Auburn Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Tigers
Projected starting lineup
Point Guard – Wendell Green Jr., Soph.
Wendell Green Jr. looks to make an impact on a bigger stage for Auburn basketball after earning All-OVC honors in his debut this past season for Eastern Kentucky. He produced 15.8 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.4 rpg and 1.6 spg, showing no signs of slowing down as a scorer and playmaker while shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc.
Green was an active presence at the lead guard spot for the Colonels and will look to do the same for the Tigers after playing on a 22-7 squad. He knows how to make winning plays and is a pest on the defensive end after boasting a 98.2 defensive rating in 2020-21. He’ll fit right in with Bruce Pearl’s system.
Guard – K.D. Johnson, Soph.
K.D. Johnson is a familiar face to many SEC basketball fans after joining the Tigers’ rotation out of the transfer portal from Georgia. He was an All-SEC Freshman performer after producing 13.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 1.8 spg in 16 appearances off the bench.
Johnson still managed to appear in 22.5 minutes of action per contest for the Bulldogs while shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range. He’ll be another speedy guard that will take some pressure off Wendell Green Jr. in the backcourt.
Guard/Wing – Allen Flanigan, Junior
Allen Flanigan was a breakout player in the Auburn basketball rotation in 2020-21, producing 14.3 ppg, 5.5 RPG, and 2.9 apg, all career-high averages, across 27 games, all starts. He’ll be the unsung leader for a group that will boast some new faces in the starting rotation.
Flanigan is a 6-foot-6 prospect with a ton of promise off the bounce and as a perimeter shooter. He shot the ball 33.8 percent from behind the arc this past season and will look to improve on that number with his confidence on a high. As the only returning starter, he’ll look to set the tone as a leader this year.
*An injury will have Flanigan out until late December at the earliest
Forward – Jabari Smith Jr., Frosh.
Jabari Smith Jr. is one of the highest-ranked recruits in Auburn basketball history and last year’s Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year out of Sandy Creek High. He put up 24.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 2.8 bpg, and 1.6 apg while shooting 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc.
The 6-foot-10 big man has a ton of promise as an inside-out threat and should make an impact right away with his length, athleticism, and potential. He’s set to make a name for himself and follows in the footsteps of Jabari Smith Sr., who played at LSU for two seasons (1999-00).
Center – Walker Kessler, Soph.
Walker Kessler makes a leap from the ACC and UNC to SEC basketball, where he should make an instant impact for the Tigers. He’s a 7-footer that was under-utilized in a clogged Tar Heels’ frontcourt in 2020-21 but still managed to post 4.4 ppg and 3.2 rpg across 29 appearances.
Kessler shouldn’t have any trouble carving out a role for himself as a rim protector in Bruce Pearl’s system. He generated a defensive rating of 88.5 when he was on the floor for UNC this past season. Look for him to do something similar with Auburn basketball in 2021-22.