Newcomers shine
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AUBURN, Ala. | Practice is underway as Bruce Pearl welcomes seven newcomers for his second season at Auburn. Preparations for the opener against UAB Nov. 13 began in earnest Friday with a second workout Saturday morning.
"I'll tell you what was really good -- very competitive, a lot of energy," Pearl said. "That's interesting because my comments after yesterday's practice, 'Let's see, let's see what tomorrow brings.' Well, tomorrow's a couple of steps backward only from a standpoint of the execution.
"The effort was really good. The question is, how quickly are we going to learn from the mistakes that we've made."
The newcomers include Marshall transfer Kareem Canty, who sat out last season, and Providence graduate transfer Tyler Harris. Canty was a standout during practices last year and should be an impact guard for the Tigers this season.
Harris brings much needed size, rebounding and scoring in the paint.
"I thought Tyler Harris has had a couple of really good days of practice," Pearl said. "Kareem Canty showed some toughness coming back from a little bit of a calf strain, came back and practiced, didn't think he was going to."
The newcomers also include four true freshmen and junior college transfer TJ Dunans, who is a slashing and athletic wing.
"Dunans can be as good as he wants to," Pearl said. "He's just got to keep consistent with his effort, his attitude, but he's very, very talented.
"He's very difficult to stay in front of. He's active defensively. He's a different dimension."
Freshman Bryce Brown should be one of Auburn's top 3-point shooters this season. He showed his range and accuracy during Saturday's practice.
"If he can see it, he can make it," Pearl said. "You can see that he's a really good shooter and had a good practice today."
New Williams should help out in Auburn's backcourt as he returns from a knee injury. He participated in Saturday's scrimmage. Power forward Horace Spencer should be an immediate contributor and a crowd-pleaser with his quick leaping ability, speed on the fast break and windmill dunks.
Small forward Danjel Purifoy could be the most talented of the freshmen with 3-point range and the size and athleticism to be effective inside the lane. Purifoy is in school and practicing with the team, but is still waiting to be ruled eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Of the returning veterans, Pearl singled out Tahj Shamsid-Deen for his play in Saturday's practice. The junior guard had surgeries on both shoulders this spring.
"I thought Tahj looked really good," he said.
Pearl also complimented the svelte Cinmeon Bowers, who is down to 250 pounds to start his senior season.
"He looks better," Pearl said. "I don't know if there any correlation between losing 35 pounds and a doing better job on the foul line but his stroke looks better.
"Cim is a guy who is definitely trying to learn how to giveth and not taketh away as much, not try to force his action as much and yet be aggressive. That's a real balance in there."
Auburn concluded Saturday's practice with a scrimmage. The orange team with Shamsid-Deen, Brown, TJ Lang, Bowers and Harris won 32-22 over the blue team, which included Canty, Dunans, Purifoy, Jordon Granger, Spencer and Williams.
Highlights from Auburn's first practice…
