AUBURN | Anfernee McLemore is used to catching a pass on the perimeter and quickly shooting. He’s made 56 3-pointers in his career, a lot for a center.

But he will be asked to do more on the perimeter this season, perhaps even a dribble drive.

“We'll see. We'll see,” McLemore said. “I did it one time in practice today. It felt okay, so we'll see. If I get a chance to, I might.”

McLemore, who has played center throughout his Auburn career, will be splitting his minutes between power forward and center this season.

“It was a change, I had to transition during the summer,” McLemore said. “I feel comfortable in the new role and I feel like it will help us expand this team. I’m on the perimeter a little bit more this year and able to do a little bit more things with the basketball.

“I think as far as playing and being comfortable, I feel like I am in a good place as far as playing the four. Now I’ll still be playing the five a little bit too, so it’s kind of like I’m doing a little bit of both.”

With Austin Wiley at center, Danjel Purifoy at power forward and McLemore splitting time at both, the frontcourt should be a strength. All three are seniors.

“I think that Anfernee and Austin will both return inside and I think they’ll both play better. We could be stronger at the position because it’s their senior year,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.

Having McLemore and Wiley on the floor together for the first time in their careers should give the Tigers more rebounding and shot blocking, but it also requires McLemore to defend a more athletic player and to handle the ball 23 feet from the basket much more than he’s been asked to in the past.

“Just working on my perimeter moves — being able to land in the paint on two feet and pass out of double teams and things like that,” said McLemore of the adjustment. “That's a thing I haven't had much experience doing live as far as I've been playing here at Auburn. I've been playing in the post a lot. So, just being able to feel comfortable dribbling the ball a little more is something I worked on this summer. I think I'll do a little bit more this season.”

Auburn hosts Eckerd game in an exhibition game Friday 30 minutes after the volleyball game against Mississippi State, which begins at 6 p.m. CT. The Tigers will host Georgia Southern in the season opener Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network.