Auburn Basketball Bible (2019-20 edition)

Auburn Basketball Bible (2019-20 edition)

October 12, 2019 Avatar By

  • Photo credit: Wade Rackley /Auburn Athletics

In this Power of Dixieland feature story, Auburn Basketball expert @aubawn will peel back the roof of Auburn Arena for a sneak peek at Bruce Pearl’s 2019-20 Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team. This story will highlight who @aubawn believes will be the starting five, who will be the first players off the bench and which players will be in the mix for minutes. The Auburn Basketball guru will identify every newcomer’s strength and weakness, and an underrated skill set for every returning player, and much more! Thank you for your support of Power of Dixieland!

Auburn lost a few major pieces from last season’s historic run to the school’s first ever Final Four, but the Tigers still return five seniors and add a top-20 recruiting class heading into this season.

The 2019-20 Auburn Tigers will feature five seniors, six freshmen and two transfers in their first year of eligibility on The Plains. Even with the new faces, this could be one of the most athletic teams in school history and one of the most athletic groups in the country.

Starters:

Point guard/1: #5 J’Von McCormick – 6’0, 185 lbs., Sr.
2018 averages: 4.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 rpg

McCormick has cat-quick reflexes and can jump out of the gym. His share of minutes began to climb last season as his natural point guard skills began to shine, and he will look to play the lion’s share of minutes at the one this season.

McCormick played a big role for Auburn during the Tigers’ run through the NCAA Tournament, scoring a season-high 16 points in a close win over New Mexico State and providing a spark for Auburn nearly every time he spelled Harper in the postseason, where he seemed to raise his game to all new levels.


McCormick recently changed his number from 12 to five, a number that only Cinmeon Bowers, Mustapha Heron and Chuma Okeke have worn since Bruce Pearl arrived at Auburn, which could be a sign of things to come.

Underrated: Play-making

McCormick’s speed allows him to beat defenders off the dribble and get to the paint, and his athleticism allows him to get his teammates involved by forcing defenders to protect the rim. McCormick wasn’t on the same level as Harper when it came to play-making last year, but he certainly showed flashes and appears more than capable to take over Harper’s role as the field general for Auburn hoops in 2019-20.

While McCormick’s greatest strength is speed, he can also dish out the rock as evidenced by this dime to Austin Wiley.

Bottom line: McCormick has the speed and athleticism necessary to be a solid starting point guard in the SEC. Pearl has said Auburn will play slower this season, but McCormick will have to show improvements in shooting and play-making for him to pose the same kind of threat that Harper did, no matter the pace of the offense. However, McCormick proved capable of getting buckets from long range last season even if it was a small sample size, shooting 50-percent, draining 10 of 20 shots from downtown.

Shooting guard/2: #10 Samir Doughty, 6’4″, 195 lbs., Sr.
2018 averages: 7.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.7 apg

Doughty will likely slide into Auburn’s starting shooting guard spot, vacated by Auburn legend Bryce Brown, after last season when he played small forward (which is still a guard in Pearl’s offense).

Obviously, the Philadelphia native is expected to take on a much bigger role this season, which makes sense considering Auburn was 15-3 last year when Doughty shot 50-percent or better, and 16-3 when he shot six or more times.

The former VCU transfer also had big performances as a freshman for the Rams, including 15 games where he scored in double-digits resulting in an unblemished, 15-0 record for VCU in those games.

An increased role and more shots for Doughty seems like the go-to move this upcoming season, especially considering the departure of the sharp-shooter Brown. Doughty’s past efficiency and his defensive prowess as evidenced when he held Kentucky’s Tyler Herro to 3 of 11 shooting and 7 points in the Elite 8, have already earned the Auburn senior a reputation as a go-getter.

Underrated: Versatility

Only two players on last year’s team averaged more than 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist per game: Doughty and Chuma Okeke.

Doughty not only gives the Tigers a viable option as a playmaker outside of the point guard position, but he’s an outstanding on-ball defender who can guard multiple positions, takes pride in rebounding and excels in all of the little things that may not show up on the stat sheet. If any one player “Ride(s) For The Brand,” it’s Samir Doughty.

