NCAA Basketball: Arizona, Indiana, and Ole Miss rise in updated 2024-25 WTE power rankings

10. Auburn Tigers

A year ago, there were two star big men who excelled in the NBA G League Combine in PJ Hall and Johni Broome. Both had big past seasons and could’ve gone pro this time around. Hall recently announced that he was leaving Clemson for the NBA Draft, while Broome (16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg) is set to return for one more year.

With Broome back, that instantly makes Auburn a Final Four contender. The overall frontcourt remains strong despite losing Jaylin Williams, with Dylan Cardwell, Chris Moore, and Chad Baker-Mazara all back, joined by top-tier JUCO forward prospect, Addarin Scott.

The backcourt looks different, with Aden Holloway, KD Johnson, and Tre Donaldson all transferring out. Denver Jones is back, along with incoming 5-star point guard prospect, Tahaad Pettiford. Joining the team is JP Pegues, a 6’1 guard from Furman who led them with 18.4 ppg and 4.8 apg, shooting over 36% from three-point range.

Auburn’s defense should remain top-tier but the offense could go either way, depending on the impact of Pettiford. If he plays better than Holloway did as a freshman this past season, the Tigers will have another top-10 caliber team.