Pearl Press Conference BaylorPreview

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l.com

 

Why is Auburn playing in South Dakota? It’s the start of a brutal non-conference slate.

Published: Nov. 07, 2023, 7:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

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Bruce Pearl thinks Auburn's 2023 football team shares similarities with his 2014-15 basketball team

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl will be the first to note Auburn’s place atop the SEC with the league’s most wins over the last six seasons. It’s not the same SEC that for decades was dominated by Kentucky. The rest of the league caught up. Auburn caught up sooner than most, and now much of the rest of the league is on the same title-contending playing field.

So Pearl believes he has to find ways to keep Auburn sticking out in a league with so much depth and talent. That means putting his team in front of a team television camera. It means finding difficult, but marquee non-conference games — even if that means traveling to South Dakota.

“People ask me why the game, why’d you take the game, why go out to South Dakota,” Pearl said Monday. “It’s real simple, just to try to stay relevant in the world of college basketball, which is harder and harder to do now.”

And the non-conference schedule Auburn created is one of the most difficult in the nation.

It begins immediately. To open the season Auburn goes to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to play No. 20 Baylor. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. Tuesday and will be broadcast on ESPN.

“It’s to stay relevant,” Pearl said at SEC Basketball Tip Off in Birmingham. “It’s to tell my kids a message, I believe in you. I don’t care who we’re playing. I don’t care. I believe in you. You came here to try to win a championship. You came here to get to a Final Four. If I don’t schedule hard, then obviously I’m concerned we’re not good enough. And we ain’t afraid.”

Scheduling duties fall on Auburn assistant coach Mike Burgomaster. His title now includes a listing as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, but doesn’t quite include his role as the master of scheduling.

He put together a non-conference schedule that included the Baylor game, a trip to New York to play Notre Dame and either Oklahoma State or St. Bonaventure, a trip to Atlanta to play Indiana, as well as hosting USC and Virginia Tech. Burgomaster also included difficult mid-major opponents including a trip to Huntsville to play UNC-Asheville and going to play a true road game at Appalachian State. Auburn will host Chattanooga and Penn which have each made the NCAA Tournament in the last five years.

“Of course I would love to play these schools,” forward Jaylin Williams said. “The competition is going to be great. I’m not familiar with who’s on the teams. But I’m gonna know when we do scouting reports. I know they’re highly ranked and very talented through their history. It’s going to be a great time.”

Pearl believes games like these are going to teach him about his team. And frankly Pearl thinks these games may not always show the best about Auburn, but instead where his team still has to grow.

The preseason games against Furman and Auburn-Montgomery didn’t test Pearl’s team as much as he’d like. And that’s including the fact that Pearl wasn’t happy with how his team played in the exhibition win on Nov. 1 against AUM.

“We’re going to get exposed,” Pearl said of opening against Baylor. “What I mean by exposed is: What aren’t we very good at? What are we going to struggle with? My anticipation would be physicality, rebounding, some other things I don’t want to give Baylor too much of an advanced scout. But where do we go from here?”

Where Auburn goes will be taking where it got exposed and attempting to figure it out against more quality opponents.

Though Auburn forward Johni Broome doesn’t really care who Auburn plays. He’s just excited to play a different team. He’ll be facing a variety of styles of teams this year with Baylor from the Big 12, Indiana from the Big 10, USC from the Pac-12 and multiple ACC teams.

Part of Broome’s thought hinges on how good the SEC is projected to be this year. Auburn’s schedule will certainly help prepare it for a potential trip to the NCAA Tournament, but SEC teams no longer need such a difficult non-conference schedule to boost their resumes because the conference itself is deep.

“It’ll be fun to play against the other conferences,” Broome said. “But the good thing about the SEC is that playing in this league prepares you for the other conferences. I feel like the SEC has a very good variety of teams. I feel like we’re one of the top conferences — or the top conference. Playing against Baylor, the ACC, teams like that, I feel like we’re prepared for them.”