In fact, he played while overcoming a high ankle sprain that he suffered just days before the start of last season and unfortunately it lingered throughout. If Doughty looked like he was playing in slow-motion at times last year, now you know why, and playing hurt is another testament to what kind of team player Doughty is. It’s worth mentioning that adding athleticism during a healthy offseason could allow his game to take an even bigger jump in 2019-20.

The greatest compliment I can share about Doughty’s game, is that it epitomizes everything that the Auburn brand stands for.

Bottom line: Doughty will have to deal with a much larger role than he did last season for Auburn to get anywhere close to the type of production they got out of Brown. An improved defense and a slower pace of play means that Doughty might not have to make as many buckets as Brown, but he will have to make his larger-role count in other ways.

Then again, shooting 46-percent from the field and 43-percent from three last year suggests he is more than capable of picking up where Brown left off.

Small forward/3: #23 Isaac Okoro, 6’6″, 225 lbs., Fr.
Recruit ranking: 31

Okoro is the crown jewel of Auburn’s 2019 signing class. In high school, he was a state champion, gold medalist, Nike Hoop Summit participant and more. Now his name has been popping up in first-round projections for next year’s NBA Draft meaning he could become Auburn’s first “one and done.”

Weakness: Offensive skill set

Okoro probably has the ability to average 10-12 points per game at the college level fresh out of high school, but if he is going to “sneak” into this upcoming draft, refining his offensive skills will undoubtedly be necessary.

Auburn did a great job of getting Okeke involved on offense through mismatches and out-of-bounds plays, and Okoro’s introduction could be similar.

Okoro played alongside players like Sharife Cooper, BJ Boston and other offensive-minded national recruits in high school and AAU, so he has never had to take on a huge scoring role, although he still had games where he scored a lot of points.

As crazy as it sounds, Okoro could be asked to take on an even larger offensive role for an SEC Championship winning program fresh off a Final Four appearance, than he was asked to do in high school and AAU.

Strength: Defense

Okoro is already regarded as one of the best, if not the best defender in his class.

His prep career was one long defensive clinic with lock down performances against five-star, elite talents such as BJ Boston and Trendon Watford highlighting his career at McEachern High School (Powder Springs, GA).

Pearl will need Okoro to bring that same defensive intensity to Auburn considering the Tigers will face offensively gifted players like Anthony Edwards, the aforementioned Watford, Scottie Lewis, and other future NBA draft picks this season.

Bottom line: Auburn should be getting an upgrade at starting small forward, production-wise. Okoro’s skill set, especially if his shot continues to improve, could make him an All-SEC freshman candidate and one of Auburn’s best players.

Okoro could be looked at as one of the most underrated freshmen in the country if his defense translates and his offense continues to improve. I believe he has a chance to prove that he should have arguably been rated as a five-star and a top-10 national recruit as opposed to his national ranking as No. 31 overall.

Power forward/4: #3 Danjel Purifoy, 6’7″, 230 lbs., Sr.
2018 averages: 3.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.6 apg

Purifoy is one of the best stories heading into next season. His career has been riddled with injuries and off the court problems, but he’ll be given his chance in the spotlight as a senior following a strong performance down the stretch last season.

Underrated: Shooting

Shooting, and scoring, is one of Purifoy’s most underrated attributes, especially on a national level.

Before going down with an injury midway through his freshman season, Purifoy was shooting 39-percent from behind the arc and averaging over 14 points per game. Bryce Brown was the only player to average over 14 points and 39-percent shooting from three on last years team. (Harper had the points, but shot 37-percent from three)

Purifoy accomplished that on a team with Harper, Brown, Mustapha Heron, TJ Dunans and others.

With no clear replacement for Brown’s catch-and-shoot production, Purifoy (as well as Tyrell Jones—talked about later) might takeover those roles.

Purifoy’s rebounding and passing skills are also a bit underrated.

As a freshman, Purifoy had 15 rebounds against UConn, 9 assists against USC Upstate, and 5 assists against Texas Tech.

Offseason film footage and measurables suggest that defense and athleticism have been a point of emphasis for Purifoy.

At his best, Purifoy can be one of, if not the best player on Auburn’s team.

