Auburn Daily

Auburn's Key to Championship Could be Its Bench

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers have a pair of weapons on the bench in Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson.

Terrance Biggs

Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31) dunks the ball on a fast break as Auburn Tigers take on Georgia State Panthers.
Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31) dunks the ball on a fast break as Auburn Tigers take on Georgia State Panthers. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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As the second-ranked Auburn Tigers enjoy their holiday, they will look forward to the start of the SEC conference schedule. After hosting the 2-10 Monmouth Hawks on Monday, Missouri heads to the Plains to kick off conference play. 

With everything seemingly going well among the starters, Johni Broome's injury notwithstanding, where can the team improve? Honestly, the one area that  doesn't need to step up, but continue solid play are two bench players - Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson.

These two help Auburn not suffer much of a dip in scoring when the starters need a breather. 

Tahaad Pettiford

The Jersey City, N.J. native runs the show when Denver Jones sits. Yet, distribution is just one part of what Pettiford actually accomplishes. First, he's tied with Jones for third in scoring at 11.3 per contest. 

He doesn't show any hesitance as he gets active with the ball, shooting 44.1 from three. When matched up against the second unit from other teams, the freshman takes advantage as he faces backups in which some possess a step-slow approach to defense. 

As a result, Pettiford pins his ears back and attacks the basket with reckless abandon. Meanwhile, from a distribution standpoint, the reserve dishes out 2.9 assists per game, good enough for second on the team. Pettiford’s aggression paid off, scoring 18 points in an 87-69 rout of Purdue. 

Chaney Johnson

Making his way to Auburn from Alabama-Huntsville, the former Charger standout took his role change in stride. A large amount of humble pie needs consumption going from winning conference player of the year as a Division 2 star to a role player. 

Yet, Johnson took his role seriously and brought that starting energy to the bench. When Broome suffered an upper body injury early against Georgia State, Chaney stepped up and torched the Panthers for 26 points and eight rebounds. Johnson can man the swingman position on both ends of the floor, connecting on 54.5 percent of his shots. 

Overview

In Pettiford and Johnson, Auburn boasts a luxury that most teams that aspire to win championships lack. When the proverbial rubber hits the road, some teams will contract their rotation, in the hopes of maximizing the number of touches that starters enjoy.

However, rotation contraction fails when injury or foul trouble arises. With just five fouls to commit per player, teams like Auburn actually handle starters leaving better than most. Rolling out versatile reserves that can score the basketball.

The Auburn Tigers possess a championship basketball roster, complete with talented backups.

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Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Senior Editor/ Podcast Host, Full Press Coverage, Bleav, Member: Football Writers Association of America, United States Basketball Writers Association, and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, National Football Foundation Voter: FWAA All-American, Jim Thorpe, Davey O'Brien, Outland, and Biletnikoff Awards