Auburn basketball is bringing back its most production since...
Even with the notable departures this offseason, the Tigers are returning three of their top four scorers. That's a rare luxury in today's game.
C Johni Broome and C Dylan Cardwell (Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)
On Tuesday, the NBA released a list of 195 players who are early entrants in the 2024 draft. For the first time since 2017, Auburn didn’t have a single player on it.
In years past, several Tigers have spent the early summer months testing the NBA Draft waters. Johni Broome did that last year and decided to come back to school right before the deadline in late May. Others went through the process to gain feedback from the next level. Several stayed in the draft as future first-rounders.
But there won’t be any waiting around for Bruce Pearl and his staff this offseason. Since Broome and Dylan Cardwell had already gone through the draft process twice, they had to either stay in the draft for good or stay in school before the deadline.
They’re both coming back, joining former Division II transfer and breakout candidate Chaney Johnson to ensure Auburn will return three-fourths of its frontcourt from a 27-win season that included an SEC Tournament championship.
Jaylin Williams, who is out of eligibility after five record-breaking seasons at Auburn, is the only departure from that group. But the Tigers will get the rare benefit of returning an All-American in Broome, along with two more bigs who will also be entering their fifth seasons of college basketball.
“We had the advantage on the frontline almost every night,” Pearl said last month. “With the exception of Jaylin Williams, who was a top-75 high school player… Dylan Cardwell wasn't, Chaney Johnson wasn't, Johni Broome wasn't. Not McDonald's All-Americans. Not even Burger King.
“So, as a coach and a teacher and somebody who wants to talk about Auburn… man, those guys have worked really hard and been loyal to Auburn. We'll see what comes back there. Would love to have them all back. If we can, we'll have another dominating frontline next year.”
The backcourt situation has had much more movement. Both of Auburn’s point guards from last season, Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson, elected to transfer around the same time that the Tigers brought in the experienced JP Pegues from Furman. Energetic sixth man K.D. Johnson, meanwhile, chose to play his final season where he could get more playing time.
Still, Auburn will return two-thirds of its starting backcourt with Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones — both of whom played well as reliable scorers and defenders down the stretch of their first seasons on the Plains. They each averaged more than 10 points per game in the Tigers’ final 10 outings, and that includes Baker-Mazara’s early game-changing ejection in the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale.
Backup wing and hustle-heavy glue guy Chris Moore is also set to return for his final season after his strong finish to the 2023-24 season. And, while they’re not experienced pieces, Auburn is adding 5-star combo guard Tahaad Pettiford and 4-star wing Jahki Howard out of the high school ranks.
Auburn still has room to round out its 2024-25 roster. The Tigers brought in High Point guard Duke Miles for an official visit this week, looking to solidify that backcourt. They also still have time to add another forward after Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey canceled his visit.
No matter what happens the rest of the offseason, though, Auburn should be quite confident in its roster.
In a time of college basketball where massive roster overhauls are the norm, the Tigers are bringing back a massive amount of star power and experience from a team that performed like one of the best in the country for most of the previous season.
And, judging by Auburn’s recent history and what’s happening across the rest of the SEC, that looks like a good omen for a special season.