2024 Portal

[mustache eagle 2,416]

This thread … good grief …

[AUSCalum87 365]

21 minutes ago, mustache eagle said:

This thread … good grief …

What about it? I think there’s some good, cordial conversations. Plus, really nothing to talk about with the lack of basketball coverage there is for Auburn.

[Mikey 16,777]

4 hours ago, AUSCalum87 said:

I saw other forwards who I have never heard of ranked and going to Iona and William and Mary yet Hudson is so obscure and obsolete that he’s not even ranked. And that’s why this is such a downer. 

Maybe Coach Pearl has found a "Diamond in the rough"!

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,819]

32 minutes ago, mustache eagle said:

This thread … good grief …

To be fair, this is BY FAR the most discussion basketball has gotten on this subforum in many many offseasons. I don't know why anyone would want the despondent corpse that it usually is around this time, even if they don't agree with the content in the discussion 

Hell this very thread has been more active than some of the game threads from this season. If people want a different spin, post more

Edited May 18 by Dual-Threat Rigby

[AUSCalum87 365]

7 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Maybe Coach Pearl has found a "Diamond in the rough"!

Possible? Sure, as Kevin Garnett said, “Anything is possible!” (I’ll show myself out). But really, there’s diamond in the rough then Hudson who’s going to be a senior this year who couldn’t start for SMU. Not a power conference team, a mid major conference average team, he couldn’t even start, yet he’s going to make a difference for us? That’s the reality. Pearl is known for getting diamonds in the rough or underrated players. J’Von Mccormick was underrated by Auburn fans but if you saw his JUCO film you saw some potential. There’s nothing like that with Hudson. I played against more skilled guys in intramurals at Auburn than what I have seen from Hudson, and that’s my concern. I’m really struggling anything positive with Hudson.

[GwillMac6 20,794]

6 hours ago, aucom96 said:

 Not really. It’s about how much a school’s boosters can pony up, and Auburn blows everything on a middling football team.

That plays in to what I was saying. Football’s nil can compete with almost anyone. In basketball schools like cincy and ucf are outbidding us…

[GwillMac6 20,794]

11 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

To be fair, this is BY FAR the most discussion basketball has gotten on this subforum in many many offseasons. I don't know why anyone would want the despondent corpse that it usually is around this time, even if they don't agree with the content in the discussion 

Hell this very thread has been more active than some of the game threads from this season. If people want a different spin, post more

Idk about that. Last off-season honestly mirrors this one to me. Especially the tone and outlook on next season. Broome dragged out his decision because of being invited to draft workout stuff. When he decided to come back along with J will it was a maaaaj deal. All sec Wendy left. Got a 20 ppg mid major transfer in Denver Jones. Got CBM late. Still folks like in here focused more on the misses instead of who we got AND the unexpected GREAT news that Broome is coming back for a third season at AU. 
 

our starting 5 has on paper 4 strong starters and 1 position that looks to be a weakness. Since when did the expectation be have no weaknesses!? 😂😂 even the best teams have holes on their team. Some more glaring than others.

[GwillMac6 20,794]

18 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

To be fair, this is BY FAR the most discussion basketball has gotten on this subforum in many many offseasons. I don't know why anyone would want the despondent corpse that it usually is around this time, even if they don't agree with the content in the discussion 

Hell this very thread has been more active than some of the game threads from this season. If people want a different spin, post more

This is what reallllllly overcooks my grits!!! I would say 97% of the time the most commented on threads of the past few years have been game threads we lost and not that we won!!!! It drives me absolutely Fuggin crazy! There are certain posters who will post in game threads where it’s obvious we will lose and not hear a peep from in game threads where it’s obvious we will win!

[AUSCalum87 365]

2 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Idk about that. Last off-season honestly mirrors this one to me. Especially the tone and outlook on next season. Broome dragged out his decision because of being invited to draft workout stuff. When he decided to come back along with J will it was a maaaaj deal. All sec Wendy left. Got a 20 ppg mid major transfer in Denver Jones. Got CBM late. Still folks like in here focused more on the misses instead of who we got AND the unexpected GREAT news that Broome is coming back for a third season at AU. 
 

our starting 5 has on paper 4 strong starters and 1 position that looks to be a weakness. Since when did the expectation be have no weaknesses!? 😂😂 even the best teams have holes on their team. Some more glaring than others.

