Auburn didn’t need long to find out what Owen Freeman and Kolby King could add.
For two newcomers who arrived with very different timelines, the opener against Southeastern Louisiana still produced a fast answer. King, the late addition who barely got on the floor in the final exhibition against Samford, came off the bench and piled up 12 points, seven rebounds, an assist and two steals in 15 minutes. Freeman, who sat out the preseason while recovering from an offseason foot injury, was even more efficient in a smaller role: seven points, six rebounds and a block in 11 minutes.
That’s a strong first impression for a pair of transfers Auburn had to work to bring in. Freeman came after the Tigers had already added two 7-footers, while King didn’t join the program until after Auburn returned from its overseas trip to Greece. Still, both looked comfortable right away in Auburn’s 92-59 win, and both flashed the kind of production that can help this team as it tries to move on from last season’s NCAA Tournament miss and make more noise in Steven Pearl’s second year.
“We talked about wanting to get older, and part of that is if you have an older group, I think you’re able to acclimate new faces quicker,” head coach Steven Pearl said a few days ago. “And we were very intentional on making sure that these guys and their personalities would mesh, and it wouldn’t be disruptive.
“When we talked about bringing in one of these 5-for-5 guys, we did a lot of homework on Kolby specifically. Because, you bring someone in like that after Greece, that could be disruptive.
Kolby mentioned that the team wrapped their arms around him and was very open to it. They understood that we’re bringing guys in to try and win.
That’s the motivation for all these things, nothing else.”
The opener only gave Auburn one data point, and Southeastern Louisiana was hardly the kind of test that reveals everything. But the Tigers got a clean look at how Freeman and King can fit, and the film backs up the box score.
Freeman’s best sequence came when Auburn had to improvise late in the shot clock, with 10 seconds left and the offense resetting. The Tigers often use a makeshift ball screen in that spot, with shooters spread around the floor. This time, the wrinkle was that the 3 was handling the ball and the 4 was setting the screen, with both roles filled by newcomers: Caleb Williams, the freshman guard, on the ball and Freeman setting the pick.
Southeastern Louisiana had been switching heavily early, which made sense on paper because a 3-4 screen is usually manageable to switch. But after some dribble handoff action with Tahaad Pettiford, Williams ended up guarded by the opposing point guard, while Freeman stayed matched with the X4.
When Freeman brought his defender into the action, the Lions switched again, leaving Williams with the X4 and putting Logan Suber, the undersized X1, on Freeman. That was the opening Freeman wanted. As Williams drifted toward the empty left wing, Freeman buried his defender on the opposite block, pointed to the rim and made it clear he wanted the ball.
It was the kind of instant recognition Auburn was hoping for when it went into the portal. Freeman didn’t need time to announce himself, and King didn’t either.
Even in limited minutes, both newcomers showed up in ways that mattered. Auburn will get a tougher read Monday night against Appalachian State at Neville Arena, before the bigger visit from Arizona, but the first look was encouraging.
In Other News...
Auburn Suddenly Faces A Playoff Shakeup Alex Golesh Downplayed
The College Football Playoff is headed for another major overhaul, with the field set to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027 and the current 12-team setup on the way out. The ripple effect has already reached the SEC, which announced it will drop its annual championship game beginning next season, a change that could alter how teams are judged, seeded and positioned in the months that matter most.
For Auburn, the news adds another layer to an already shifting postseason landscape, even if Alex Golesh kept his comments brief when asked about it at a press conference. He acknowledged the changes without offering much in the way of reaction, leaving plenty of room for the bigger question that now hangs over the league: how the new format and the end of the SEC title game will reshape the path to the playoff. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Gets One Last Tune-Up Before A Much Bigger Test
Auburn gets one more chance to settle in at Neville Arena on Monday night, when Appalachian State comes to town for a final tune-up before the schedule stiffens. Steven Pearl has already pointed to the Mountaineers defensive strengths and their depth, a reminder that this is not just a routine home date even if it comes before a much bigger test for the Tigers.
The game will air live on SEC Network and stream on Fubo, with radio coverage on the Auburn Sports Network for fans following along the old-fashioned way. For Auburn, the matchup is less about the spotlight and more about sharpening habits, getting the rotation into rhythm and making sure the details are cleaner before the next step up in competition. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Defensive Breakout Raised One Big Question About A Freshman
Shadarius Toodles first college game looked less like a debut and more like a statement. The Auburn freshman linebacker erupted against Arkansas with 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, piling up a performance that rewrote multiple program records and instantly changed the conversation around the Tigers defense. Alex Golesh was effusive afterward, and the tone from the sideline suggested Auburn may have been slow to get the freshman on the field in the first place.
The bigger takeaway for Auburn is how much young talent showed up in the same game. Blake Woodby and AnQuon Fegans were part of the defensive surge as well, giving the Tigers a glimpse of a unit that may be building around its younger players faster than expected. The question now is whether Toodles breakout was a one-game jolt or the start of a much larger role in Auburns defensive plans. [Read more 🡒]