Bottom line: Purifoy could have to deal with the biggest increased role on the team. If he takes it in stride and plays his best basketball, Auburn will have a chance to replace the offensive-production that they’re losing with Chuma Okeke. (Deep dive on how Purifoy and Auburn can try to replace Okeke’s end of the year production via Southeast Hoops)

Center/5: #24 Anfernee McLemore, 6’7″, 220 lbs., Sr.
2018 averages: 6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg

Did I say Purifoy was my favorite story heading into next season? Who am I kidding, I love them all.

Underrated: Game-changer

A couple stats stood out the most after Auburn’s 2017-18 regular season championship:

Auburn was 19-0 when Jared Harper shot over 25% from three. 

The other was that Auburn was better in almost every shooting category, from individual shooting to team percentages, when McLemore was playing. 

McLemore didn’t just give Auburn an extra body; he made guarding Auburn’s space-oriented offense a nightmare when he got hot shooting.

McLemore’s shooting takes pressure off of the rest of the team, especially the power forward.

Last season, Chuma Okeke shot 38.7% from three, a great percentage, but that skyrocketed to a 44.4% average in games that McLemore shot over 33.3% from three.

McLemore’s ability to shoot also draws opposing centers away from the basket, making it easier for guards to attack the rim.

All of that without mentioning his defensive-prowess.

Even after sustaining a season ending injury during the 2017-18 season, McLemore was still third in the SEC in blocks, five blocks away from first place.

McLemore held Kenpom’s top overall rank for shot blocking percentage (16-percent) for that entire season before getting hurt. 

That dipped to 89th at 7.2-percent last season, but a healthy offseason could get him back to his old ways.

-OR-

Center/5: #50 Austin Wiley, 6’11″, 260 lbs., Sr.
2018 averages: 6.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg

Like McLemore and Purifoy, Wiley is entering his senior season healthy and it couldn’t come at a better time.

Wiley has shown signs of his ceiling when he has played healthy. Last season he had 17 points and 9 rebounds against Duke in just 19 minutes and 17 points and 10 rebounds against Murray State in 26 minutes. That not only showed his ability to score, but it showed his ability to score efficiently while also playing good defense.

Underrated: Rim protector

It’s hard to peg anything on Wiley as underrated with all of the expectations he has earned, but it seems like a lot of those expectations are based around offense.

Last season, Wiley had a block percentage of 13.3, which would have been good for sixth in the nation (per Kenpom) if he had played more minutes and had enough blocks to qualify for the list, which injuries held him back from doing. 

Wiley’s offensive-efficiency is also underrated. The numbers he put up against Murray State and Duke speak for that, as well as the stat lines from his freshman year.

I would start McLemore, because it allows Auburn to control the tip ball almost every game, which can start the game off with an Auburn-favored swing by denying other teams an opportunity to run a tip ball play.

(Kentucky has still never won a jump ball against McLemore)

However, McLemore has said that he is also spending time at power forward. That could mean that Wiley will start at center, which would put McLemore in more of a first off the bench role at power forward or center. This could give Auburn more front court versatility and different available lineups, so Wiley starting at center also makes sense.

Wiley also took over for McLemore as Auburn’s starting center for five games last season.

Bottom line: McLemore and Wiley have to be healthy for Auburn’s front court to reach its potential. Word around town is that both have had great, healthy offseasons, so Auburn could have a chance to put together one of the best front courts in the SEC this year.

First off the bench:

Whoever doesn’t start between Wiley and McLemore is likely to be first off of the bench along with whichever guard gives Auburn the most consistent spark.

The latter seems to be between Tyrell Jones and Jamal Johnson, in my estimation.

(Keep in mind: Auburn will have eight newcomers on the team. All of this is speculation based upon film study, and under Pearl, Auburn has shown that they will play with a deep bench.)

#0 Tyrell “Turbo” Jones, 6’1″, 170 lbs., Fr., Guard
Recruiting ranking: 99

Strength: Athleticism 

Jones came to Auburn as a four-star guard known for his speed and shooting. After arriving, a stress fracture was found in his leg. He has completely recovered, and that means Jones could be even more athletic than expected. 

Weakness: Consistency 

Jones is physically ready to play at the college level, but his game still needs some refining in a few departments.

Jones needs a more consistent jumper and better guard skills to reach his potential, both of which can be achieved with more gym time.

The skill set of Jones will not only allow him to play point guard, but he’ll likely be a combo guard capable of lining up at the one of the two for Auburn this season.

