow that Jaylin gain looks significant. If he becomes more consistently assertive start to finish…what a weapon.

[bigbird 60,580]

I'm so pumped for this team. I can't wait for the season to start! 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,765]

There's probably a bit more value in having Jaylin work around the rim with seemingly everyone else putting an emphasis on improving from outside. Makes sense that he'd gain the weight if that is the case. I'd just like to see him do more with creating his own shot 

[WillMunny 1,384]

Really looking forward to this season.  This team could accomplish a lot.