Auburn looking to improve 'lost art' of post game
Bruce Pearl wants his Tigers to become more efficient in what he considers to be a "lost art." And it he wants it done sooner rather than later.
With senior Austin Wiley the starter at center this year for Auburn, Pearl has had to transition his offense from the run-and-gun, 3-point barraging group that made the Final Four last season into a unit that can moreso utilize the 6-foot-11 Wiley, whose skillset screams traditional big man.
Only, Auburn's had mixed results attempting to feed Wiley the ball in the post three games into SEC play. Pearl puts a lot of the blame on himself, but that doesn't mean he's not irked by the lack of execution.
“I’m not surprised by it, but I’m disappointed in our ability to do it," Pearl said. "Passing the ball into the post is a lost art. We’re not doing a good enough job of teaching it, training it, coaching it. You see it over and over again. I was very frustrated in that game against Georgia."
When catching the ball on the perimeter, the Tigers should immediately look to the post, or have an idea of what's being set up there, Pearl said.
"They don’t often times, when they first catch it, have an idea whether the post is open, and that’s the only time it’s open," Pearl said.
If that player doesn't, that runs the risk of him driving or shooting and either ruining what could have been a worthwhile post possession, or hindering the efficiency of his own shot by attacking a clogged area of the floor — or, a turnover is the result.
"Maybe you don’t throw it right away, you hesitate and then you throw it and then it’s a turnover," Pearl said. "It’s just something that we have to work on and something we have to continue to get better at.”
While Wiley has struggled in his Auburn career, at times, to corral said passes in the first place and even begin work in the post, he hasn't done so recently, going the past six games without multiple turnovers in his name. When Auburn is able to successfully begin a possession with Wiley, the Hoover, Ala., product is converting 58.1% of his looks in the paint.
Granted, that's not the end-all, be-all for the Tigers' offense if they can't get Wiley going effectively. They're still top-40 in the country in effective field-goal percentage as an overall offense and are fourth in college basketball in 2-point shooting at 57.1%.
But the lack of an effective post game has hurt Auburn recently, particularly at the start of games, where the Tigers have been sluggish setting up halfcourt offense in the first few minutes of all three of their SEC contests thus far. It seems they would like to work the ball down to Wiley early, like Pearl said, but aren't entirely confident in doing so. As a result, the ball often finds itself in the hands of the point guard with just seconds remaining on the shot clock, and the possession ends in a poor attempt.
Those slow starts have been turned around, though, and have resulted in Auburn scoring 80, 83 and 82 points in three conference showdowns.
Against Alabama, however, Pearl knows his team will need good looks offensively throughout against the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation. He'll also need Wiley to be a big factor inside.
“I think it would be big," Pearl said of rebounding against the Tide. "If we can get the ball inside – inside shots and inside rebounds. If they miss their 3-balls – long shots and long rebounds, chasing it down with their speed and their quickness. Transition is important for both teams."
Auburn tips at 8 p.m. CST against Alabama inside Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday night.
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