Auburn closed out its preseason Thursday night with an 80-68 win over Samford at Neville Arena, wrapping up exhibition play at 1-2 before the regular season opener against Southeastern Louisiana next Wednesday. That game is set for 7 p.m. CT and will stream on SEC Network+.
The Tigers didn’t exactly coast through the final tune-up. Even with a relatively small but lively crowd on hand, Auburn spent much of the first half digging out of a slow offensive start that featured turnovers, empty possessions and a familiar preseason messiness. Samford had the lead for long stretches early, and Auburn needed a spark to settle in.
Tahaad Pettiford provided it.
The junior guard was the engine for Auburn’s offense when nothing else was coming easy, scoring 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Fourteen of those came in the first half, when he looked like the one player capable of creating his own shot and getting the Tigers moving.
Kevin Overton then took over as the game wore on. He finished with 25 points, hit five 3-pointers on 10 attempts and scored 17 of his points after halftime. Pettiford got Auburn rolling early, and Overton helped make sure Samford never truly threatened a comeback.
Auburn also got a strong showing from freshman wing Caleb Williams, who turned in his best performance in an Auburn uniform. Williams scored 14 points and made three of his four 3-point tries. With Mantas Rubštavičius now out of the picture, Williams looks locked into a starting role and figures to carry a major load for this group.
Thursday also marked the debut of Kolby King, who had missed Auburn’s first two exhibitions because of eligibility concerns tied to the Ohio lawsuit against the NCAA. In that case, two dozen players from the class of 2022 were granted eligibility by the Ohio Supreme Court. Against Samford, the Utah State transfer played five minutes and made his only shot, a 3-pointer from the wing while drawing a foul.
King gives Auburn another backcourt piece alongside George Kimble III, and he brings some flexibility because he can play either guard spot. That matters for a team still sorting out its rotation.
Still, the bigger takeaway from the night may be that Auburn is not nearly a finished product yet. The second half included defensive breakdowns that had Steven Pearl visibly frustrated with his bench, and the Tigers allowed 44 points after halftime. Some of those busts looked a lot like the problems that showed up last season.
So Auburn leaves the exhibition slate with a win, but not a whole lot of polish. The good news is the games start counting now.
In Other News...
Auburn Basketball Now Has A Front Office Problem Before The Season
Auburn basketball has already been forced to sort through an early personnel shake-up off the court, with the program parting ways with general manager Brian Kloman after questions surfaced about information tied to international transfer Mantas Rubtaviius college coursework in Europe. The situation spiraled into a larger eligibility issue for Rubtaviius, who ultimately dismissed his lawsuit against the NCAA and will not be able to play for Auburn this season.
For now, Steven Pearl says the Tigers are leaning on the staff to absorb Klomans former duties collectively, keeping the current structure in place as the season approaches. It is not the sort of front-office detour Auburn wanted at this stage, especially with roster planning and compliance already carrying extra weight, and it leaves the program trying to stabilize things before the real work on the floor begins. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn May Be Missing A Key Piece In Crucial Ole Miss Rebound Spot
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Kogers availability carries extra weight because he ranks third on the team in receiving yards, giving Auburn another layer in the passing game if he can go. If he cannot, the Tigers will have to piece together their offense without one of the more productive options on the roster, and that is not an ideal spot entering a game where a response is needed. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Backcourt Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe
An exhibition win does not settle much in October, but Auburns 80-68 victory over Samford at least offered a reminder of what a lively backcourt can do for this team. Kevin Overton led the way with 25 points, Tahaad Pettiford added 20, and Auburns guards helped set a tone that carried through a matchup in which the Tigers controlled the glass and piled up second-chance points.
Steven Pearl had plenty to like afterward, especially the way Auburns energy showed up in multiple spots beyond the headline scorers. Kolby King and Caleb Williams were among the players singled out for their contributions, and while an exhibition still leaves plenty to sort out, the Tigers gave themselves an early reason to feel better about the pieces around their lead guards. [Read more 🡒]