The non-conference portion of the season could not have gone much better for Bruce Pearl and his Auburn squad. A double-overtime loss to UConn stands between the Tigers and a perfect record. Jabari Smith is living up to his billing, the transfers are making an immediate impact, and Allen Flanigan is back and ready to add to an already deep roster.
A demanding SEC schedule awaits Auburn with contests against currently ranked Alabama, LSU, Kentucky and Tennessee on the slate and challenging trips to Arkansas and Florida. The Tigers' eyes are on the conference title and much more, but as Pearl admits, there are still areas where his team must improve.
With Auburn opening up SEC play on Wednesday against LSU, here are five storylines to watch.
1. Jabari and the killer instinct
We've seen flashes of the freshman sticking up for his teammates (hello, Jim Boeheim!) and taking over stretches of the game when needed. Of course, he's used to getting the best shot from everyone he goes up against, but on the road in conference play, that will be multiplied by ten.
The best thing you can say about Jabari is that he is the ultimate team player, doing all the things necessary to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches while making sure his team comes out on top. There's going to be a moment late in a game, sometime soon, when he realizes he is the best player on the court, so the ball best be in his hands. This doesn't mean he has to take the shot, but the amount of attention he receives will ultimately free up his teammates for open buckets.
This is where his instinct comes into play.
2. With Flanigan back, who gets fewer minutes?
With the guard missing the first 11 games, Devan Cambridge filled in as starter while Lior Berman earned 11.7 minutes per game. As Flanigan works his way back to full strength, these two will continue to get time on the floor, but once the junior hits full stride, one of them will see their minutes diminish.
Cambridge's shooting has improved, but he often looks confused on the defensive end. The same goes for Berman, who is not a great defender while being an instant bucket. If I had to guess, it will be Cambridge due to his experience and size that will get the call off the bench, but Pearl has continually said Berman has earned more minutes.
It isn't exactly the worst problem to have.
3. Health
I can hear the collective sigh of everyone reading this, but the fact is more and more games are once again getting postponed due to COVID. The Tigers should heed this warning.
That's all I'm going to write on this topic. You're welcome.
4. Walker Kessler Block Parade
Kessler has been a blocking machine, already racking up 46 through 12 games, good for third in the nation. He will now go up against better players game in and game out, and we will see how the sophomore handles both the competition and workload. Against UConn's Adama Sanogo, Kessler struggled. His biggest test will come on Jan. 22 when Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe comes to town. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound junior leads the Wildcats in points (16.1 per game) and rebounds (15.5). Speaking of rebounding …
5. Rebounding? Rebounding
Pearl wasn't exactly happy with how the Tigers crashed the boards against Saint Louis in their comeback victory, getting outrebounded by 19. Unfortunately, this isn't a blip in the radar as Auburn continues to give up offensive rebounds at an alarming rate. Luckily, the defense has been so good that second-chance points have been hard to come by, but when the game is close like it will be in conference play, giving up an offensive board can be the difference between a victory and defeat.
