Auburn’s preseason spot in Jon Rothstein’s SEC rankings doesn’t exactly scream respect.
Steven Pearl’s team checked in at No. 11, landing only ahead of Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and South Carolina. LSU was not included because it remains unfinished at the time.
For a program that just went through another major roster overhaul, the low placement fits the uncertainty on paper. Auburn is again replacing most of its key pieces, just as it did a year ago after the Final Four run.
Last season, the Tigers were bringing back only one major contributor from that team in Tahaad Pettiford. This time, they have two returning standouts: Pettiford and NIT MOP Kevin Overton.
That kind of turnover usually invites skepticism, and Rothstein’s list reflects that. But Auburn’s fan base has plenty of reason to think the Tigers can rise quickly once the season gets rolling. The disappointment of last year still lingers, when Auburn missed the NCAA tournament in Pearl’s first season and ended up in the NIT, where it won the championship.
The roster looks very different now, and the additions give Auburn a real chance to be much more dangerous than its preseason slot suggests. The Tigers have brought in Mantas Rubštavičius, a Lithuanian big man with big upside from all over the floor.
They also landed Narcisse Ngoy, a French seven-footer who was drafted by the Clippers just a few days ago. Ngoy passed on that draft position to spend the year at Auburn, while the Clippers retain his rights for his eventual NBA future.
Auburn also added Thomas Dowd, Owen Freeman, Adam Olsen and George Kimble through the portal, and signed three-star prospect Caleb Williams, who visited Auburn for his freshman orientation this past weekend.
There’s still a lot to sort out, but the pieces are there for Auburn to field a top-level roster and push the SEC’s best. For now, though, Rothstein’s ranking says the Tigers have plenty to prove.
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