Auburn basketball: Postseason review of the Tigers

Well, ladies and gentlemen…. It’s over. The 2022-23 edition of Auburn basketball has come to an end. It wasn’t exactly what we hoped for, as this team had top-ten potential going in. But it was still a mostly successful season given the circumstances.

The postseason has just come to an end for the Tigers. Let’s talk about it.

Auburn basketball in SEC Tournament

This one won’t last long. Auburn faced a newly healthy Arkansas in their first game in Nashville. That’s really all there is to say. Auburn had their chances. Arkansas had more. Final score: 76-73 Hogs.

Auburn basketball in NCAA Tournament

The first sign of postseason life that we have seen from this program in three years was the win over Iowa. The never-ending problem all season was not holding onto leads. Yet, against Iowa, we got the clutch play down the stretch that we’ve been waiting for. Final score: 83-75 Auburn.

The second round started as well as the first. A ten-point halftime lead was exactly what the Tigers needed. And then the game ended, the end….. only it didn’t. Houston manhandled Auburn on both ends, even with Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead both on the bench with four fouls. Final score: 81-64 Houston.

Auburn basketball Overall

One and done has unfortunately been the theme the last couple of years. For whatever reason, since COVID-19 canceled the SEC and NCAA Tournaments in 2020, this program has struggled to make much noise in the postseason. 0-3 in the SEC tournament and 2-2 in the NCAA is not what we want to see.

And yet, this team still was not bad. Losing Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler to the NBA hurt, but this team still could’ve won 25 games this year.

Moving Forward

There are some roster questions going forward. The bugaboo of this team all year was guard play and bench play. With some expected departures coming, we can count on one player DEFINITELY being back: Johni Broome.

Arguably Auburn’s best player all year, the big fella has two years of eligibility left, and will certainly use this next season to improve his draft stock. He was a walking double-double all season, and having him back as the anchor on both ends will help.

Aden Holloway will join the team this next season, and with turnover expected at both guard positions, there’s a route to early playing time alongside Tre Donaldson.

Bruce will need to address some holes on the roster, but there’s not a coach I trust more to piece together a roster in seven months.

Conclusion

It’s been an absolute privilege covering Auburn basketball for the first time. By the time it’s back, we will be halfway through football season. Set the clock for late October.

As always, War Eagle everybody.