Auburn Basketball: Tigers to rely on veteran backcourt for 2018-19
Auburn Basketball will be looking to continue their momentum for the 2018-19 season. To do that, the Tigers will have to rely on a veteran backcourt to lead the way.
Coming off of their first regular season SEC title in 19 years, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl must be gleaming with hope and anticipation for the upcoming season. While the Tigers definitely have high expectations, they also have the momentum and the depth to create a stir on the road to March. Overflowing with youth, last year’s squad caught the eye of everyone in the college basketball world. Now, Pearl must find out about the experience his players have can avoid a “sophomore slump” if you will.
Senior leader and guard Bryce Brown will be a crucial extension of Pearl’s coaching on the court. Brown will be expected to be a vocal leader for the young Tigers squad. With 32 steals last season, Brown will be a threat to transition the floor and let the highlights flow once again. His supporting cast should allow him to share his wisdom and turn that experience into wins for this upcoming season.
Also important to the team is senior point guard Jared Harper, who racked up the most playing time out of the entire roster. With Harper directing traffic for whichever 4 teammates are on the floor, the Tigers can hopefully find more explosive plays with a seasoned general in Harper directing the charge.
The guards are important because of the team bringing back big men Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy, who were held out of games while the NCAA Investigation into improper benefits were going on. While both have NBA potential, each of them still has plenty of developing to do. Having upperclassmen guards such as Harper and Brown will make them better players in the process.
Next. Preseason SEC Rankings for 2018-19. dark
Pearl, who is no stranger to showing his excitement, must be pacing his office floor constantly these past few months. One reason for sure is that he is a tireless worker and prepares with such high energy. But there must be a small part of him, amidst all that pacing, that sees what could be at the end of the road to the Final Four for the Auburn Tigers. Having a veteran backcourt to lead the way in 2018-19 gives them a strong chance of doing so.