BY NOAH GRIFFITH FOR THE OBSERVER | PHOTO BY STEPHEN LEONARD, AUBURN TIGERS
SOUIX FALLS, S.D. —
It goes down as a loss in the record books, but Auburn University men’s basketball returns home from South Dakota with high hopes for the future despite falling 88-82 to No. 20 Baylor to open the 2023-24 campaign on Tuesday, Nov.7.
Auburn’s top two scorers came into the game with their health in question, but freshman phenom Aden Holloway and junior Johni Broome ended up looking like a force to be reckoned with. Holloway led the team with 19 points and six assists in 27 minutes in his debut, and Broome posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite a valiant effort from Auburn’s duo against ranked competition, they failed to secure a win late in the game. Holloway’s third turnover with 3:19 left in the game led to a 3-pointer from Baylor’s RayJ Dennis to tie the game. Baylor outscored Auburn 11-5 from there, while Broome fouled out with 27 seconds on the clock.
Auburn led 43-34 at halftime, but ball control and putting Baylor at the free-throw line 34 times caught up to the Tigers, allowing Baylor’s 5-star freshman, 6-foot-5 guard Ja’Kobe Walter, to rally for 28 points in his college debut.
The turnover battle was in the Tigers’ favor all game long, but it ended in a 15-15 tie, allowing the Bears to seize control late in the game and force 32 fouls from Auburn. The Bears took advantage of it, shooting 79.4% from the free-throw line and converting on 10 more opportunities than the Tigers.
Although Auburn struggled with fouls, it was the more efficient team offensively.
For a team that ranked 320th in the nation in 3-point percentage and 151st in points per game last season, Auburn saw an offensive renaissance to start its season with four new guards. Behind seven combined made 3-pointers between starter Denver Jones and Holloway, Auburn tied Baylor at 9-for-19 from beyond the arch and shot 44.4% from the floor, a point better than Baylor.
The efficient shooting started with swift ball movement. Auburn racked up 18 assists, nine in each half. Holloway led the team with six assists, followed by Cardwell with four, and eight different players assisted on buckets.
Bench play also allowed Auburn to stay fresh. The Tigers’ bench put up 39 points, and Auburn rotated in 11 players. Led by 27 minutes from Holloway off the bench, five players played more than 20 minutes for Auburn, including starters Jones, Broome, Jaylin Williams and Chris Moore.
Defensively, Cardwell had a great impact with five blocks in 14 minutes, and Chad Baker-Mazara gathered two steals in 12 minutes. Despite a healthy guard rotation for Auburn, it was Walter who gave it fits. The Tigers struggled to contain him from any area of the court, as he was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe and 4-for-7 from 3-point land in 34 minutes.
Outside of the outstanding performance from Walter, only seniors Jalen Bridges and Dennis eclipsed 10 points for Baylor. Bridges had a solid all-around impact with 13 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block, while committing no turnovers.
Improving free-throw output offensively and defensively is the main category where Auburn will need to improve going forward. Auburn made 17-of-25 free shots in addition to giving the Bears 34 tries.
However, the areas where it struggled are manageable, while the categories in which it saw improvement were the ones that led to an early exit in the NCAA Tournament last season. Baylor is the first ranked season-opener for Auburn of this decade, allowing Auburn to grow and adjust early in the season.
Auburn will go into its home opener on Friday, Nov. 10, against SE Louisiana already battle tested and with a concrete picture of its abilities.