After another second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn Basketball and head coach Bruce Pearl look to make some moves with their latest additions to the rotation. The Tigers finished 21-13 on the year, 10-8 in the SEC this past season, to earn a 9-seed in this past year’s tournament.
With six players returning from last year’s roster and four new additions from all over the landscape with freshman Aden Holloway to JUCO addition Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn should have a different feel to its rotation this upcoming year.
Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams return in the frontcourt looking to grow into bigger roles while K.D. Johnson will look to continue to work his magic as instant offense off the bench. In the backcourt, Wendell Green Jr. and Allen Flanigan are both gone but two new potential stars emerge in the potential backcourt pairing of Denver Jones (Florida International) and Aden Holloway.
The under-the-radar names to get to know are Chaney Johnson (Alabama-Huntsville), Addarin Scott (JUCO) and Chad Baker-Mazara. Johnson joins the Tigers from DII Alabama-Huntsville while Scott and Baker-Mazara look to find their niche after spending time on the JUCO scene.
There’s a nice mix for Coach Pearl to work with as he looks to work out the kinks and get the Tigers back to prominence in the SEC. Back in 2019, he led Auburn to its first Final Four appearance but in back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament, they’ve yet to make it out of the second round. He’ll look to push this roster over the hump. Take a look at the projected starting rotation and lineup for the Auburn Tigers in 2023-24.
Point Guard
Starter – Aden Holloway (30 mpg)
Aden Holloway is a freshman who should make an impact right away in the Auburn backcourt in his debut season. He was a pivotal piece in the success of Prolific Prep this past season as they went 36-1 on the year, producing 18.5 ppg, 5.1 apg and 4.4 rpg in 2022-23. He was a McDonald’s All-American selection who finished as a top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class.
He’s an electric scoring guard who should fill the void left by the departure of Wendell Green Jr.. Of course, he’ll also have K.D. Johnson to work off of as well, who should be a veteran spark for them off the bench.
Bench – K.D. Johnson (10 mpg), Tre Donaldson
K.D. Johnson returns as the leading face from last year’s backcourt and should play a big role for the Tigers off the bench this season. He put up 8.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.3 apg on 33.3 percent shooting from deep across 33 appearances in 2022-23. He should be a strong candidate to take home the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award in 2023-24. Tre Donaldson is another returning name who should see some minutes in the Auburn backcourt at the point guard spot.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Denver Jones (25 mpg)
Denver Jones is a transfer portal acquisition out of Florida International looking to emerge in the Auburn backcourt this upcoming season. He was a burden in Conference USA this past season as a first-team All-Conference selection, producing 20.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.8 spg while shooting 37.1 percent from deep and 47.8 percent from the field.
He really emerged in a starting role for the Panthers after appearing in 31 games (7 starts) as a freshman. Jones finished fourth in the conference this past season in scoring and with a void to fill at the shooting guard role, he should play a big role in boosting their perimeter attack in 2023-24.
Bench – K.D. Johnson (15 mpg)
K.D. Johnson should see the bulk of his minutes at the shooting guard role this upcoming season. He should see his production grow on the scoring front after it dropped to 8.9 ppg in 2022-23. He’s a capable scorer who’s accumulated 81 made 3-pointers since joining the Tigers rotation in the 2021-22 season. As a veteran and a returner, he should see his scoring on the perimeter really skyrocket as the veteran leader off the bench to close out his career.
Small Forward/Wing
Starter – Chad Baker-Mazara (25 mpg)
Chad Baker-Mazara joins the Auburn Tigers in the SEC after spending this past season at Northwest Florida State College. He’s a former MWC Rookie of the Year out of San Diego State looking to make his presence felt this upcoming season. Baker-Mazara’s addition should really boost the versatility on the wing for the Tigers in 2023-24.
He’s capable of operating at a few different positions at 6-foot-7, giving them another new option to work with on both ends of the floor. Johni Broome should have some help out of the wing with Baker-Mazara’s addition and lighten the blow of losing Allen Flanigan.
Bench – Chaney Johnson (15 mpg), Chris Moore
Chaney Johnson is another transfer portal acquisition out of Alabama-Huntsville where he spent the past three seasons. He was the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year in 2022-23, putting up 15.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.6 apg on 28.9 percent shooting from deep and 51.4 percent shooting from the floor. He’ll be a nice change of pace given his ability to attack off the bounce and operate inside the arc as a slashing wing.
If Baker-Mazara and Johnson don’t work out, there’s always Chris Moore for the Tigers to fall back on. He’s a 6-foot-6 forward who returns for his fourth season after producing 3.5 ppg and 2.1 rpg on 40.9 percent shooting from deep this past season.
Power Forward
Starter – Jaylin Williams (30 mpg)
Jaylin Williams returns to keep the frontcourt in good shape at the power forward spot for the Tigers. He’s an inside-out presence who should work well alongside Johni Broome on the interior with his ability to make plays for others and knock down shots on the perimeter. He shot 35.4 percent from deep while averaging 11.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.1 spg.
Look for him to be a leading presence, if not the secondary scorer in the rotation with his ability to fly around on both ends. He should be a reliable option for the Tigers given his experience and body of work over the years.
Bench – Addarin Scott (10 mpg), Chaney Johnson
Addarin Scott is another transfer portal acquisition out of the JUCO ranks with Navarro College in Texas. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward presence with a knack for rebounding the ball and scoring the ball efficiently around the rim.
He’ll look to shore up things in the painted area at the backup power forward spot after averaging 9.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg on 53.1 shooting from the floor in 2022-23. If things shift, Chaney Johnson could be the third name to fill in at the power forward role. His versatility should come in handy this season.
Center
Starter – Johni Broome (28 mpg)
Johni Broome returns for Year 2 in the SEC after joining Auburn this past season from the OVC’s Morehead State. Broome proved he could hold his own in his debut season in the SEC in 2022-23, posting 14.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 bph and 1.3 apg across his 33 appearances. Now, he’ll look to really lead the way as their defensive anchor and leading returning scorer heading into a new season.
He’s an active two-way big man who’s shown his growth over his college basketball career. He’ll look to go out with a bang in his final season with Auburn and could potentially lead the way as this year’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year recipient.
Bench – Dylan Cardwell (12 mpg), Addarin Scott
Dylan Cardwell returns looking to provide similar anchor support that he provided a season ago. While Broome led the team in blocks (78), Cardwell was right behind him with 43 across his 32 appearances in 2022-23.
He’s a 6-foot-11 big man who should compete for more minutes in an experienced frontcourt for Auburn this year. Cardwell put up 3.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg and 1.1 apg across 13.4 minutes per contest in 2022-23. If Auburn has to go 3-deep, Addarin Scott should fill the void at the third center/forward spot.