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

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al.com

Everything Bruce Pearl said ahead of Auburn basketball’s season-opener vs. No. 20 Baylor

Updated: Nov. 06, 2023, 3:48 p.m.|Published: Nov. 06, 2023, 12:15 p.m.

6–7 minutes

Bruce Pearl previews Auburn's 2023-24 season; Growing basketball in a football state

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers’ men’s basketball team aren’t wasting anytime.

Pearl will open his 10th season on The Plains on Tuesday night with a postseason-caliber matchup with the 20th-ranked Baylor Bears in a neutral site from Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

“We’re excited about getting the season started,” Pearl said Monday morning, minutes before he boarded the team plane to head northwest. “Auburn is the only team in the SEC that will open up against a top 25 opponent. And we’re going to try to make history tomorrow night as we’ve never beaten a top 25 team in an opener.”

Pearl says he’s heard the questions about why the Tigers are even taking part in an atypical season-opener.

“It’s real simple,” Pearl said. “Just to try to stay relevant in the world of college basketball, which is harder and harder to do now.”

Here’s everything Pearl said Monday ahead of Auburn’s season-opener against No. 20 Baylor:

Opening statement: “Baylor is a preseason top-20 team. We’re not. Baylor has three guys that have been selected to various forms of like all-Big 12 stuff, and we have one in Johni Broome. Ja’Kobe Walter is the preseason freshman of the year. Really good team, really well coached. Scott Drew and the job he’s done at Baylor arguably is as good a job as has been done in college basketball considering what he inherited and where they’re at right now. I think in 16 years, I think he’s been to 11 tournaments. They’ve been really good, really consistent. The biggest challenge right now is we have no tape on them. We got no eyes on them from the standpoint of they had two private exhibitions and had agreements not to exchange film. We’re basically basing what we saw off of what they’ve done historically. So that will be an interesting challenge early in that game to see how they’re playing differently. We’re excited about getting started.”

On the availability of Aden Holloway (ankle) and Johni Broome (shoulder), who both suffered injuries in the preseason: “Yep. I think both Aden and Johni will be able to pay tomorrow.”

On areas where Auburn has improved this offseason and applying those vs. Baylor: “Again, it’ll be really hard to duplicate Baylor’s athleticism. They are historically one of the top 20 rebounding teams in the country, one of the top 10 offensive rebounding teams in the country. They will fly to the boards, they’re athletic, they’re big, they’re physical. Our greatest challenge will be keeping them off the boards. I think from our standpoint, I’d say our halfcourt offensive execution has been pretty good for early in the season. We’ve shot the ball pretty well. Now, the quality of opponent is about to step up in a huge way. Then our challenge will continue to be defense and rebounding, and we’ll kind of see what that looks like. That’s what I would anticipate our two biggest challenges being.”

On what he’s hoping to learn about his team, win, lose or draw vs. Baylor: “That’s a great point, and it’s one of the things I keep talking to our team about — we’re going to get exposed. I would have loved to have gotten more exposed in a couple of our preseason opportunities. What I mean by exposed is: What aren’t we very good at? What are we going to struggle with? My anticipation would be physicality, rebounding, some other things I don’t want to give Baylor too much of an advanced scout. But where do we go from here? In other words, great opportunity to play a team in the Top 25. We’re not (in the Top 25), and so, can we get ourselves in there with a win? That’d be a tremendous way to start the season.

We’ve got so many quality opponents in the preseason that a week from now, we play Notre Dame in New York, in Brooklyn. It’s here. And so, how quickly can we adjust? I told the guys I wanted them — I really wanted them — to remain positive with each other, because we have so much teaching to do with so many new guys. Again, we’ve got to kind of throw it out there and know they’re going to be in the heat of battle and just see how they react.

Hey, I hope it brings out the best in them. For some, there will be challenges in knowing what we do and why we do it. And late-game situations; we could have some late-game, close-game situations, I hope, either offensively or defensively. How do we handle those situations? How are we able to execute? That’s what I’ve talked to the guys about, and I think they’re prepared for that. And again, I want them to stay really positive with each other, because I’ll be on their asses enough for everybody.”

