Auburn basketball: Jon Rothstein has heard that ‘Dylan Cardwell is arguably the most improved player’ on Tigers
Dylan Cardwell may just be the most improved player on the 2022-23 Auburn basketball roster if CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein has heard correctly from the word sent by his ’embedded moles in the Southeast’.
Rothstein sent out a tweet Saturday morning set to excite any Tiger fan with a pulse in lauding the improvements made by the 20-year-old big man over the offseason. Cardwell is entering his third season with the program.
Well embedded moles in the Southeast have sent word that Dylan Cardwell is arguably the most improved player in Auburn's program.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 9, 2022
6-11 big man has an opportunity to carve out space in Tigers' rotation at C following Walker Kessler's departure to the NBA.
Cardwell averaged three points and three boards per game while shooting a wildly efficient 69% from the floor during the 2021-22 season — one that ended with a shocking Round of 32 upset loss to the Miami Hurricanes. He played in 34 games last season and saw the 11.5 minutes of floor-time per game.
Dylan Cardwell has as much competition, if not more, in the Auburn basketball frontcourt in 2022-23
During the 2021-22 season, Cardwell served as SEC Defensive Player of the Year Walker Kessler’s backup, sliding past Babatunde ‘Stretch’ Akingbola in the process. He served as the team’s pulse and oftentimes ignited the Jungle in ways that were only matched by departed wing Devan Cambridge (now with Arizona State) alley-oop finishes. Cardwell became a fan-favorite when he tore off his shirt along with Bruce Pearl during the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry football game against Georgia at Jordan-Hare last October, and kept up his shirt-ripping ways throughout the entire season.
While he was mainly an second unit energy guy for the Auburn basketball, his role could increase this coming season if he can overcome the competition from newcomers Johni Broome (transfer from Morehead State), freshman Yohan Traore, fourth-year man Jaylin Williams, Akingbola, and walk-on Haston Alexander.