1/5/2024 basketball Edit

Pearl continuing 11-man rotation

Bryan Matthews • AuburnSports

Senior Editor

AUBURN | No. 25 Auburn has rotated 11 players throughout the first 13 non-conference games.

That 11-man playing rotation will continue into SEC play.

“A lot of coaches will play a bunch of guys in non-conference, then get into conference play and shorten the bench. I’m not going to,” said AU coach Bruce Pearl. “These 11 guys deserve what they’re getting. They’ve just gotta be productive when they’re on the floor.”

Moore is an athletic and physical matchup for opposing wings or small forwards. (Steven Leonard/Auburn athletics)

A total of 10 players are averaging over 15 minutes per game while only four are averaging over 20 minutes led by Johni Broome’s 23.1. Lior Berman, who is averaging 6.6 minutes, usually rotates in a couple of times per game.

Broome says he sees the depth as a big advantage for Auburn. His backup at center, Dylan Cardwell, averages 15.5 minutes.

“As you can see in the second half sometimes or late first half, we're kind of wearing teams down,” said Broome. “I love when Dylan is on the court because I'm getting a break and there's also not a drop-off.

“Same way with the other four people on the team. And when I get back in, I can play a lot harder. I like being fresh when I'm on the court. I don't like being winded, but this year I haven't really been winded. That's a good thing.”

Sometimes the backups play more minutes. Starting ‘3’ Chris Moore, a defensive specialist, averages 16.6 minutes per game while his backup, Chad Baker-Mazara averages 19.5.

“It just shows the depth and the trust that we have in one another. We always preach our 11 vs. everybody’s seven or eight,” said Moore. “So that depth I feel like is an advantage for us because we can always, when we get in, we can always play with our heads on fire and know that the man that’s coming in for us is going to play the same way.

“I don’t feel like one player can handle two players playing like that. So I feel like that’s our advantage.”

Auburn, which finished the non-conference portion of its schedule 11-2, opens up SEC play at Arkansas Saturday afternoon. Tip-off at Bud Walton Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2.