On there being so many new faces on the roster: “They get along. They’ve done a good job pushing each other, done a good job teaching each other, and it’s been one of the harder working teams I’ve had. It’s been a team that’s gotten along so well, but we’ve had no adversity yet. Just haven’t, so obviously (we) don’t really know.

I think they — I definitely think they’re prepared. We’ve got good leaders in the locker room. We’ve got guys who have been there and done that. They’ve just not played together much. Let’s just say they’ve played two games together so far.

Now Baylor’s got a lot of new guys, too. They’ve got some core guys back, like we do, but they’ve got new pieces and they’ve got good new pieces. So I think both teams are going to learn a lot.”

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn vs. Baylor: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Tuesday's game

Taylor Jones

5–6 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers play No. 17 Baylor on Tuesday at Sanford Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Auburn Tigers open the 2023-24 slate on Tuesday night and will have a tough challenge by facing the No. 17 Bears on a neutral court. Both teams finished the season by exiting the second round of the NCAA Tournament to teams who ultimately fell in the Sweet 16, Houston for Auburn, and Creighton for Baylor.

Baylor will provide a solid test for Auburn, as they have won a National Championship within the last three seasons. Baylor head coach Scott Drew was the head coach during the 2020-21 season which ended with a 28-2 record for the Bears. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl understands that winning the glass battle will be key in defeating Baylor.

“It’ll be hard to duplicate Baylor’s athleticism. Historically, they’re one of the top 20 rebounding teams in the country and top 10 scoring teams in the country. They’ll fly to the boards. Our greatest challenge will be keeping them off the boards. Our half-court offensive execution has been pretty good for early in the season. We’ve shot the ball well. The quality of the opponent will step up in a big way.”

Auburn will be breaking in a relatively new starting lineup this season, as fixtures such as Wendell Green Jr. and Allen Flanigan are no longer on the roster. Johni Broome and Chris Moore headline the returning starters this season, while transfers such as Chaney Johnson and Denver Jones step up to fill new starting roles.

Tuesday’s game will feature two injuries of note: Johni Broome and Aden Holloway. Broome, who injured his shoulder in last Wednesday’s exhibition with Auburn Montgomery. Holloway, Auburn’s top 2023 signee and projected starting point guard heading into the season, injured his ankle in Auburn’s secret scrimmage with Furman. Pearl says that he feels confident that both players will be cleared to play on Tuesday night.

Below, you will find everything you need to know ahead of Auburn’s season-opener vs. No. 17 Baylor including a broadcast guide, an injury report, and projected starting lineups.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

• Date: Tuesday, Nov. 7
• Time: 8 p.m. CT
• TV Channel: ESPN (Roxy Bernstein, Fran Fraschilla)
• Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

The Montgomery Advertiser

The Auburn Sports Network will have live coverage of Tuesday’s game at Sanford Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pregame coverage with Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Find your local Auburn Sports Network affiliate below.

Sirius/XM	Ch. 137/190
Abbeville	98.7 FM
Albany, Georgia	102.9 FM
Alexander City	97.5 FM
Andalusia	93.7 FM
Atlanta, Georgia	1010 AM
Auburn	94.3 FM
Birmingham	100.5 FM
Centre	100.5 FM
Centre	990 AM
Columbus, Georgia	540 AM
Cullman	92.1 FM
Cullman	98.3 FM
Demopolis	106.5 FM
Dothan	102.5 FM
Evergreen	101.1 FM
Flomaton	105.1 FM
Florence	94.9 FM
Foley	92.5 FM
Foley	1310 AM
Fort Payne	100.9 FM
Fort Payne	1250 AM
Gadsden	1350 AM
Greenville	94.3 FM
Hackleburg	95.5 FM
Huntsville	100.3 FM
Jasper	88.5 FM
LaGrange, Georgia	102.3 FM
Mobile	106.5 FM
Montgomery	92.3 FM
Moulton	97.9 FM
Ocean Springs, Mississippi	106.5 FM
Oxford	92.7 FM
Panama City, Florida	104.3 FM
Pensacola, Florida	105.1 FM
Roanoke	102.3 FM
Scottsboro	1050 AM
Selma	1490 AM
Sylacauga	100.3 FM
Sylacauga	1290 AM
Thomasville	95.5 FM
Troy	970 AM
Tuscaloosa	100.5 FM
Vernon	100.7 FM
Vernon	1380 AM

