SEC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2022-23 season

4. Auburn

Bruce Pearl has done wonders with this Auburn program since taking it over just eight years ago, including the Final Four run back in 2019. This past year’s team might have been his most talented Tigers squad, winning the SEC regular-season title before an upset loss in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are reloading with talent this season and still look like a prominent threat.

Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith are two people that will be nearly impossible to replace, but Auburn is doing their best. Junior guards KD Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. are back for another season, while 5-star center Yohan Traore will pick up some of the slack down in the paint. Morehead State transfer forward Johni Broome will have an important role in replacing those losses, while Pearl is depending on a few rotation players from last year to have bigger roles this year.

Auburn’s in a good place with these talented returning guards and depth and experience on this roster. If Traore and the other recruits are ready to compete from the beginning, then this Auburn team may be even better than we expect. However, Kessler and Smith were phenomenal talents and these Tigers will take a step back this year. Still, that step back might still include vying for an SEC championship again.