NCAA Basketball: 2018-19 preseason top-25 power rankings

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Devonte' Graham #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks huddles with teammates in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 18: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers talks with Harper. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /

One of the most surprising teams in the country last season, Auburn finished 26-8 (13-5 SEC) in 2017-18 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002-03. The Tigers were extremely impressive over the course of the season and, despite the fact that they were obliterated by Clemson in the second round, this was a very successful season for head coach Bruce Pearl’s squad.

As we head into this season, Auburn returns six of its top eight scorers from last season. And although the losses of Mustapha Heron and DeSean Murray will surely be tough to overcome, the Tigers have plenty of pieces to be successful this season. Most notably, two top-notch scorers are still coming back in Bryce Brown and Jared Harper. These two guards both averaged over 13 points per game this past season and Harper also functioned as an elite playmaker.

Behind this duo, the program also returns some dangerous supporting pieces in Chuma Okeke, Anfernee McLemore, Malik Dunbar, and Horace Spencer. All of these players saw the court for at least 14 minutes per game last season and functioned as solid depth pieces at the very least. Also, the returns of Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley are highly anticipated.

Additionally, the Tigers are bringing in their fair share of transfers. Samir Doughty, a 6-foot-4 guard, last played for VCU in 2016-17 and averaged 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Point guard J’von McCormick is also joining the team as one of the best JUCO transfers in the nation.

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