Auburn basketball: Projecting starting five post-K.D. Johnson commitment

Auburn basketball nabbed another one.

KD Johnson has made the jump from the other half of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry to join Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. The Georgia Bulldogs have been robbed of much of their roster from the transfer portal, and now their greatest foe has gotten in on the action.

The Atlanta product adds a 13-point scorer to the Tigers rotation, but will he become a starter?

Let’s take a look:

Auburn basketball starting point guard: Wendell Green Jr.

Wendell Green Jr. brings playmaking to the starting lineup, though nowhere near to the level of Sharife Cooper. That said, his five assists per game could well go up with a much superior lineup to his ex-Eastern Kentucky Colonels teammates.

Auburn basketball starting shooting guard: K.D. Johnson

K.D. Johnson should be able to step into the starting five off the bat. Arkansas transfer Desi Sills was penciled in before, but he doesn’t add as much on either end as the former Bulldog.

Auburn basketball starting small forward: Allen Flanigan

Allen Flanigan’s return could end up being the impetus for the Tigers’ return to the NCAA Tournament. He’ll step right back into his starting spot on the wing.

Auburn basketball starting power forward: Jabari Smith

Perhaps the top player to walk through the doors of the Auburn Arena since Charles Barkley when his probable one-and-done, Jabari Smith is projected to be a top-four pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Smith should be able to surpass Jaylin Williams and JT Thor (should he return) on the depth chart in 2021-22 before taking his talents to the big leagues.

Auburn basketball starting center: Walker Kessler

Finally, there’s the 7-foot 5-star recruit from the ATL, Walker Kessler. After being buried on the UNC bench by former Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, Kessler will get a chance to show the basketball world what he could do on the Plains in 2021.