Auburn basketball wrapped up summer practice at the end of July before taking a couple of weeks off for the end of summer and classes starting. Some of the AuburnSports.com team was in attendance for nearly every Auburn basketball practice this summer and got a firsthand look at the team and its newcomers.
So, where does Auburn basketball stand after the summer? Who stood out? Answers to that and more from Jay G Tate, Bryan Matthews and Christian Clemente.
Note: Auburn basketball resumes practice on Tuesday.
Which players stood out the most over the summer?
Jay's Answer: I was blown away by a few players, but center Walker Kessler was the very best for me. I wasn't sure what to expect after a solid-yet-unspectacular freshman season at North Carolina. Tall? Sure. Good? Sure.
Quick to the hole like a small forward? No, I wasn't expecting that.
I kept looking for some significant weakness in Kessler's game, but it's clear that he doesn't really have one. He can shoot — including enough three-point range to make him a legitimate threat from outside the arc. I watched him finish at the rim authoritatively with both his right and his left hand. He's not a ferocious rebounder per se, but he reads caroms well, boxes out consistently and gets up quickly for balls. He looks like the complete package to me.
If there's one knock, perhaps it's that Kessler tends to get down on himself quickly when he makes a mistake. He doesn't mope; he chastises himself to the point where coaches or teammates have to remind him that it's one mistake in one summer practice. He takes the game very seriously, you could say. He looks like a future star to me.
BMatt's Answer: It's Kessler for me too. I agree with everything JG said and I'll add that he's just a lot more coordinated than you'd expect from a long 7-footer. That's a lot of arms and legs moving quite smoothly. I like his 3-point range but it's his touch around the basket that stands out to me the most. He reminds me a little of Kevin McHale with his body control around the basket.
Jabari Smith really stood out too. For his abilities, of course, but I really liked how mature he played. He did a lot of things like rebounding, playing defense and communicating that you don't often see from a true freshman.
Christian's Answer: I’m looking at three of the newcomers: Jabari Smith, Wendell Green Jr. and Walker Kessler. First off, Smith might just be better than advertised. Rivals rated him as the No. 4 player in the 2021 recruiting class, but even that feels kind of low. He is without a doubt the most talented college basketball player I’ve watched in-person, and he’s going to make a massive impact for Auburn year one. When you combine his size, speed and shooting ability he becomes a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. I think there’s a good chance he’s Auburn’s best 3-point shooter this season.
Coming in from Eastern Kentucky Wendell Green Jr. looked sharp at point guard for Auburn this summer. Green was strong at Eastern Kentucky averaging 15.8 points and five assists per game as a freshman, but that was at Eastern Kentucky. His game seemed to have translated well and he was comfortable in a SEC practice. Granted, that’s practice, but he still looked better than I personally expected. His 3-point shooting and playmaking ability were both very, very good.
Walker Kessler is a very rare combination of size and talent that can’t really be explained until you watch him play in-person. Most players above 7-foot are clumsy, slow and struggle to run the floor. Kessler might be at his best when he’s running the floor in a fastbreak. I like the addition of Kessler even more after getting to see him operate in Bruce Pearl’s system. He should end up being fantastic for Auburn this season.
Who took the biggest step forward from last season?
Jay's Answer: I didn't see any massive improvement from any of the returners. I know Christian was really high on Chris Moore this summer and, yeah, he looked better than I remember. His shooting was more accurate than we saw last season, but I still don't understand what he is or what he does best. I think he's a physical guard (Mustapha Heron) in an undersized power forward's body. That may sound a lot like Malik Dunbar. Moore doesn't have that nasty streak — at least not yet.
BMatt's Answer: Nobody stands out as a clear answer but wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be Moore. He has one of the best-looking 3-point shots on the team and is poised to push Devan Cambridge for that backup spot at the 3. He can also play the 4 when Pearl wants to go with a smaller lineup. I like how well he rebounds for his size.
Christian's Answer: It’s all about Chris Moore for me. I wasn’t sold on him being a solid option as the backup 3, but he seems like he’ll be great off the bench for Auburn this year. He showed flashes last year, see: the Missouri game when he dropped 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting and 3-for-3 from deep in 14 minutes, but he was never a huge contributor. I think he could be a huge contributor off the bench this year. He looks slimmer and in much better shape which should help him keep up with some smaller guards. But he also has the size and the experience to play inside and get rebounds. Also, there’s a reason his nickname in practice was “3Mo,” his shooting stroke is smooth as butter.
Who's your X-Factor for this season?
