Contemporary off an Southeastern Convention event title final season and with a roster mixing a number of key returnees with vital transfers and freshmen, No. 11 Auburn opens the season at dwelling in opposition to a Vermont staff that returns most of its regulars from an NCAA Event squad.
A season in the past, Auburn completed 27-8 and used the college’s third SEC event crown to earn a No. 4 seed within the NCAA Event. Auburn was then upset 78-76 by No. 13 seed Yale within the spherical of 64.
Vermont earned its strategy to an NCAA Event bid after capturing the American East title. The Catamounts wound up 28-7, together with a 15-1 mark in league play, earlier than falling to No. 4 seed Duke 64-47 within the spherical of 64.
Of their season opener on Monday, the Catamounts beat UAB 67-62 in Birmingham, Ala.
Auburn returns ahead/middle Johni Broome, guard Denver Jones in addition to sixth man Chad Baker-Mazara.
Broome gained third staff All-America honors after a season through which he averaged 16.5 factors and eight.5 rebounds per recreation. Jones began slowly however averaged 9.1 factors and scored in double figures in seven of his final eight video games. Baker-Mazara logged 10 factors per contest at his fourth faculty in 4 seasons.
Affect transfers this season for the Tigers embody former Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly, who averaged 13.9 ppg a season in the past and scored 1,057 factors for the Yellow Jackets. Additionally notable is Furman switch JP Pegues, who put up 18.4 ppg final season and scored 1,080 factors with the Paladins.
Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford and freshman ahead Jahki Howard had been each four-star recruits from the main prep scouting providers.
Bruce Pearl, about to open his eleventh season as Auburn’s head coach, appeared impatient to get the season began for his squad, which was picked second within the preseason SEC media ballot.
“We have completed about all we will do proper now to form of put together,” Pearl mentioned at a preseason occasion. “I would like extra. I do know what the schedule seems like. I understand how bodily it should be. And it is exhausting for us to duplicate that sort of physicality daily in observe. The fellows are bored with hitting one another.”
Vermont returns 4 starters and one part-time starter from final season: TJ Lengthy, a senior guard who averaged 12.0 ppg; Shamir Bogues, a senior guard who added 11.3 ppg and led the staff in rebounding with 5.2 boards per recreation; senior ahead Ileri Ayo-Faleye (7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg); sophomore guard TJ Hurley (7.4 ppg); and senior ahead Nick Fiorillo, a someday starter who chipped in with 8.5 ppg.
The Catamounts, who do not need any gamers taller than 6-foot-9, had been outrebounded by the Blazers 49-35. Nonetheless, Vermont prevailed behind 20 factors from Hurley
Vermont was picked because the preseason favourite within the American East because it shoots for a fourth consecutive league title. Lengthy and Bogues earned all-AEC preseason honors.
“There’s at all times expectations, however being picked first within the league… you might have a little bit of a bullseye in your again,” mentioned coach John Becker, in his 14th season at Vermont. “Our guys are used to it now.”
–Discipline Degree Media