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Pos.	Name	Class	PPG	RPG	APG
G	Tre Donaldson	Fr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
G	Denver Jones	Jr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
G	Chaney Johnson	Jr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
F	Chris Moore	Sr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
C	Johni Broome	Jr.	0.0	0.0	0.0

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Pos.	Name	Class	PPG	RPG	APG
G	RayJ Dennis	Sr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
G	Ja’Kobe Walter	Fr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
G	Langston Love	So.	0.0	0.0	0.0
F	Jalen Bridges	Sr.	0.0	0.0	0.0
C	Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua	Sr.	0.0	0.0	0.0

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

C Johni Broome	Shoulder	Game time decision
G Aden Holloway	Ankle	Game time decision

© Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

G Ja’Kobe Walter	Nose	Game time decision
F Yanis Ndjonga	Knee	Out for the season

The Montgomery Advertiser

• C Johni Broome
• G Denver Jones
• G Aden Holloway

Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

• G RayJ Dennis
• G Langston Love
• F Jalen Bridges

Follow all your favorite Alabama teams at Auburn Wire and Roll Tide Wire!

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theplainsman.com

Auburn to face Baylor to tip off basketball season

4–5 minutes

The Auburn Tigers are set to travel to Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to officially get their 2023-24 basketball season underway in a matchup against Baylor after an exhibition match against Auburn-Montgomery.  

After beating Auburn-Montgomery 102-66 on Wednesday night, the Tigers will make the trip to South Dakota to start their official season and see where they stand against Baylor University, whose basketball team is ranked 20th in the nation among Division I schools.  

Baylor University also played an exhibition game in a closed-door scrimmage in Phoenix when it took on No. 11 Gonzaga. The Baylor University Bears suffered an 81-78 loss where they were behind for most of the game and only managed to hold a lead for three minutes.  

This game will mark the seventh time that these two teams face off against each other with Baylor dominating this series, winning five and losing two. The last time Auburn played Baylor was in January 2021 when they lost by a score of 84-72. The Auburn Tigers will want to break an unwanted streak of three losses in a row against the Bears.

The Tigers will want to build off their successful exhibition game and gain some momentum to kickstart their season. Despite Auburn’s struggles from 3-point range, going 5-for-25, junior guard Denver Jones managed to tally 18 points on the night and went 4-for-8 on 3-pointers, garnering both the most points and 3-pointers.

Another consistent scorer of the night was junior Chaney Johnson, who went 6-for-10 on field goals and 2-for-7 on free throws – mustering up a total of 14 points for the team.  

Although the Tigers came out on top in their exhibition game, they fell behind in the first half of the game, trailing 16-15 at one point before the Tigers managed to find a rhythm to go on a 34-13 run. This must be something Auburn looks to fix against a top opponent in Baylor, where they cannot afford to start the game off slowly without dreading the consequences. 

The Baylor Bears will look to turn their fortunes around from their scrimmage against Gonzaga and come out with a win against Auburn. Baylor hasn’t suffered a loss in their opening game since the 2018-19 season when it lost to Texas Southern.  

The Bears will want to gain some positives after their defeat to Gonzaga, which shouldn’t be seen as a terrible loss considering Gonzaga is ranked No. 11 in the nation. Junior guard Jayden Nunn led the Bears in points during the game, racking up 16. He went 5-for-10 in field goals and 1-for-3 in 3-pointers, also leading the Bears in both categories. 

While Baylor will want to search for positives to take away from the loss, it'll also need to focus on a negative, its shooting percentage. The Bears only managed to shoot 38% from the field throughout the whole game.   

The Auburn Tigers tip off their season when they take on the Baylor Bears on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. CST on ESPN.  

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Hector Hernandez | Sports Writer

Hector Hernandez is a freshman from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in building science. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.

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