The Auburn Tigers finished off an undefeated preseason exhibition run with a 102-70 thrashing of the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday at Neville Arena in Auburn.
FAU, who reached the Final Four two seasons ago before receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, is not expected to contend for another postseason spot this year after head coach Dusty May departed for Michigan in the offseason.
Even with May, and stars such as Johnell Davis, who is now an Arkansas Razorback, no longer with the Owls, the lopsided victory was still an important and impressive result for a Tigers team hoping to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019 this season. Superstar forward Johni Broome led the way for Bruce Pearl’s squad, chipping in 15 points and nine rebounds while stuffing the stat sheet with four blocks and a pair of steals as well.
The backcourt quartet of Denver Jones (13 points), JP Pegues (11 points), Tahaad Pettiford (12 points), and Miles Kelly (15 points) supplied just over half of the Tigers points in the contest, further cementing the idea that Bruce Pearl may possess the deepest and most talented composite of guards since he took over as the Tigers head coach.
With the offensive firepower supplied by the backcourt and Broome, forward Chad Baker-Mazara is expected to take a facilitator role in Bruce Pearl’s offense. The senior displayed that fully in the exhibition, finishing with a team-high six assists to go along with his 2 steals and block. Perhaps most impressively, the second-year Tiger turned the ball over just once.
Six of the ten Tigers that saw at least 10 minutes of action in Friday’s exhibition scored double-digit points, while Chaney Johnson (seven points) and Dylan Cardwell (six points) added a combined 12 rebounds. Bruce Pearl has made it a point to display extremely deep and talented rotations during his last few seasons on the Plains, and this iteration of the Tigers may be the most talented group he’s compiled during his tenure.
The No. 11 ranked Tigers will look to prove that sentiment when the regular season tips off on November 6 against perennial American East powerhouse Vermont. Auburn will be put to the test right away following the home opener, as the Tigers have a date with No. 4 ranked Houston in Birmingham on November 9.
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