Auburn Basketball Roster Preview

College basketball is finally here. Auburn will open up against Baylor in a neutral site game on Tuesday. I am amped for this season. Auburn has a lot of new talent that I personally think will help us compete for the SEC title this year. I don't put too much stock in the first few games as they typically do not portray how the rest of the season will go, but I am interested to see how some of these new guys perform.

Let's talk about these new guys...

-Denver Jones:

Denver is an elite shot-maker out of FIU that fills a huge void in this team. Last year, Auburn finished 12th in the SEC in three point percentage. Auburn is at their best when they are fast-paced and when they are threats on the perimeter. The 2019 final four team perfectly laid out the blueprint for how Bruce Pearl wants his team to play. I think that Denver Jones is a perfect fit for this offense. He can score at all three levels, and his form is incredibly pure. I think one reason why this team struggled last year was because they lacked a guy that could go get a bucket when the offense got stagnant. I'm hoping that Jones will be a guy that we can give the ball to when we need points.

-Aden Holloway

Aden is probably the newcomer that I'm most excited to see this season. He is a five-star recruit out of Prolific Prep. I've watched him pretty closely over this past year, and let me tell you, this kid is legit. He's a true playmaker, an elite shooter, and can finish around the rim surprisingly well for his size. I expect him to contribute significantly right off the bat. I'm not sure if he will start over Tre Donaldson to start the season, but I think he will get more and more minutes as he begins to prove himself over the season. Auburn fans are going to love this guy. He's battling an ankle injury right now, so I'm hoping that he's 100% by tomorrow. Look for Aden to potentially be the next "one-and-done" out of Auburn.

-Chad Baker-Mazara

CBM is a transfer out of Northwest Florida State College that had previously played at San Diego State. He is a lengthy shooter (beginning to notice a trend?) that will add size to the lineup. His shooting numbers at his JUCO were outstanding, finishing at 46.9% from behind the arc. While at San Diego State, he got to play limited minutes in the NCAA tournament, but he made the most of those minutes, leading the team with 17 points. He is another guy that can score at every level, and when he gets to the foul line, he is just about automatic. In the exhibition game last Wednesday, he was a perfect 11-11 from the line. This will be incredible to have late in games where we need to finish teams off by knocking down free throws.

-Chaney Johnson

Johnson is probably the newcomer that I know the least about on this roster, so I am interested to see how he is utilized against Baylor. Johnson is a transfer from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a D2 school right down the road from my hometown, Hartselle. Because of this, there is limited film on him, but from what I can tell, he is an elite athlete. I do know that he maxed out on the vertical jump measurement during the offseason, so he will be a high-flyer. I'm hoping that he uses his bulky frame to bully people on the glass, and I've heard he can shoot it pretty good too. I'm excited to see how he can contribute on this team. He at the least will add some depth, which is essential on a Bruce Pearl team. Bruce likes to run, and he keeps his guys fresh by subbing frequently.

Those are the four guys that I expect to contribute minutes on this team. There are a couple other Freshmen and transfers that I won't discuss as I don't think they will be a part of the normal rotation.

Obviously, we have some big pieces returning as well. Here are my expectations for them...

-Johni Broome

Broome proved to be one of the best big men in the SEC last year, and he has very high expectations coming into this season. He was given the honor of Preseason First-Team All-SEC, so he is expected to be elite. After a few incredible performances at the NBA draft combine, Auburn fans were worried that he might elect to keep his name in the draft pool and pursue a professional career. He chose to come back to Auburn, and this will be huge for this team. I fully expect Johni to lead this team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. He has great footwork around the rim, and his perimeter shooting is rumored to have drastically improved. If he can improve his free throw shooting, he will virtually be unstoppable on offense. He will be one of the best players in the SEC. He injured his shoulder in the exhibition game, but I've heard that he should be good to go for the Baylor game.

-Jaylin Williams

Williams elected to return for his fifth year at Auburn, and I am very happy that he did. He has been the x-factor for this team for a few years now. When he is playing good, the team as a whole is playing good. He improved as a shooter, shooting a career high 35.4% from three last year. I want to see him be aggressive this year. It seems like at times, he sort of hides on offense a little bit. I want him to shoot it. I want him to drive and shoot that left-handed floater from just inside the free-throw line. I want him to average five or more rebounds a game. We need Jaylin at his best if we want to compete for championships this year.

-K.D. Johnson

KD is the type of guy that you only like if he is on your team. I still remember him opening up his season at Georgia against Auburn his freshman year. I couldn't stand him. Now that he is on the good side, I love him. He is a ball of energy that is going to play at 1000 miles per hour every second that he is on the floor. I expect him to do what he's always done -- provide a spark. I expect that he will come off the bench, and he needs to be one of the guys that helps keep the offense running and the defense solid while the starters aren't on the floor. I want to see him take better shots this year. We've got plenty of scorers on this roster, so there is no need to force contested jumpers like he has in the past. He shot only 38% from the field last year. I want to see that number get up into the mid 40's this year.

-Tre Donaldson

Tre was quiet for the majority of the year last year. He then exploded from behind the arc in the NCAA tournament, hitting five threes across two games. I'm hoping that he will run with this momentum and become a guy that we can expect to score 8-10 every night. He will Aden Holloway will probably split minutes at the point guard spot, so he will need to continue being an efficient facilitator for this team. His assist:turnover ratio was right at two last year. I'm hoping he will get that number up to 3 now that he's got some experience under his belt.

-Chris Moore

Chris Moore is one of those guys that you describe as a "junkyard dog." He is not afraid to get physical. He will dive on the floor for a loose ball. He will box out the biggest guy on the floor. Similar to KD Johnson, he will raise the energy level on the court every time he steps out there. He will need to do just that. On a team full of scoring threats, he doesn't have to be a scorer. He needs to go chase extra possessions on the offensive glass. He needs to play great defense. He needs to be a junkyard dog, and I fully expect that he will.

-Dylan Cardwell

Dylan is another energy guy. He will normally get anywhere between 10-15 minutes a game, and he is a solid contributor when he's out there. He rebounds very well, he is a great rim protector, and he is a lob threat at all times. He also averages about two moments per game where he completely loses his mind. Sometimes it's a bit much, but if that's what it takes for him to play well, I'm all for it. Dylan will be another key depth piece as he has been in years past.

-Lior Berman

Lior has been a fan favorite these past few years at Auburn. He is a pure shooter off the bench, and I expect him to continue embracing this role this year. I'm hoping he will be more comfortable on the floor this year now that he's gotten significant minutes at Auburn. I'm hoping he will shoot it at around 40% from three this year. He finished up at 35% last year, but I think he forced it at times when he didn't know what to do with the ball. If he takes good shots, I believe 40% is very attainable.

Those are all of the guys that I think will contribute minutes this year. I have high expectations for this roster. I think we have a good mix of experience and young talent. That seems to be the formula for success in the postseason. Teams that have experience typically have success. This team has potential to do great things, and I am sure that Bruce Pearl will have them ready to play tomorrow.