Auburn Basketball: How Tigers reached the 2019 Final Four

By Dakota Cox | Apr 2, 2019

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: Bryce Brown #2 of the Auburn Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 31: Bryce Brown #2 and Jared Harper #1 of the Auburn Tigers react to a play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at Sprint Center on March 31, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Key players this season for Auburn

Auburn has had a tandem in the backcourt all season, and their forces paired with Chuma Okeke to make a strong trio. Part of what makes this team work is the depth they have, but those three are the ones that made this team so successful.

Bryce Brown is their leading scorer at 16 points a game. His latest hot streak from behind the arc has bumped his average to a stunning 41 percent. His tempo helps push the team in transition, and it makes him a perfect running mate to pair with Jared Harper.

Jared Harper helps facilitate the offense. His 15.4 points a game is second on a team, and his 5.8 assists is first. He converts threes at 37.1 percent. When he attacks, his ability to find the open shot helps make this offense work. Pair that with his three-point shot and scrappy defense and he’s dang near unstoppable.

Chuma Okeke was the glue guy for this team. His 6.8 rebounds a game was part of the reason why the guards could push into the outlet in transition. His ACL injury was devastating for this team. It will be hard for Auburn to keep winning without him. The one silver lining for the team is that they have rallied around the injury. They are doing it for Chuma.

In terms of rotation, Samir Doughty and Malik Dunbar help the offense run. Although no specific player gets a lot of rebounds, their ability to board by committee makes this team hard to beat. Outside of their big three (now a dynamic duo), they have plenty of valuable role players.

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