Expectations remain high for the Auburn Tigers Men’s basketball in 2024-25. ESPN released his last Top 25 too early, ranking the Tigers at No. 11.
The Tigers remain in the same spot as in the previous rankings, which were released too early. However, they are still ranked higher than they were in last season’s final AP poll, where they finished 18th.
Auburn ranks as the second-highest ranked school in the SEC, behind only rival Alabama, which is ranked No. 2.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello likes Auburn’s offseason additions.
“Auburn has seen a steady stream of positive news during the offseason, starting with the addition of transfer player Furman. JP Pegas and continuing with the return of the All-SEC first team selectionby John Broome in the front,” Borzello wrote on ESPN. “Broome could begin the season as a preseason All-American. Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara They’re also back on the perimeter, as Bruce Pearl recently left and transferred from Georgia Tech. Miles Kelly.”
Pegas transferred to Auburn from Furman in April. Pegues averaged 18.4 points, 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game last season and was ranked as a four-star prospect in the Sports Transfer Portal Ranking 247.
Guard Kelly transferred to Auburn after three seasons at Georgia Tech. As a junior, he put up decent numbers: 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
However, those numbers may not tell the whole story.
“I think Miles Kelly has a chance to be one of the most underrated players on the roster,” 247Sports national college basketball writer Isaac Trotter said. he said on the Auburn Undercover podcast“Just looking at the numbers he had, I think it’s easy to doubt him a little bit because the numbers weren’t great. But you have to take context. It was a young Georgia Tech team; Miles Kelly had to take a lot of shots for them.”
The Tigers also got points from the return of first-team All-SEC forward Johnie Broome. Broome is heading into his third season at Auburn since transferring from Moorhead State. In 2023-24, he averaged 16.5 points, 835 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Broome’s 3-point percentage improved from 29% to 35.4%.
Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers were disappointed by their early exit from the NCAA Tournament last season, but are preparing for another run in 2024/25.