Speaking for myself, the reason I’m a little pessimistic about this team is because I saw before we got Hudson the potential we could have had. I’m also a HUGE basketball fan and watch a lot of basketball. I have seen what our rivals have done and the top teams in the SEC simply reloaded and upgraded almost everywhere. Auburn upgraded with one guard with Pegues and Pettiford could be an asset. If Denver continues to improve and play like he did the last two months this past season, that will be another plus.
However, we still need another guard and it looks like we’ll just get another depth piece, so really having only 3 guards. We have CBM, Broome and Cardwell as well as Jakhi, who is uber athletic and major potential as well. We have some good pieces, but the issue is our bench, and PF position, which now seems like it will be two weaknesses. 4 of our starting 5 could go toe to toe with the top teams. It’s everything after that that is either very average players or 2 high schoolers who have potential. 
 
It’s why I had thought Auburn would be a top 3-4 team in the SEC if we even got a competent starter at PF. We don’t have that now. It’s why I’ve tempered my expectations and off of talent alone, Auburn is probably 6-8 range in the SEC. Bruce will again have to have his players play above their heads to even compete with the top teams.

[GwillMac6 20,794]

6 minutes ago, AUSCalum87 said:

Speaking for myself, the reason I’m a little pessimistic about this team is because I saw before we got Hudson the potential we could have had. I’m also a HUGE basketball fan and watch a lot of basketball. I have seen what our rivals have done and the top teams in the SEC simply reloaded and upgraded almost everywhere. Auburn upgraded with one guard with Pegues and Pettiford could be an asset. If Denver continues to improve and play like he did the last two months this past season, that will be another plus.
However, we still need another guard and it looks like we’ll just get another depth piece, so really having only 3 guards. We have CBM, Broome and Cardwell as well as Jakhi, who is uber athletic and major potential as well. We have some good pieces, but the issue is our bench, and PF position, which now seems like it will be two weaknesses. 4 of our starting 5 could go toe to toe with the top teams. It’s everything after that that is either very average players or 2 high schoolers who have potential. 
 
It’s why I had thought Auburn would be a top 3-4 team in the SEC if we even got a competent starter at PF. We don’t have that now. It’s why I’ve tempered my expectations and off of talent alone, Auburn is probably 6-8 range in the SEC. Bruce will again have to have his players play above their heads to even compete with the top teams.

It’s really hard to get even decent guys to come in and know they most likely will be backups. Especially in this nil world where a desperate team like Oklahoma will pay more than what a guys worth to be their starter when he would have just been a depth piece here.
 

you also are waaaaaaay to down on Chaney man. You are acting like he didn’t show flashes last year. It was his first year of major college basketball 🏀. Give the guy a chance. I bet he improves even more in the off season and summer. No need to dwell on what we don’t have now. Our roster is more or less set outside trying to find a guy willing to be a backup PG now. 

Edited May 18 by GwillMac6

[AUSCalum87 365]

5 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

It’s really hard to get even decent guys to come in and know they most likely will be backups. Especially in this nil world where a desperate team like Oklahoma will pay more than what a guys worth to be their starter when he would have just been a depth piece here.
 

you also are waaaaaaay to down on Chaney man. You are acting like he didn’t show flashes last year. It was his first year of major college basketball 🏀. Give the guy a chance. I bet he improves even more in the off season and summer. No need to dwell on what we don’t have now. Our roster is more or less set outside trying to find a guy willing to be a backup PG now. 

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the NIL part. However, there are still quality guys who don’t cost that much that Auburn could have gotten I feel like.

As with Chaney, I guess I’m in the minority about his potential. He had like 6-7 games last year that were above average, but it was just really inconsistent play from him and he’s an average defender. Many times he got beat horizontally by his man. Even if he improves, it’ll be at best probably by a couple of points. It’s why I was hoping he would be a good bench player. It’s like KD. Great off the bench player, not a starter in the SEC. 

[aucom96 1,641]

44 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

That plays in to what I was saying. Football’s nil can compete with almost anyone. In basketball schools like cincy and ucf are outbidding us…

I'm not sure football's can. Projected numbers I last saw have 8 teams in conference ahead of Auburn in available NIL dollars and we're way behind the likes of Texas, UGA, A&M and Alabama. Football is a sport with so many moving pieces that being behind will likely cement you in place with NIL. With basketball, I don't think that's as much the case. I know who Auburn is and know all the money is going to go to football, but in terms of purely investment, it's probably the worst sport for us to dump money into. Cincy and UCF understand that, but they don't have the football history.  

Edited May 18 by aucom96

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,819]

4 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

This is what reallllllly overcooks my grits!!! I would say 97% of the time the most commented on threads of the past few years have been game threads we lost and not that we won!!!! It drives me absolutely Fuggin crazy! There are certain posters who will post in game threads where it’s obvious we will lose and not hear a peep from in game threads where it’s obvious we will win!

