MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. โ The Auburn University basketball team will have a luxury next season that few teams enjoy in the current era of college sports.
The Tigers return the majority of their 2023-24 class, including 58.2 percent of their scholarship players. All-American big man Joni Bloom returns for his third and final year on the Plains, and he will be joined by two other starters from last season's team, Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazzara.
With the return of those key players, plus the addition of notable newcomers like transfers JP Peggs (Furman) and Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech) and five-star freshman Tahad Pettiford, the Tigers are primed to win a second SEC title in coach Bruce Pearl's 11th season.
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But championships aren't going to be a given to them, especially in a conference that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee. To be the strongest in that group, Auburn's returning players will need to improve, regardless of how well they played last season.
Now that the roster is finalized, here are some areas for improvement for each of the seven returning scholarship players.
Denver Jones: Ball handling
Peggs will start at point guard. There's no question about that. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers back him up. Splitting the reserve role between Jones and Pettiford seems like it would make the most sense, meaning Jones should focus on getting the ball in his hands more. Though the sample size is small, the Florida International University transfer has already shown his ability as a point guard. In the 22.7 minutes Jones was on the court last season, the Tigers were +6 without lead guards Aiden Holloway and Tre Donaldson.
Chad Baker Mazzara: Statue
Pearl sees Baker-Mazzara as a potential pro player, and rightly so. He's tall, has good defense and is a good 3-point shooter. Baker-Mazzara is naturally lean — Auburn lists him at 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds — but he'll need to bulk up to handle the physical demands. Another benefit of Baker-Mazzara's added size is that he could see minutes at power forward if Pearl plays him in a small-ball lineup.
Chris Moore: Confidence
Chris Moore started the first 26 games last season before being effectively dropped from the starting rotation entirely in favor of Lior Berman. But Berman injured his knee in March, giving Moore another chance and averaging six points and 3.7 rebounds on 8-of-8 shooting in the SEC Tournament. When Moore lost his spot in the starting rotation, Pearl met with Moore to convey the message of not being afraid to fail. That message seemed to resonate.
Chaney Johnson: Playmaking
Pearl recently floated the idea of โโgiving Chaney Johnson some minutes at small forward if the Tigers go with a big lineup, and while he believes Johnson, a natural point guard, can handle the defensive end, he'd like to see the University of Alabama-Huntsville transfer hone his playmaking abilities this summer.
“He's a good passer, but he's not a great passer,” Pearl said of Johnson on May 20. “When he gets the ball in his hands more, is he going to be as productive without turnovers? We need a summer where we can get him the ball and actually make mistakes, get him aggressive with the ball, get him to kick the ball a little bit and get him more comfortable with it.”
Joni Bloom: Corner shot
There aren't many flaws in Bloom's game. He's good defensively, can score in the post and developed a 3-point shot last season. He shot 35.4% from long range in 2023-24, and his best shots came from the wing and the top of the key, with a combined 36.4% from both areas. He shot 30.1% from the corners. That's the only room for improvement.
Dylan Cardwell: Fouling
Perhaps the most physical player on the team, Dylan Cardwell brings value as an inside defender. However, one of his biggest flaws is his tendency to foul. According to College Basketball Analytics, Cardwell averaged 6.4 fouls per 40 minutes last season. Finding a way to remain an elite defender (his 11.0 block percentage was third among all SEC players) and limit fouls will be crucial.
Adaline Scott: Consistency
Adalynn Scott, the third scholarship big man on the roster who competes with Bloom and Cardwell in practice, played 22 minutes in 15 games last season. In that time he recorded six points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Richard Silva is an Auburn University sports reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached by email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter X (formerly Twitter) @rich_silva18.