Entering his fifth season at Auburn, Dylan Cardwell had scored double-digit points in just seven games, five of which came last season as his role continued to grow.

With 10 points against Ohio State, the center has three this season alone in 10 games. So what's the reason for this outburst, including his 18 points in the Maui Invitational title game against Memphis? It might just be who he teamed up with this summer in pickup games.

"This summer, we played two vs. two," Johni Broome said. "We were two vs. two partners all summer. We didn't lose. We did that just so we could get the chemistry right. That just shows how our teammates are and our team as a whole. We play with each other all the time, so when we get on the court, we've already gelled."

That relationship has transformed the Broome-Cardwell duo into one of the most fearsome frontcourts in college basketball. With Broome recording another double-double, including a career-high 20 points against the Buckeyes, it was Cardwell with the highlight slams and blocks that brought the partisan Auburn crowd to its feet again and again.

On one play with more than seven minutes to go in the game, Cardwell missed a dunk on an alley-oop pass. After the Tigers recovered the ball, his teammates found the big man wide open with just the rim in front of him. Cardwell wasn't going to miss this one, putting the hammer down on the basket with force and then hamming it up with the crowd.

It wasn't the first time he had done that in the game. With a Buckeye player driving to the basket in the second half, Cardwell came from the side and rejected his shot. The Augusta, Ga., native made sure to let the fans know he was pumped, doing his usual "bring on the noise" motion before putting his hand next to his left ear to get the Auburn faithful even more energized.

He finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two assists.

The maturation by Cardwell has been interesting to watch both on and off the court. Following the title game in Maui, he mentioned that he had seen Broome as an opponent instead of a teammate for some time after he arrived from Morehead State. Now, he saw how they can both be effective on the court as they have shown this season with both being in the starting lineup. While Broome gets most of the attention, and for good reason, as he is putting up a historic season that should make him the early favorite for national player of the year, it is Cardwell who feels like the heartbeat of this juggernaut that is the 2024-25 Auburn Tigers.

"That's my brother," Broome said of Cardwell. "Playing with him is fun. We enjoy playing with each other."

They certainly are.