I can understand certain matchups, like there's not going to be much to say about most of our OOC matchups (they stunk) or the Georgia/Vanderbilt games (they stunk). But there definitely was a group that came out to pile on the losses. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,819]

4 hours ago, aucom96 said:

I'm not sure football's can. Projected numbers I last saw have 8 teams in conference ahead of Auburn in available NIL dollars and we're way behind the likes of Texas, UGA, A&M and Alabama. Football is a sport with so many moving pieces that being behind will likely cement you in place with NIL. With basketball, I don't think that's as much the case. I know who Auburn is and know all the money is going to go to football, but in terms of purely investment, it's probably the worst sport for us to dump money into. Cincy and UCF understand that, but they don't have the football history.  

I think we have to wait to see how the collective NIL looks like when Auburn doesn't have to overpay for being a poor on the field product in football. I'm 100% sure that they're likely overpaying for some of these better players, which logically makes sense when you've been bad for a half decade. But hopefully they get to a point where they're either good enough on the field or they become a NFL pipeline, so that they can get some deals with guys. 

If they can become less of a black hole, it'd stand to reason that we can divert less to FB. 

[JuscAUse! 1,500]

5 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I think we have to wait to see how the collective NIL looks like when Auburn doesn't have to overpay for being a poor on the field product in football. I'm 100% sure that they're likely overpaying for some of these better players, which logically makes sense when you've been bad for a half decade. But hopefully they get to a point where they're either good enough on the field or they become a NFL pipeline, so that they can get some deals with guys. 

If they can become less of a black hole, it'd stand to reason that we can divert less to FB. 

I'd love to believe that , my friend. But really good players in the NFL leave championship teams for also rans every year. Tyreek Hill comes to mind without much thought. For bucks. I don't blame them at all, but that's how it is. And college is gonna be the same. And that will make it not the game we are accustomed to. 

I hope I'm wrong and some entity can fix it. 

[AUSCalum87 365]

Apparently we are in contact with two other guards, but it’s behind a paywall at On3 Auburn. Anyone know who they are referring to?

[aucom96 1,641]

12 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I think we have to wait to see how the collective NIL looks like when Auburn doesn't have to overpay for being a poor on the field product in football. I'm 100% sure that they're likely overpaying for some of these better players, which logically makes sense when you've been bad for a half decade. But hopefully they get to a point where they're either good enough on the field or they become a NFL pipeline, so that they can get some deals with guys. 

I hope you’re right, but it looks to me that even more successful teams like UGA and bama are having to overpay just to keep depth. The average NFL career is only around 3 years, so I expect the price tags to keep rising for everyone and those who have the money will compete, the rest will forever swim in the middle. You no longer will have the luxury of 2-4 years with a diamond in the rough you developed or a key recruiting win you can build a team around. If Coleman blows up this season, we’ll have to blow the bank up to keep him a second yea, not to mention the offensive linemen on the bench South Carolina may have to overpay for to patch another year’s rotation. 
 

Compared to overpaying for 10 or so guys in round ball, football is going to be really tough to show ROI in for the future.

[Lotto 224]

Anybody have any info on any transfer guard rumblings?  Anyone we’re thinking or looking towards?

Edited May 20 by Lotto

[arktiger1975 601]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-rankings-cincinnati-lands-texas-dillon-mitchell-from-transfer-portal-joins-top-25-and-1/amp/

Projected top 10 by CBS as of yesterday. The sky is not falling people.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,819]

Some QUALITY Teams on that list. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,199]

Last year we had a really good team and should have won at least 2 games in NCCA tournament. CBM losing his cool and not having a go to guard is what cost us. I think CBM will still be intense but a little more in control. I think Pegeus has given us the guard we lacked and I am willing to bet that Pettiford will be better then what we got from Holloway and he should be able to help at both 2 and 1. Adding Howard at SF and SG versus KD who was both great and bad and we should be better at both 1 and 2 and 3 and equal at 5. Only real loss is Jaylin. If Chaney improves a little and the two freshmen get better as the year goes on, we might be better then last year. I don't expect Chaney to match Jaylin but I think we are improved enough in other positions that we should be ok.

We are a veteran team adding a couple freshmen and a proven PG. 

Edited May 20 by AuburnNTexas

[AUSCalum87 365]

Pearl had some good info while he was at some charity golfing event today. Just to make bullet points on the important info since I can’t say explicitly what he said because it was from a paid site:

* Auburn is going after the best guard/wing available. Pearl stated he doesn’t care what position 1-3, he’s going after the best available in the portal. Said that we are in with 2 players for the last position. Wants to wrap up recruiting as soon as possible.

* Tahaad will only play point if it’s an emergency situation. Too good of a shooter to be worrying about being a point.

* Being really aggressive with our nonconference schedule. Wants to play as many as possible top teams in the nation. Difficult to do though since many teams don’t want to come to Neville Arena.

Edited May 20 by AUSCalum87

[Lotto 224]

ALEXANDER CITY, Alabama — Bruce Pearl has the luxury of flexibility as he searches for the final piece to his 2024-25 roster.

