Deep dive into Auburn basketball heading into SEC play

Breaking down the Auburn basketball team heading into SEC play.

This Auburn basketball season has gotten off to a very interesting start.

Many things that we might not have expected to happen have happened early on in the season.

Whether it be that the two Tiger freshmen, Chance Westry and Yohan Traore, have almost been non-factors. Or the success Jaylin Williams has had scoring for the Tigers.

After blowing Washington out of the water in Seattle, the Tigers now set their focus on the gauntlet of SEC play.

Auburn opens SEC play against the Gators of Florida in Neville Arena on Wednesday. 

Before the Tigers take on the Gators, let's talk about some things the Tigers need to improve on and continue doing well as we prepare to kick off conference play.

What has to Improve?

The first thing that has to improve for the Tigers to be successful in the SEC is three-point shooting. This is no surprise, but Auburn is dead last in the SEC in three-point percentage with a putrid 30.2 percent. It is a tall ask to win games on the road in a tough environment if the long-range shots aren't falling. A sub-argument to this point is shot selection. It is hard to fix shooting during the season, so a way to do that without changing mechanics is to take better shots.

Another thing that needs to stop is turning the ball over. The Tigers are currently turning the ball over 14.1 times a game. This number puts Auburn 267th in the Nation in turnovers per game. This is not a place the Tigers want to be. That number needs to be reduced to the nine or ten mark to succeed in the SEC.

Fouling has also been troublesome, especially throughout the Tigers' two-game west coast trip. Auburn ranks 317th nationally in fouls per game. The Tigers are currently committing 19.2 fouls per game. Now fouls are going to come with the aggressive defense the Tigers play, but they need to cut down on the tick-tack fouls far away from the basket.

The last thing that needs to change is Traore and Westry need to find a role on this team. We all saw them play in Israel and were excited for what the future held, but both have struggled 12 games into the season. The Tigers need these two guys to figure it out as the season progresses.

What needs to stay the same?

Defense, defense, defense. That is the calling card of this basketball team. The good news about that is it travels with you. When the Tigers head to Knoxville or Rupp Arena, they will come with an aggressive and suffocating defense. The shots might not always fall, but the defense will keep the Tigers in almost every game they play this season.

The Tigers' big three. Johni Broome, Wendell Green Jr., and Jaylin Williams have all gotten off to great starts scoring the basketball. To be a good basketball team, you must have a few players who always show up and have a safe scoring floor. It feels like these three will be those guys for the Tigers going forward.

Positive takeaways from the non-conference schedule

The Tigers have not peaked yet. A season ago, Auburn peaked too early, and it bit them in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. This Tiger team has a lot to improve on, which can be looked upon in a positive light because it means they are not as good right now as they may be in March.

There is a lot to work on but also a lot to be excited about with this Auburn basketball team as they prepare to begin SEC play. 

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