Dylan Cardwell is a whole lot more than just a hype man

Auburn fans' favorite big man has developed a reputation for being a super-sized spark plug. But so far in his junior season, he's been an all-around difference-maker.

C Dylan Cardwell (Jacob Taylor/Auburn Athletics)

Unlike many college students cramming during finals week, Dylan Cardwell doesn’t drink coffee.

The junior center recently came into an Auburn press conference chewing on a long wooden stirrer. When asked what he’d been drinking, Cardwell was quick to respond that he didn’t like coffee — he just liked chewing on the stirrer.

So that energy you see from Cardwell on the floor and, occasionally, on the Jumbotron at football games?

That’s all natural.

In his first two seasons at Auburn, Cardwell developed a reputation for being a hype man. No one plays to the crowd more than the 6-foot-11 Georgia native, who flexes after blocked shots, gestures to fans after dunks and celebrates defensive stops like a professional wrestler gearing up for their finisher.

But so far in his third season for the Tigers, Cardwell has been much more than just a super-sized spark plug. He’s been one of the most impactful players on the entire roster.

Through eight games, Cardwell’s scoring numbers and rebounding rates are all career-highs. He has blocked 16.4% of opponents’ two-point field goal attempts when he’s been on the floor, which ranks No. 3 in all of Division I basketball. He’s shooting 81.8% from the field, which ranks No. 6.

His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is the highest on the team at 28.8. He also leads the Tigers in win shares per 40 minutes (.273), offensive box plus/minus (4.0), defensive box plus/minus (9.4) and, in turn, overall box plus/minus (13.4). No one has a higher offensive rating (137.0), and his defensive rating (76.4) only trails fellow center Johni Broome.

And that’s just scratching the surface of his statistical impact.