After adding SMU transfer forward Ja'Heim Hudson last Friday, things get a bit simpler for Pearl in the portal. The Tigers are looking for just one more guard to complete their lineup, he confirmed Monday. But it doesn't need to be a point guard. Pearl's personnel affords he and his staff the ability to essentially look for the best fit in the backcourt right now. 

"I think that's the last piece — one more impactful guard," Pearl said Monday before his annual Fore the Children golf fundraiser. "... We really need one more guy that has a chance to compete. It really doesn't matter for me which position it's going to be, whether it's a 1/2 or a 2/1, a 2/3, a 3/2 — it doesn't really matter. But it'll be one more guard. We've tried to be really patient to get the right fit. We're involved with a couple of really good ones. I can't believe we're in the middle of May, and we're not done recruiting. But that's what the combination of NIL and the transfer portal has done."

Auburn's first transfer pickup of the cycle was first team All-Southern Conference point guard JP Pegues from Furman. The Tigers had to fully reset their point guard position, after Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson transferred to Alabama and Michigan, respectively.

An important cog for Pearl in the early stages of sorting out his backcourt is freshman Tahaad Pettiford, one of the top-rated signees in program history and the No. 1 point guard in the 2024 class, per 247Sports. Pearl has been adamant that, because of Pettiford's offensive explosiveness off the ball, he won't be pigeon-holed as solely a point guard, particularly early in his Auburn career. But at 5-foot-10, Pettiford can still rotate at point, Pearl said Monday. That opens more doors for different types of guards for Auburn to evaluate in the portal.

"The reason why Tahaad's not a point guard right now is because he's such a good scorer and a good shooter," Pearl said. I just don't think putting the responsibility of making him — not only make the adjustment of high school to college — but make the adjustment to having the ball in his hands full time. So that's something that would not be as good for him. At the same time, I definitely see him coming in and competing for minutes at the 1, if I wind up taking a guy that's a 2 or a 3. If we take a 2, then he'll be right where he is. But if we do take a wing, then I think he'll, by virtue of his size, be put in a position where he'll play both positions."

Auburn also saw K.D. Johnson transfer and Lior Berman exhaust his eligibility at the 2 and 3 spots, respectively. Pearl said incoming freshman Jahki Howard, rated as the No. 53 overall player in the class, is capable of becoming a lengthy guard for the Tigers at 6-foot-6. 

"His offense is ahead of his defense, and yet I think he could become a good defensive guard," Pearl said. "He's got the length, he's got the athletic ability. It's just never been a huge focus for him. He's improved his 3 ball, and, of course, he's a human highlight reel."

Auburn gets Denver Jones back as its likely starter opposite Pegues in the backcourt, after the former FIU transfer shot 41.8 percent from beyond the arc. Pearl hinted that Jones could play more point guard next season, depending on the final transfer addition, after played the role a handful of times last season.

Pegues was Auburn's top transfer target at point guard, after the rising senior was one of only nine players in college basketball to average at least 18.0 points and 4.5 assists last season. Auburn saw him in an exhibition last preseason at Neville Arena, which Pearl said gave the Tigers some familiarity once he entered the portal.

"I think for JP, it was the fact that he had experience," Pearl said. "The fact that he'd been a three-year starter. The fact that he could really shoot the ball. He could play out of ball screens. He was a really good defender with a chance to be better. Because we had played against Furman in a preseason exhibition game, he knew the pace, he knew the way our guys played. That gave us a little bit of an edge, I think, when it came to actually recruiting him."

Pearl wants to have his final roster piece in place soon, as the Tigers are set to begin summer workouts shortly following Memorial Day.

"Can we play better defensively, can we shoot it a little bit better, and can we get a little bit more tough 2-point baskets, or a little bit more from the position," Pearl said of what he wants from his point guards next season. "That's what I need. Can JP or whoever plays the position give us a little bit more? Again. part of those guys not giving more was not turning it over. So I don't blame those guys for not putting themselves in bad spots. I think we can get more. The other thing, too, when we have as good of a frontline as we do, those guys need to be fed."

[AUSCalum87 365]

I want to add too that Pettiford could play point if we get another 2/3 guard. Denver could play point as well. 

[haleycenter 9]

I have some questions about this. Why would Pettiford be playing 2 when he was a pg in high school. And, being a shooting guard at 5'10" in the SEC? I don't see that as being feasible.  

And, I don't see Denver Jones as a point guard.  I think that would be disastrous. 

We need a scorer.  This is my first time weighing in but I'm in the pro Dion crowd. We only heard one side of the story. You don't just want to beat people for no reason.  Who knows what happened. And, it was two years ago. 

Bring em in.