SEC Sleeper Team? Why Not Auburn?
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
We all know that when it comes to SEC with basketball it is pretty much Kentucky and the other 13 (which an argument might be the same for football with Alabama and the other 13), but but something is taking shape that is giving many SEC fan bases hope in places: recruiting. This year many have seemed to have that great hope in places like Alabama (though Bama fans are really excited of what is coming up NEXT year as they have a top 5 recruiting class), Georgia (a hope of a NCAA tournament appearance), Florida (a rebound year and excitement in Gainesville), South Carolina, etc. But the team that people need to take notice? Auburn.
Pearl has rebounded his image-and Auburn basketball.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
For one, Bruce Pearl is a great head coach. Yes, he really messed up at Tennessee with the recruiting/lying bit. If he learned from his mistake then it is advantage Auburn. Say what you will in his first two years, but Auburn was in a bad spot when he arrived. It had to take him two years to get the Tigers back in order and he has done that. His recruiting of Mustapha Heron (more on him later) and Daniel Purifoy has been solid, though Purifoy has made very questionable decisions with the ball. He also added Austin Wiley, another 5-star guy in an early move as he was a 2017 recruit. Add in Jared Harper (who is averaging 12 points per game) With those guys in the fold already trying to make an impact, Auburn could turn some heads in the SEC.
TJ Dunans has been through mostly lows at Auburn.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Also, there are some key vets on the team, notably senior TJ Dunans. Dunans, averaging 8.8 PPG, has been a solid presence in the backcourt, though his numbers are down from last year. He did hit a game-winner against Mercer at the buzzer last week and then put up 21 points in a big win against Oklahoma. He's the team captain and the guy who calms the freshmen at Auburn. Add in Bryce Brown for more backcourt help and Horace Spencer up front to crash the boards, which Auburn desperately needs, and you have a very balanced team. But Brown and Spencer need to get their heads cleared after a suspensions from their marijuana arrests, which doesn't bode great for Auburn's group of freshmen. But if they focus back, then things can get real interesting.
Mostly Auburn's group is a bunch of young guys and Dunans. Your top 3 scorers/impact players are freshmen and a 4th guy who is starting to log key minutes (Wiley) is also a freshman. So for them to do it this early and this quickly stands out well in a conference like the SEC. Are they on the same talent level as Kentucky? No, but unless you are Kansas, Duke, or North Carolina, you aren't. But in terms of the rest of the SEC, they could take down a lot of the other programs that are also considered a threat in 2016-17.
Auburn needs to do a better job of crashing the boards.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
There are hiccups obviously for Auburn. Wiley has only played 3 games and has a total of 9 rebounds. In fact, rebounds are a huge issue for the Tigers right now. Even in wins against the likes of South Carolina Upstate, Georgia State, and Mercer, Auburn has been outrebounded in those games (including being outrebounded 41-26 by Mercer). The last two wins against Oklahoma and UConn though, they have outrebounded their opponent. So far Wiley hasn't been heavily involved, but he can provide a presence in the conference games agianst the likes of Kentucky and Florida. The Tigers can shoot and slash while playing a good full-court press, but they will need to hit after it down low, which could be an issue if that doesn't improve. The turnovers are another concern as they are 151st overall. Dunans, Heron, and Purifoy have to be safer with the ball (in Purifoy's case, smarter as in better shot selection, passing, etc.). Heron is a slasher and creates offense so you somewhat can forgive him for that as the goods far outweigh the turnovers for him. If the turnover rates drop, Auburn will be looking good come March.
Heron can garner a lot of national attention if Auburn makes a strong run in February and March.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The key guy in all of this is Heron. He is the first five star recruit Auburn landed and he has shown he is as much so far. He might not get the same publicity as Malik Monk at Kentucky or Miles Bridges Michigan State, but he has quietly developed into a game-changer at Auburn, which should be very scary to those who still have to face the Tigers. If everybody else plays the way they are capable, Heron will put up better numbers and get others involved as he has done so far.
Maybe Auburn's window really opens up in 2017-18, but right now it is easy to see that window now. The players are playing great, despite some mistakes and have learned pretty well on the spot with the 4 major freshmen they have. If they can get off to a strong start before the Kentucky game on January 14th at Rupp, then their chances of really making a March push will continue to increase. Of course, rebounding needs to keep improving, but it isn't hard to see that this year Auburn might be SEC's sleeper program.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat
