Auburn Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for Tigers
By Joey Loose
Key Reserves
Forward – Jaylin Williams (Senior)
After starting in the frontcourt as a sophomore, Williams settled back into a reserve role last season, averaging just 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds a game in more limited minutes. He’s expected to be a bit more of a factor this season, as the power forward looks to build on a disappointing season. However, he’s an athletic figure and many teams would take someone like Williams on their bench in a heartbeat.
Guard – Tre Donaldson (Freshman)
A 3-star point guard prospect from Florida, Donaldson is on this Auburn roster because he rates as a fantastic defensive player. Profound at both basketball and football, Donaldson’s focus is solely on basketball now; he was a highly-regarded prospect at safety as well. He’ll work on his offensive game and eventually bring depth and athleticism to that defense.
Forward – Chris Moore (Junior)
A reserve wing, Moore has played the bench role his first two seasons and might be in line for similar treatment this year. He’s not the most talented piece in the frontcourt, and he really struggled to take care of the basketball last season. One metric that stands out is his ability to grab boards on the offensive end; we’ll see how he fares with minutes this year.
Guard – Chance Westry (Freshman)
Westry is a 4-star prospect who might see starter-level minutes from the Tigers this season. While he’s still improving his strength, he has the size at 6’6 and the talent to play all over the court. He’s had success from long-range and could develop into an important weapon for Auburn in all kinds of outside roles.
Guard – Allen Flanigan (Senior)
Flanigan was developing into a star before a leg injury really impacted him. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.3 points per game but managed less than half of that production last season. The Tigers are hoping for nothing less than a complete bounceback for Flanigan, now more than a year removed from his Achilles injury. He might swipe back one of those starting spots if he can return to form.
Center – Babatunde Akingbola (Senior)
We may not have seen Akingbola’s full potential, as he’s played just 46 games in his collegiate career. He’s an impressive shot blocker but has struggled on the offensive end, scoring just 55 points in his career. Last season he barely saw the court, but with big changes in the frontcourt, he may get called on to step up this season.
Center – Dylan Cardwell (Junior)
Cardwell spent the last two seasons as a backup center for the Tigers and will play that role again this season. He averaged 3.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks last year, playing just over 11 minutes a game as a reserve. At 6’11, he’s a force when he’s on the court and Auburn is hoping his junior year is when he breaks out even further.