Auburn wrapped up its exhibition slate Thursday night with an 80-68 victory over Samford at Neville Arena, closing the preseason at 1-2 after earlier losses to Florida State and Alabama.
The Tigers’ guards did most of the damage. Kevin Overton poured in 25 points to lead Auburn, while Tahaad Pettiford added 20 for a backcourt tandem that accounted for 45 points.
The two were efficient, too, combining to shoot 18-for-31 from the floor. Overton knocked down 5 of his 10 three-point attempts and finished with eight rebounds.
Caleb Williams gave Auburn another strong scoring night with 14 points, and that performance matters even more with Mantas Rubš̌tavičius no longer with the team. Williams is now expected to step into the starting wing role. Kolby King made his Auburn debut and scored four points, while George Kimble III also contributed four.
The frontcourt didn’t fill up the scoring column, but it still mattered. Troy transfer Thomas Dowd had three points and seven rebounds.
Centers Bukky Oboye and Narcisse Ngoy combined for seven points and seven rebounds. Adam Olsen added three points on 1-for-6 shooting.
Auburn finished the night shooting 48% from the field, going 31-for-64, and hit 41% from three-point range. The Tigers won the battle on the glass 44-27, and both teams scored 30 points in the paint. Samford shot 43% overall and 30% from long distance, with Cooper Noard leading the Bulldogs with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Auburn now turns to the regular season, opening at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will air on SEC Network+.
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Auburn Heads To Ole Miss With One Big Chance To Respond
Auburn heads to Ole Miss still trying to settle things down after the LSU loss, and the trip gives the Tigers a quick chance to show the last outing was more of a stumble than a trend. The matchup also puts a few key players in the spotlight, with Byrum Brown, Jeremiah Cobb, Elijah Melendez, Andre Jordan Jr. and Cole Best all expected to have a hand in helping Auburn clean up the issues that showed up last week.
The challenge in Oxford is simple enough to understand and harder to execute: the Tigers need sharper play on both sides of the ball, especially in areas where LSU exposed some cracks. Ole Miss offers a different set of problems and a fresh test of whether Auburn can make better use of the opportunities in front of it, and the response from that group of players could go a long way toward shaping how this stretch of the season is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Basketball Now Has A Front Office Problem Before The Season
Auburn basketball is dealing with an unexpected front-office shakeup before the season even gets going, with the program parting ways with general manager Brian Kloman after an issue tied to international transfer Mantas Rubtaviius college coursework in Europe. The fallout was significant enough that Rubtaviius dismissed his lawsuit against the NCAA, and his path to playing for Auburn this season closed with that ineligibility ruling.
For Steven Pearls staff, the timing only adds to an already tricky stretch of roster management and administrative work. Pearl said the duties Kloman had been handling will now be spread around by committee, with the staff keeping its current structure intact as it absorbs the extra load and tries to move on from a situation that has already altered Auburns plans. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's Best Hope At Ole Miss Might Test Everything Saturday
Auburn heads to Ole Miss on Saturday trying to steady itself after a recent loss, and the numbers do not exactly suggest an easy road trip. ESPNs Matchup Predictor gives the Tigers just a 25.1% chance to win, while the Rebels are still pushing to protect their place in the College Football Playoff conversation. Add in the history between these two programs and the setting suddenly feels bigger than a typical late-season SEC game.
Still, Auburn has one path that could make this far more interesting than the forecast suggests. The Tigers may be able to lean on the running game against an Ole Miss defense that can be stressed there, and if that matchup holds, it could at least give Auburn a way to keep the game uncomfortable deep into Saturday. The question is whether that edge is enough to turn a difficult assignment into a needed response after last weeks setback. [Read more 🡒]