Jones can get hot from three and thrives in transition, so playing as an undersized shooting guard (in a Bryce Brown type of role) could earn him some extra minutes. 

Harper averaged over 30 minutes a game the last two seasons, but Pearl likes to play two point guards at the same time, so Jones could be a valuable player even if McCormick locks down the starting point guard job.

The Orlando native has a quick release on his jumper and can score in bunches. Jones’ offensive skill set has a good chance to get him a lot of minutes with the absence of Harper and Brown, because he’s probably the player on the roster closest to possessing similar talents as Brown when it comes to shooting.

#1 Jamal Johnson, 6’4″, 195 lbs., So., Guard/Small Forward
*2017 averages: 6.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg

*(Johnson last played at Memphis in 2017-18. He had to sit out last season after transferring to Auburn.)

Johnson hasn’t played a single minute for the Tigers due to transferring to the program last offseason but should expect to see minutes this year.

Strength: Scoring

Johnson proved he could shoot the ball during his freshman year at Memphis by making 47 three-pointers in 26 starts and three or more from long range in seven games.

Memphis went 14-2 in games that Johnson scored over his season average (6.9 points per game). 

Auburn will need big contributions from Jones, Johnson and others if the Tigers want to replicate the type of offense and deep bench that allowed Auburn to go on their historical Final Four run.

Weakness: Physicality/strength & guard skills

Johnson’s weaknesses at Memphis were apparent, but he was a freshman and that was two years ago.

In an interview with SEC hoops expert Blake Lovell, Bruce Pearl talked about Johnson’s ability to play 1-3 (point guard, shooting guard and small forward) this season. That suggests that Johnson has added enough strength to guard other small forwards and has added the skills necessary to play point guard. 

Pearl also praised how hard Johnson has worked since getting to Auburn in the same interview.

In the mix:

The Tigers had 10 different guys playing frequent minutes last season, and Pearl seems to want to keep that up based upon the way the team is recruiting and how he’s constructed the Auburn roster. 

In order to do that, Auburn will need some of the following players to step up. On paper, that shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, Auburn looks like they have the skill and athleticism to go 13-deep if everyone is healthy.

Pearl has mentioned the possibility of some players seeing redshirts, so it could be closer to a 10-man rotation like last season.

#2 Jaylin Williams, 6’7″, 230 lbs., Fr., Forward
Recruit ranking: 109

Williams ended his high school career as a borderline top-100 recruit. His ranking went as high as 71 at one point, and he seems to have the tools to live up to that ranking and maybe outperform it.

Weakness: Motor (high school competition) 

There is no doubt about Williams’ potential. The stretch-forward has already impressed coaches with his shooting and work ethic, but I still picked his motor as his weakness.

It might be because he looked so good playing high school ball that there isn’t much else you can pick out as a weakness, but at times Williams seemed to not try as hard as expected, which could have been because he didn’t play the most elite high school competition. In essence, he could still be dominant at the high school level even when he didn’t go as hard.

Under Bruce Pearl in the SEC, you have to go 100%, one-hundred-percent of the time or you’ll have the luxury of catching a right jab from your head coach.


Either way, Williams could have a little more adjusting to do. 

Strength: Handles and passing

This sounds like a small strength with how many things Williams is good at, but it’s only because I didn’t feel completely comfortable saying that Williams’ strength is versatility (yet) and because his handles are so good for someone his size.

His ability to dribble and pass gives me hope that Williams will be a versatile player at Auburn. 

Williams will have to work on his speed and quickness to play small forward, and will have to increase his strength in order to play center, but he should be able to switch onto bigger and smaller defenders in the future.

His offensive skill set, while still pretty raw, is just as versatile. Williams can do just about everything on the offensive end to some degree.

Add the preseason hype about Williams’s ability to stretch the floor with his ball skills including his passing and vision, and his potential for playing time becomes more and more obvious.

Williams could be a first off the bench candidate if Purifoy and Okoro weren’t the projected starters in front of him, but Williams will still have a chance to play a lot of minutes during his Auburn career.

#13 Babatunde “Stretch” Akingbola, 6’10″, 236 lbs., Fr., Center
Recruit ranking: 195

Akingbola is another athletic, defensive minded freshman who played high school and AAU ball with Okoro and Cooper.

