The 2017-18 season was certainly a memorable one for Auburn basketball.
Despite dealing with adversity both on and off the court, the Tigers produced one of the most memorable seasons in the program’s history by capturing an SEC regular season title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.
But for head coach Bruce Pearl, that’s not where the story ends.
For Pearl and his talented group of returners and newcomers, the working mindset is that last season’s success was only the beginning.
“Last year wasn’t just a one-season wonder,” Pearl said at SEC Media Day on Wednesday. “What we’re trying to do here is make history and keep it going. It’s easier to get it going than it is to keep it going.”
On paper, the Tigers have a roster that should allow Pearl and company to keep the momentum rolling.
Auburn returns a host of impact players from last season including the dynamic guard duo of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown, who both earned preseason All-SEC Second Team honors on Wednesday.
Harper will once again be the leader on the court for the Tigers, and Brown’s overall skill set on both sides of the floor continues to fly under the radar.
“They’ve got good chemistry together,” Pearl said. “They both play with chips on their shoulders. We went as Jared went last year. Bryce is underrated because not only is he a great shooter but he’s a great shot maker and scorer, and he’s also one of the best on-ball defenders in our league. Jared is great off the ball defending and communicating. This is probably as good a backcourt as I’ve had.”
The Tigers add depth behind those two players with the additions of VCU transfer Samir Doughty and JUCO guard J’Von McCormick, who Pearl referred to as a “really important signing” earlier this summer.
But while the guards may get a lot of attention, Auburn will also feature Pearl’s deepest frontcourt since he’s been on the Plains.
First off, there’s the returning nucleus of Anfernee McLemore, Horace Spencer, and Chuma Okeke, who all stepped up in a big way for the Tigers last season.
Of course, McLemore’s sophomore campaign was cut short due to a gruesome late-season at South Carolina, and it was unknown at the time if or when he’d be able to return to action.
Luckily, McLemore’s rehab was a success, and now Pearl believes that he’s ready to take another step forward.
“He’s 100 percent,” Pearl said. “You can see in practices sometimes that he’s holding back just a little bit. But I think when the lights come on, and it’s live, he’s just gonna be terrific.”
“Last year he was one of the better defenders in our league and an elite 3-point shooter. He’s gonna play a big factor for us again this year. He reminds me of Jordan Bell with the Golden State Warriors. I think Anfernee can be that kind of player.”
Elsewhere, Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy will return to action, which only adds to the amount of scoring and defending options at Pearl’s disposal.
Wiley and Purifoy were two of Auburn’s top four scorers during the 2016-17 season, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see them both near the top once again in that category.
And the good news for Pearl is that both players’ versatility should allow the Tigers to keep playing their signature up-tempo style.
“Austin is as big, as strong, as fast and as mobile as any big guy pin the country,” Pearl said. “He moves so well. We won’t be slowing down at all. Danjel has as pretty of a jump shot as there is in the league. He can guard multiple positions, and he’s a good passer.”
When you put it all together, there’s little doubt that Auburn has the pieces in place to yet another step forward as a program.
The Tigers have been a popular top-10 pick in early polls along with fellow SEC competitors Kentucky and Tennessee, which speaks to the current depth and potentially historic season for the once-struggling league.
In a conference this strong, mindset will yet again play a significant role for an Auburn squad that played with a constant chip on its shoulder a year ago.
But Pearl believes that his team is more than ready to embrace that mindset as the Tigers try to return to the top.
“This year our motto is unfinished business,” Pearl said. “We have a team full of guys I’m hoping are still humble and hungry, and feel like we have a lot to play for and a lot to prove.”
For more SEC Media Day coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.