Most Improved Player: TJ Lang
To me, TJ Lang was an easy choice for this award. There weren’t many players to choose from this year that played well and were also with the Tigers last season.
Lang had the opportunity to step up as a leader and a contributor and he did just that. Lang averaged just 2.4 points per game last season, while playing just 13.8 minutes per game as a freshman. This season, Lang upped his scoring to 7.1 points per game with 24.9 minutes per game of playing time.
Lang was also one of only three players to play in every single game this season. Along with his scoring, Lang also saw all of his shooting percentages go up compared to last season’s numbers.
Along with Bryce Brown, Lang was one of Auburn’s best shooters and was able to knock down big shots on several occasions when the Tigers needed them.
Lang started off the season on a big note with the game winning three-pointer from the corner in the final seconds of the win over UAB. Like most shooters, Lang had his hot and cold streaks, but he remained one of Auburn’s go-to weapons throughout the course of the season.
Like Brown, Lang has a few things to work on to develop his all around game, and he too has the ability to be a big contributor next season.
Most importantly, Lang showed that he can be a leader off the court from what I have observed, and hopefully that will show even more on the court next season as Auburn will have a lot of young talent that will need veterans to look up to.
Next: MVP