Much like this fall with Auburn football’s offense, fans attending their first few basketball games will likely need a roster in hand as Steven Pearl and his staff have gone through a massive overhaul of the Tigers’ roster following last season.
Only Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton and Blake Muschalek return as players who regularly saw the court last season, as Pearl decided to build the roster in his preferred way.
How will the Tigers’ rotation look right now, especially after the addition of another big man in Lithuania’s Mantas Rubštavičius? Here’s a prediction:
Point Guard
Starter: Tahaad Pettiford
Backup: George Kimble III
A year ago, it seemed extremely unlikely that Pettiford would be around for his third season on the Plains, but his growth as a player and leader will definitely be a major asset for the Tigers. He can be a big-time scorer, but more importantly, he can be the catalyst for the Auburn offense.
Kimble, a transfer from Vanderbilt, can light up the scoreboard as well, averaging 18.0 points for the Commodores last season.
Shooting Guard
Starter: Kevin Overton
Backups: Caleb Williams/Blake Muschalek/Simon Walker
Overton turned it on at the end of last season and was massive in Auburn’s run to the NIT championship.
Williams, a 3-star recruit out of Tampa, Fla., should see early playing time, while Muschalek will get as much time as he earns if he develops a reliable jump shot.
Small Forward
Starter: Mantas Rubštavičius
Backup: Adam Olsen
In reality, at 6-foot-6, Rubštavičius can play three or four positions for the Tigers. Olsen is yet another scoring option for Pearl after putting up 16.7 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent from the three-point line last season at South Alabama.
Power Forward
Starter: Thomas Dowd
Backup: Owen Freeman
Dowd brings a double threat from Troy, where he averaged a double-double last season with 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds. Freeman continues to try to return to the level he played at in the 2023-24 season at Iowa before he suffered a season-ending injury.
Center
Starter: Bukky Oboye
Backup: Narcisse Ngoy
Oboye’s game took a jump last season as a sophomore at Santa Clara, averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds while only playing 17.8 minutes per game. Those numbers will rise as he will be a key cog in the Tigers’ rotation. Ngoy has experienced playing with grown men in France, where he averaged 21 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in the second tier of the French National League for Poitiers Basket 86.
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