What are the keys to Auburn's upcoming men's basketball season? It could come down to the transfers.
The exhibitions and scrimmages are over. On Tuesday, head coach Bruce Pearl and Auburn basketball will begin its 2023-24 season against Baylor.
Shooting has been a massive weakness the last few years, and to win with a team that might not be good defensively , Auburn will need to make some 3s. “Tonight we didn’t shoot it very well,” Pearl said Wednesday. “Probably the worst we’ve shot it in a while. I’m not worried about it; we’re going to shoot it fine. Most of the shots we got were good shots and balls that I think are going to go in. I’m not worried about our shooting from the free-throw line or the 3-point line.”What’s the bare minimum for Auburn’s defense?“Our defense is really challenged,” Pearl said after the exhibition.
The defense is going to take some time to come together. Losing Zep Jasper from last year’s team after he graduated certainly hurts Auburn’s defense. Jones and senior K.D. Johnson have been regarded as two of the team’s better defenders. Auburn will play Baylor, USC, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, either Oklahoma State or St. Bonaventure, and Indiana all before Christmas. There is a trip to Boone, North Carolina, to play a solid Appalachian State team and matchups against two very good mid-major programs in UNC Asheville and Chattanooga. March Madness team after March Madness team.