Tigers should add these 3 positions in portal
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AUBURN — Nearly every team in the country deals with some level of attrition, but Auburn basketball has experienced more this offseason than some expected.
Zep Jasper used up his eligibility; Wendell Green Jr. declared for the 2023 NBA Draft; Yohan Traore and Babatunde Akingbola announced their intentions to enter the portal; and Chance Westry reportedly has plans to transfer, too.
That leaves coach Bruce Pearl with more than a couple holes to fill this offseason. He’s already started working on it by inking Florida International transfer Denver Jones on April 9. Aden Holloway, a four-star point guard in the Class of 2023, will be another newcomer.
Along with those two, here are a few other types of players Pearl should look for in order to reload his roster.
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Shooter on the wing
Of players who took at least 30 3-pointers last season, the Tigers only had three shoot above 33.5%: Tre Donaldson (40.6%), Lior Berman (35.5%) and Jaylin Williams (35.4%). As a team, Auburn knocked down 31.5% of its triples, a mark that ranked 12th in the SEC, ahead of only Ole Miss (30.3%) and Mississippi State (26.6%).
And it’s not a guarantee Berman and Williams will be back, either. Both players have an extra year of eligibility to use due to COVID, but they were honored at Senior Day along with Akingbola, Jasper, Allen Flanigan and Chandler Leopard.
Jones, who made 37.1% of his shots from long range last season, will help. Adding another shooter on the wing to either pair in the starting lineup with Jones or bring off the bench should be of high importance.
Starting forward
Similar to Berman and Williams, Flanigan can return for another season despite spending four years with the Tigers. He’s yet to announce his decision, but his father, Wes Flanigan, is reportedly leaving the Auburn staff and joining Chris Beard at Ole Miss.
Whatever the case, with uncertainty at both forward spots, urgency in filling those roles is a priority. Chris Moore, who just finished his third season on the Plains, could move back into the starting lineup; he began last season as the starting small forward before injuring his right shoulder in January and coming off the bench upon his return.
A big reinforcement
Johni Broome started 33 games at center last season, even though Dylan Cardwell is the only scholarship player on Auburn’s roster listed at that position. He’s also the tallest at 6-foot-11. Broome is a 6-10 forward.
There were times in 2023 − the overtime loss at Alabama being the biggest example − where one of, or both, Broome and Cardwell were sidelined with either injuries or in foul trouble. Broome fouled out versus the Crimson Tide with 7:31 remaining, and Cardwell hurt his ankle in the extra period.
Instead of…
Read More: Tigers should add these 3 positions in portal 2023-04-18 09:11:34