Pearl puts his trust in J’Von
AUBURN | When Jared Harper opted to pass on his senior season and declare for the NBA Draft in April, Bruce Pearl and his staff faced the daunting task of replacing perhaps Auburn’s best-ever point guard.
Coming off the first Final Four appearance in school history meant there was some very good options out there, but Pearl opted to look within.
“I made a very conscious decision when Jared left early — there was probably still time to bring in a fifth-year graduate, maybe junior college point guard — but I just thought J’Von (McCormick) had earned the right to have the position next year based on how he played, based on how he led, based on how hard he was working.
“I just thought that by my leaving that alone it would give him the confidence to be able to handle it.”
McCormick is humbled by the faith Pearl has showed in him and will enter his senior season determined to elevate his game.
“It just shows that Auburn’s whole coaching staff is big on loyalty and they’re putting their trust in me,” McCormick said. “They’re with me 100 percent and I’ve just got to have the confidence to go out there and show it."
McCormick, along with senior Samir Doughty, has already taken a key leadership role with the team during the offseason. They’re two of five seniors on the roster to go along with seven newcomers and sophomore Jamal Johnson, who sat out last season after transferring from Memphis.
“I’ve just got to be more vocal,” McCormick said. “That’s a big thing I learned from Jared, he was very vocal. We’ve got a lot of younger guys so I have to make sure they know the plays and are in the right spots.”
On the court, McCormick averaged 4.1 points, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals in 12.1 minutes per game last season, his first at Auburn after transferring from Lee College in Baytown, Texas. But as the starter, and with Harper and Bryce Brown gone — two of Auburn’s all-time leading scorers — McCormick will have to take on a much bigger scoring role.
He did shoot .500 (10 of 20) from 3-point range last year, which was the best percentage on the team, but he’s worked extra hard on his shooting in the offseason because his attempts are expected to go way up.
“I feel like I need to take on a little more than I did last year. We have a lot of new players and they’re all not going to be ready so I feel like I need to score a little bit more this year,” McCormick said.
Just don’t expect McCormick to start filling up the basket like Harper and Brown did.
“I just don’t know that his personality is ever going to be shoot first,” Pearl said. “I think he’s going to want to win first, play-make next and then shoot. But he is a good shooter and he’s definitely got to be more aggressive shooting the ball this year than he was last year.”
Harper also filled a very important role last season as the go-to offensive threat in the final minutes of a game. He would often drive and finish at the rim or draw a foul. It’s handling those high-pressure situations that will perhaps be the biggest adjustment for McCormick.
“His biggest thing is just going to be the moment,” Pearl said. “He handled the moment in March, but there were times during the regular season when he didn’t handle the moment. Now he’s got to handle it as a potential starter. It’s a big leap for him, but I just think he’s ready and he’s earned it. He’s just earned the opportunity of getting the ball.”
McCormick is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in business marketing.
Auburn begins preseason practice Sept. 24. The Tigers will host Eckerd in an exhibition game Nov. 1 and open the season against Georgia Southern Nov. 5.
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