Auburn basketball is back – at least for this week.
The Tigers traveled to Israel over the weekend and will be taking on the Israel U-20 team, an Israeli all-star team and the Israeli National Team during the next few days.
These events will operate more like glorified scrimmages than proper games, but there are several intriguing storylines to watch as things unfold on the court.
Here's a look:
FINALLY, A PEEK AT THE NEWCOMERS
At this point, it’s more of a progress check rather than an actual test because there are still three months until the actual season starts. Still, seeing how the newcomers have progressed with their understanding and fit in the offense is something to watch.
Johni Broome has two years of college experience so he is a step ahead of the other newcomers. With that said, he must learn this offense and find his niche within it. With Broome being more of a traditional center, it’ll be on the guards to find him when he’s rolling or posted up near the basket.
That’s an area where chemistry likely isn’t fully developed yet, so expectations must be managed.
As for the three freshmen — Yohan Traore, Chance Westry and Tre Donaldson — there are different things to consider. Since they haven’t played a college game before, they are essentially going from playing high schoolers to playing against grown men. How will they respond to that given the physicality of European basketball?
For Westry and Donaldson, how is their grasp on running Pearl’s offense as floor generals? What do they already do well and what do they need to learn between now and November?
For Traore, how comfortable is he in Pearl’s offense? How is he with communication on defense?
Traore is a raw player so there are going to be learning moments for him on this trip, but he's going to have a few plays that will leave you in awe.
WILL THE 'REAL' FLANNY PLEASE STAND UP?
Allen Flanigan’s junior season didn’t go the way he wanted — largely because of an ill-timed Achilles injury. How will he bounce back after another six months of strengthening and rehabilitation?
His defense shouldn't be a problem; Flanigan had regained his defensive fervor by the end of the 2021-22 season.
What about his confidence on the scoring end? I wouldn’t look too much at the raw numbers for Flanigan during this trip, but keep an eye on how he moves and how confident he is shooting the ball.
Flanigan’s lateral movement was really affected by the injury. Let's see how he looks there as well.
FOLLOW THE RULES
FIBA rules are different from college rules. Wendell Green even mentioned to reporters that the traveling is called much more tightly when playing overseas.
A few additional FIBA differences include a different ball, a 24-second shot clock, being allowed to grab the ball after it hits the rim, quarters instead of halves, a wider lane and a slightly smaller court.
In addition to those differences, they’re going to have to adjust to the physicality of the game because European official tends to be less concerned about contact. How the players respond to that is also something to watch.
Pearl has talked about how the teams Auburn will face are going to throw up a lot of threes. That will test the Tigers' perimeter defense.
IT'S ONLY ROCK AND ROLL ...
Auburn basketball is back and it’ll be fun to watch.
Just don’t take these games too seriously.
The team is nowhere near where it will be by the start of the season. They're also playing by FIBA rules, which they'll never again follow for the rest of their college careers.
Auburn’s final two games will also be against grown men that have been playing professional basketball for a decade now.
This trip is about building chemistry and the experience of traveling overseas.
Drawing major conclusions from these games is a mistake. Instead, enjoy them for what they are.
FULL SCHEDULE*
All games televised live on the SEC Network
Aug. 2 – Auburn vs. Israel U-20 National Team in Jerusalem (Noon CDT)
Aug. 7 – Auburn vs. Israel All-Star Select Team in Tel Aviv (Noon CDT)
Aug. 8 – Auburn vs. Israel National Team in Tel Aviv (Noon CDT)