Jay's Answer: I'm thinking it'll be Wen Green, the transfer from Eastern Kentucky. He's not a crazy athlete, but he's a good shooter and an aggressive shooter as well. His teams tended to do well in the scrimmages, too. Some of that was due to Pearl putting fellow point guard Zep Jasper with non-communicators like Al Flanigan and Jaylin WIlliams much of the time. Some of that was due to Green being smart in terms of discerning good risks from bad risks in real time.
What stood out to me was Green's willingness to take difficult shots — and make difficult shots. In that way, he reminds me of Samir Doughty. If he can bring that Samir flair to the game floor, man, that could put this excellent team over the top.
BMatt's Answer: I'm going with Jaylin Williams. He can play the 4 or the 5 and maybe the 3. He's made steady improvement over his first two seasons and I'd expect another step forward this year. Minutes will be a little tougher to come by with Smith, Kessler and Cardwell, but he could give Auburn a real difference-maker coming off the bench. He also gives Bruce Pearl the opportunity to go with a big lineup if he wants to play Williams, Smith and Kessler/Cardwell together. When was the last time Auburn was able to put that much talented size on the floor together?
Christian's Answer: This might be a little bit of an out-of-the-box pick, but I’m going with Georgia transfer K.D. Johnson. Looking at the starting lineup I feel confident that Green and Zep Jasper will be a solid point guard combo no matter who starts. I know what I’m getting out of Allen Flanigan. And I already talked about how I feel about Smith and Kessler. For what it’s worth, I really like Johnson and think he was a fantastic pickup. He’s my X-Factor in the sense that if he plays as good as I think he can, he pushes this team from say, SEC contenders to SEC champions. He was a tenacious defender in summer practices and his offensive game was on full display last year at Georgia when he averaged 13.5 points per game off the bench. If he can mesh well into this starting lineup I think he could end up being what pushes this team over the top.
Who starts at point guard?
Jay's Answer: They can be interchangeable depending on what Pearl wants on a given night — Green with deep shooting and Jasper with defense and ball-handling composure. I see Jasper as the more complete player right now.
BMatt's Answer: Green has caught my eye the most watching their matchup, but Jasper arrived later and plays a very aggressive style of defense. I think this is going to be a terrific battle for the starting position and I expect both will play a lot including sometimes on the floor together. I guess I'm going with Jasper but I don't have a strong opinion on this question and wouldn't be surprised at all if it was Green with his energy and long-range shooting.
Christian's Answer: Since both Jasper and Green announced they were coming to Auburn I’ve gone back and forth and back and forth on this. Initially, I liked Green. Then I saw how talented the rest of the starting five was and thought maybe Jasper and his defense could be better as a starter. But now, after looking back at my summer practice notes and seeing Green’s team win basically every scrimmage game, I’m back with Green.
They both excel in certain areas that I think will be huge for Auburn.
Jasper brings the experience and his incredibly strong on-ball defense that earned him the “Honey Badger” nickname at College of Charleston. I think Jasper is a little quicker, too.
Green is a playmaker, though. There’s a reason his team won most of the scrimmage games — he does what it takes to win. He has that takeover mode in him where he can just be simply dominant. His court vision is nearly as good as Sharife Cooper’s. Which is saying a lot.
Overall I think the minutes will be pretty much even no matter who starts, but I’m giving Green the nod.
Who needs to improve?
Jay's Answer: Devan Cambridge needs to start playing better defense, communicating on the floor and enhancing his leadership skills. As it stands right now, he's a largely aimless — albeit talented and well-meaning — player who sometimes helps his team with hot shooting yet often hurts his team with mental lapses. He must be better. This team needs something special off the bench. Cambridge can be that guy.
BMatt's Answer: Maybe it was just bad timing on my part, but every time I saw Devan Cambridge play this summer, he struggled shooting from 3-point range. He brings a ton of experience and is so fun to watch on the break, but that 3-point shot could use more consistency. I think KD Johnson is the likely starter along with Allen Flanigan on the wing so Cambridge will likely have to contribute off the bench.
Christian's Answer: I’m going to go with Jaylin Williams. Pearl thinks very highly of Williams and so do I. He’s one of Auburn’s most experienced players but you wouldn’t be able to tell it by watching practice. Williams needs to be more assertive. He needs to communicate more on the court and he needs to believe in himself. He’s an incredibly talented player, but sometimes he just hides in the shadows and doesn’t make as big of an impact on the game as he could. If he can become just a little more consistent and unlock that next level in his game I like his chances at an SEC Sixth Man of the Year award.
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