Auburn fans have, as Anfernee McLemore’s game has developed, enjoyed referring to him as “college basketball’s best-kept secret.”

But if the power forward keeps up the current pace of his senior campaign, he’ll be tough to keep under wraps from the rest of the SEC and college basketball world.

McLemore’s utility on both ends of the court — and his efficiency rates, when digging down into the nitty gritty of his shooting, defense and steals — is providing crucial versatility for No. 17 Auburn (18-2, 5-2 SEC) as it enters the meat of SEC play. Otherwise stated: Auburn plays some of its best ball when McLemore helps to create spacing on offense and doesn’t lose a step on defense.

Bruce Pearl tends to agree.

“We were a much better team with him on the floor,” Pearl said after the Tigers’ most recent victory over Ole Miss."

Here's why that may be.

McLemore attempted one singular 3-pointer his freshman campaign. Fortunately for his percentage from beyond the arc that year, he made it.

As he’s chipped away at becoming a stretch big, those attempts increased to 1.7 per game his sophomore year, 2.8 per game last season and 3.0 per game this year.

“I believe in empowering bigs to be able to step out,” Pearl said. “It’s a big part of what we do, and I think coaches will talk about that a lot, but will they really do it? Will they really let them shoot?

“... I know it’s one of the hardest things for us to guard when we have to go up against stretch-five men. It’s great. Anfernee has worked really hard at it, has spent a lot of time in the gym with it, so it’s something I believe in.”

Many of McLemore’s best looks come from the pick-and-pop game, with the 6-foot-7 senior screening at the 3-point arc, then strafing behind while his own defender is sucked in by the ball-carrier.

And that sequence doesn’t always have to occur from the top of the key. Here, Samir Doughty sees McLemore call for the screen, and with the shot clock below 10 seconds, Vandy defenders are afraid of Doughty driving the lane. McLemore’s pick gives him just enough separation, and the defenders leave him for a split second. This season, that’s all McLemore’s needed.

He’s not a big that has to be left wide open and needs to charge up his shooting stroke. That lefty release has been perfected since his sophomore season, and it’s one of the quickest on the team.

Auburn has to adjust when that shot doesn’t go as planned, however. On the very next possession, McLemore looks to set up an identical play on the opposite wing with ball-handler Jamal Johnson. But this time, Vanderbilt forward Jordan Wright (jersey No. 4) remembers the previous 3-pointer and rotates over to block the passing lane.

Granted, if Johnson had made the pass earlier (when McLemore was wide-open enough to hold up both hands for a second), like Doughty did on the previous play, it might have been another make. Instead, Johnson panics when he sees Wright cut off McLemore and tries to thread a pass across his body, resulting in a turnover.

If McLemore had been passed to, however, Wright would have been running directly at him, so an extra pass to Doughty would have resulted in a wide-open look.

These kinds of sequences — trying to work the ball to a lane that’s been cut off, whether it’s McLemore on the perimeter or Austin Wiley under the rim — have resulted in many of Auburn’s turnovers issues this year.

But it’s these kinds of looks McLemore creates for himself that have the senior second on Auburn’s roster in 3-point percentage at 35.6% behind only Johnson, a dedicated sniper.

McLemore and Johnson are the only Tigers this year above 30% in that category, and McLemore’s 3-point efficiency rate of .50 out of 1 is also second on the squad behind Johnson.

Efficiency rate means McLemore is taking high-percentage looks, even if that particular shot doesn’t go in. It means he’s smart with his attempts and isn’t forcing wild shots he’s not confident about. And amid Auburn’s current 3-game win streak, he’s been creating his best looks and making his most shots of the season.

McLemore’s 3-point bombs don’t always come from the top of the key or the wings of the arc.

When he’s opening up driving lanes for Auburn’s guards and wings, he’s noticing log-jams near the rim and rotating out to clear them. That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Pearl this season.

“When you put five guys on the floor that can shoot it, and when Anfernee’s playing the center position, I don’t care what you run offensively, it’s better,” Pearl said. “It’s just better because your spacing is so good.”

That’s not to say Wiley, a traditional, back-to-the-basket center with little shooting range, isn’t helpful to Auburn also.

Wiley’s rebounding value of 9.15 when he’s on the court is second in the SEC this season behind only Mississippi State’s Reggie Perry. And when Auburn is able to successfully work the ball to their center in the post game — a rare commodity as of late — he’s making 52% of his shots and draws the third-most fouls of any player in the SEC.

“When Austin’s in there, he’s going to be inside and his man’s going to be inside, which is going to make the driving lanes more difficult,” Pearl said. “It’s going to put their shot-blocker at the rim.

“... When Anfernee’s up there, we didn’t pull him away from the basket and all of a sudden everything we do looks better. It’s nothing personal between Anfernee and Austin, but when Austin’s in there, we got to do a better job of taking advantage of what he can do.”

McLemore turns Auburn into a different offense when he’s on the floor, even when the ball isn’t in his hands.

On Doughty’s go-ahead bucket in regulation against Ole Miss, McLemore’s defender is wary of his 3-point prowess in the corner. So as Doughty drives, he gets by his own defender while McLemore’s can only afford a low-effort swipe. Doughty only has to finish against one big instead of two.

But again, when McLemore is given the slightest bit of space, he’s making teams pay right now with 8-of-15 made triples over Auburn’s past two games. And teams have to stretch all across the court to defend him.

"I'm just going to continue to shoot my open looks and try to make as many as I can get,” McLemore said Tuesday. “... As I continue to improve my percentages in the game, I think coach will try to find me more and I'll be able to help the team a little bit more."

McLemore is Auburn’s leader in swiped passes with a steals rate of 2.3%. In that regard, he’s cutting off passing lanes and using his hands the quickest he has in his career.

He also provides important versatility for Auburn around ball screens, where he can keep his hips in a good position and not get beaten every time to the hoop by an attacking guard.

“I just think that, obviously the way Anfernee defends, the way he does impact ball screens, the way he flies around and protects the rim — he has worked really hard at being that stretch-five,” Pearl said.

McLemore tied a season-high three steals most recently in the Tigers’ double overtime victory over Ole Miss.

Against the Rebels here, after his shot is blocked on one end, McLemore comes back and de-rails what looked to be a simple, halfcourt possession by Ole Miss by extending his length to break up an easy pass on the wing.

That same patience and defensive IQ emerges when McLemore needs to contest shots, as well. He’s obviously not swatting attempts at the rate he was as a sophomore — when he led the SEC in blocks before a leg injury cut his season short — but McLemore has improved from last year in terms of affecting shots, averaging half a block more per game from 2018-19 to 2019-20.

Against Iowa State here, McLemore comes from the far side to help on a 1-on-2 fast break, denying guard Prentiss Nixon on a high layup after he gets past J’Von McCormick with a good move.

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McLemore needs another efficient performance Saturday, as he and the Tigers will be challenged by a likely future NBA selection in Nick Richards and a talented Kentucky squad inside Auburn Arena.

“As long as nobody's focus is on the lights or ESPN coming in or anything like that — just play our brand of basketball,” McLemore said of the Kentucky matchup. “I don't think anyone will have a problem as far as executing our game plan."

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