Listed at 6’8” with a wingspan of 7’0” as a senior in high school, Akingbola is even taller now after the year he spent sorting out his visa issues.

The nickname “Stretch” doesn’t just apply to his physique. Akingbola can also stretch the court thanks to his formidable three-point shot.

Strength: Athleticism, defense

Akingbola is a beast when it comes to blocking shots and running the floor.

Don’t let his ranking fool you.

The tall, lanky center will chase down opposing-guards on fast breaks for blocks and beat his own guards down the court for dunks on the other end.

Weakness: Raw

Akingbola is far from polished, but he will have a chance to become a very good player once he puts in the time.

His energy has him running all over the floor to make plays, chest bumping and high-fiving teammates, and it’s infectious. He’s the kind of guy you want in your locker room.

Once he refines his game, Akingbola will be a key part of Auburn’s team.

With injury and foul trouble always a concern, Stretch could be called upon this coming season. His high school tape was incredibly fun to watch, and makes me think he has the potential to out-play his recruiting ranking in a very big way.

#35 Devan Cambridge, 6’6″, 190 lbs., Fr., Guard
Recruit ranking: 215

Cambridge was a high major recruit while playing at Believe Academy (TN) and Hillcrest Prep (AZ), but his recruitment exploded after he teamed up with Sharife Cooper this summer, earning him offers from Auburn, Oregon and others.

Strength: Athleticism

Cambridge has thrown down between the legs dunks, posterized defenders, swatted shots into the stands and has hit just about every athletic checkpoint already.

Corey Evans of Rivals called Cambridge “one of the best athletes in America.”

He has the athleticism necessary to do almost anything on the court.

Weakness: Raw

Cambridge has to refine his game, mainly on offense, but he has already shown some improvements in that area.

During the Peach Jam this summer, Cambridge scored 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting against Meanstreets, and followed that up with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Pro Skills. For context, it was against some of the best competition in the country.

#22 Allen Flanigan, 6’5″, 200 lbs., Fr., Guard
Recruit ranking: 298

Strength: Offensive arsenal

Flanigan did everything asked of him when it came to his role on Parkview’s offense.

Flanigan, who was coached by his grandfather (Arkansas high school coaching legend Al Flanigan) in high school will now be coached by his father (former Auburn point guard and current assistant coach Wes Flanigan) and Bruce Pearl at Auburn.

Flanigan can score from anywhere on the court, whether it be deep three-pointers to finishing around the rim. He’s also good at handling the ball on fast breaks and plays with a comfort level that allows him to break presses.

I hate to say it, but he plays like a coach’s son.

However, the SEC will be a different challenge, and Flanigan will have to improve his defense and speed to get the minutes necessary to contribute at that level again.

Weakness: Speed

Flanigan is athletic and strong, but he will have to become faster, quicker and more agile if he wants to play the point forward role that he’s capable of.

Flanigan’s skill set makes him an interesting player, and one who might make a big impact on an Auburn team down the line, although his shooting and basketball IQ could earn him minutes early on in his career.

#4 Javon Franklin, 6’7″, 218 lbs., So., Forward

Strength: Athleticism

At full strength, Franklin — a one time high school teammate of Flanigan — is one of the best athletes in the country. His highlight reel dunks and hang time allows him to play much bigger than his size, a lot like McLemore.

Unfortunately, he suffered an injury very similar to McLemore’s during the first game of his second year of JUCO.

Franklin still has three years of eligibility left, but it’s hard to predict the impact he will have on this season’s team without more updates concerning his recovery. If he’s healthy, his impact will be felt this season.

Weakness: Offensive skill set

Franklin needs to add to his dribbling and passing skills and maybe add a three-point shot to his offensive arsenal in order to maximize his full potential.

His defense and instincts are elite at times, largely due to Franklin’s athleticism. He jumped passing lanes and altered shots at will during his healthy season in junior college.

He can also run the court and score put back dunks, but Franklin has a good way to go in terms of being a more versatile offensive threat.

If you’ve made it this far and you’re still looking for more content, then check out all of the video clips I pulled from watching at least one full game from every incoming player:

And don’t forget to check back with Power of Dixieland in the coming months, as this and our preview of the non-conference schedule are just the beginning of our 2019-20 basketball-season coverage.

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