The Auburn Tigers are preparing to begin their second season under Steven Pearl, and exhibition play provided an early look at what this team could be capable of.
Auburn finished exhibition play with a 1-2 record, losing to Florida State and Alabama before defeating Samford 80-68.
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And while the Tigers showed plenty of potential, there are still some questions heading into Wednesday’s season opener against Southeastern Louisiana.
Here are five things we learned about Auburn basketball during exhibition play.
Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton will lead Auburn’s offense.
There isn’t much doubt about who Auburn’s two most important offensive players are, Pettiford and Overton combined for 45 points against Samford, helping the Tigers finish exhibition play with a victory.
Overton also scored 26 points against Alabama.
However, both players struggled against Florida State, combining for just two assists and seven turnovers.
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Pearl wants both guards to remain aggressive, but Auburn needs them to make better decisions and get their teammates involved.
Auburn’s physicality remains a major concern.
One of Auburn’s biggest problems against Florida State was its inability to compete physically.
The Tigers were outrebounded by 11, while Florida State freshman Marcis Ponder grabbed 21 rebounds.
Pearl didn’t hold back afterward.
“Our fives got punked,” Pearl said.
However, Auburn responded with a much more physical performance against Alabama before outrebounding Samford 44-27.
The improvement was encouraging, but the Tigers still need more consistency from their frontcourt.
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George Kimble III and Caleb Williams could play important roles.
Auburn has some intriguing players beyond Pettiford and Overton.
Kimble was one of Auburn’s few bright spots against Florida State, finishing with six assists and providing energy off the bench.
Pearl praised his toughness, especially considering it was his first game in approximately a year and a half.
Williams also showed his potential.
The freshman scored 11 points against Alabama before finishing with 14 against Samford, including three 3-pointers.
Both players could become important contributors as the season progresses.
Auburn must improve its offensive execution.
The Tigers struggled with shot selection against Florida State, attempting 42 3-pointers while getting to the free-throw line just 14 times.
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Pearl also criticized Auburn’s ball movement.
Against Alabama, the Tigers made just one of their final eight field-goal attempts.
Auburn has talented offensive players, but the Tigers need to do a better job of creating quality shots and executing late in games.
Auburn showed it can respond to adversity.
Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway was how Auburn responded after its disappointing performance against Florida State.
The Tigers played with more physicality against Alabama, nearly pulling off a victory before losing 87-85.
Then Auburn finished exhibition play with a 12-point victory over Samford.
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Pearl wanted to see improvement throughout the exhibition schedule, and the Tigers showed some.
But there is still plenty of work ahead.
Auburn opens the regular season Wednesday against Southeastern Louisiana at Neville Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
