Analyst sends strong message on Auburn backcourt: ‘Pearl has five lead guards who all have some real juice’
247Sports’ Isaac Trotter sent a strong message on the Auburn basketball program’s rebuilt backcourt — one that lost Wendell Green Jr. to the 2023 NBA draft, Zep Jasper to graduation, and Chance Westry to the transfer portal –, saying that Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl will have “five lead guards who all have juice” if 247Sports’ Crystal Ball prediction of Vanderbilt’s Tyrin Lawrence to the Plains is correct.
“Lawrence picked up a 247Sports Crystal Ball selection for Auburn Wednesday,” Trotter wrote. “Add Lawrence to a Tigers backcourt of Jones, five-star Aden Holloway, K.D. Johnson and Tre Donaldson, and suddenly, Pearl has five lead guards who all have some real juice.”
Assuming Auburn basketball gets back veteran leaders like Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome, Trotter thinks the backcourt could raise AU’s ceiling during the 2023-24 season.
“Auburn still has to navigate some big stay-or-go decisions from frontcourt monsters like Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome, but the Tigers’ offensive ceiling could be much higher in 2023-24 thanks to its new-look backcourt,” Trotter wrote.
Auburn basketball ‘needed to hit big in the backcourt’ in the transfer portal
The Tigers lost over 19 points per game from their backcourt with the transfer losses, though to be fair, Westry’s 2.5 points per game came mostly in non-conference play against much lower competition. Even still, Auburn basketball was in dire straights in the backcourt ahead of the season. Pearl made sure to fortify AU’s guard rotation around Aden Holloway, K.D. Johnson, and Tre Donaldson via the transfer portal with FIU’s Denver Jones and now potentially Lawrence.
According to Trotter, the coaching staff “needed to hit big” in the backcourt via the transfer portal.
“Auburn coach Bruce Pearl ventured into the 2023 transfer portal cycle and needed to hit big in the backcourt,” Trotter wrote.
It’s safe to say that the mission was accomplished if Lawrence lands with the Tigers.