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Auburn basketball enters the 2019-20 season with a lot of momentum.
That tends to be the case when you earn a first-ever Final Four appearance in the previous season. But, as always, there is a bit of roster reshuffling entering the new campaign.
Bruce Pearl and his staff must replace Jared Harper, Bryce Brown, Chuma Okeke, Horace Spencer, and Malik Dunbar, who all played key roles in the march to the Final Four.
However, the Tigers will combine an experienced group of seniors with a wildly-talented group of freshmen to try to stay on track.
Let's look at the non-conference opponents for Auburn as it prepares for the season.
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Nov. 5 vs. Georgia Southern
The Panthers prepare to enter the post-Tookie Brown era, so there may be some early struggles to get everything clicking on offense. He averaged 17.3 points per game and was one of those guys who simply made winning plays. However, three starters still return, and getting senior guard Ike Smith (14.7 ppg) back from injury is significant. This game figure to be a track meet, as Mark Byington's squad finished ninth nationally in average offensive possession length at 15.1 seconds.
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Nov. 8 vs. Davidson (Veterans Classic in Annapolis, MD)
Blue Ribbon ranked Davidson No. 17 in the preseason and Auburn No. 18 in the preseason. That should tell you know what you need to know about the strength of Bob McKillop's team entering the season. He has all five starters back from a team that won 24 games, and the Wildcats' potential on offense is simply ridiculous with four double-digit scorers – and reigning Atlantic 10 player of the year Jon Axel Gudmundsson (16.9 ppg) – back in the mix. Davidson is going to shoot a ton of shots from the perimeter, and this is an early must-see game for any college basketball fan.
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Nov. 12 at South Alabama
The Jaguars won't be sneaking up on anyone this season. After going just 8-10 in Sun Belt play last season, they're primed to make the leap to potential league winner. Richie Riley adds former Cal standout Don Coleman and High Point transfer Andre Fox, plus has the luxury of bringing back South Alabama's top two scorers and rebounders in Josh Ajayi (16.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Trhae Mitchell (13.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg). Simply put, the Jaguars are loaded.
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Nov. 15 vs. Cal State Northridge
Former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried is set to return to Auburn Arena, and he does so with one of the nation's most impactful players on his roster. Lamine Diane, who became the first player in Big West history to sweep Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year honors, is back after averaging 24.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Terrell Gomez (19.2 ppg) is back as well. The Matadors have the playmakers needed to contend for a league title.
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Nov. 18 vs. Colgate
Colgate is the preseason favorite in the Patriot League after bringing a lot of production back from an NCAA Tournament bid. Matt Langel has his top five scorers returning, including reigning conference player of the year Rapolas Ivanauskas (15.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Where the Raiders excelled statistically was on offense, as they were seventh nationally in 3-point shooting (39.5 percent) and 12th in effective field goal percentage. After the school's first tournament appearance since 1996, another one is within reach.
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Nov. 25 vs. New Mexico (Legends Classic in Brooklyn, NY)
Paul Weir enters his third season with the Lobos, who get former Ohio State transfer JaQuan Lyle back after he suffered a season-ending injury before the start of the 2018-19 season. Former Texas A&M guard JJ Caldwell and former Towson guard Zane Martin should also provide a nice boost and help with taking care of the basketball (289th nationally with 14.3 turnovers per game). This is one of many Auburn opponents that will play fast (15th in adjusted tempo and 23rd in average offensive possession length) this season.
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Nov. 26 vs. Richmond/Wisconsin (Legends Classic in Brooklyn, NY)
Richmond figures to be much-improved after a 13-20 campaign, even if it will be difficult to find a place at the top of the Atlantic 10. All five starters return for the Spiders, which is a positive for Chris Mooney after being one of the least experienced teams in the country a season ago (331st nationally). Meanwhile, Wisconsin got back to the NCAA Tournament after a rare miss, and the expectation is that the Badgers will find their way there again this season. Ethan Happ departs, but three starters are back for what has continually been one of the most disciplined and best defensive teams in the country.
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Dec. 5 vs. Furman
The Paladins were at one point a top 25 team last season, and their toughness was evident in notching two road wins over Villanova and Loyola Chicago – two Final Four participants from the prior season. And now Bob Richey gets four starters back in hopes of vaulting to the top of the increasingly-competitive Southern Conference. Furman excelled at defending the 3-pointer (29th nationally in holding opponents to 31.2 percent), and that's a good quality to have when trying to defend a Bruce Pearl-coached team.
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Dec. 14 vs. Saint Louis (Mike Slive Invitational in Birmingham, AL)
Travis Ford's team will lack experience this season, but they won't lack talent. Jordan Goodwin and Hasahn French will lead the way as the only returning starters, and Ford told me for my Blue Ribbon feature this summer that Fred Thatch Jr. could make the biggest jump of any sophomore in the country this season. The Billikens were 40th nationally in defensive efficiency last season but must fix several offensive woes – 324th in effective field goal percentage, 335th in 3-point percentage, and 352nd in free throw percentage.
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Dec. 19 vs. NC State
It's frustrating to play against the Wolfpack, which Auburn is well aware of after committing 25 turnovers in a 78-71 road loss to Kevin Keatts' squad a season ago. This time around, there will be similar challenges, as NC State boasts a balanced group of returners and several versatile newcomers, giving the staff a lot of depth to work with. Keatts will continue to have his players push the tempo (35th in average offensive possession length last season at 16.1 seconds), and what could determine the Wolfpack's ability to join Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and Louisville at the top of the ACC is a continued improvement on defense.
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Dec. 21 vs. Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks were the nation's best in 3-point percentage last season (42.3 percent). Defense was another story, with Lehigh finishing 272nd in defensive efficiency. Jordan Cohen (13.6 ppg, 3.6 apg) will be the cornerstone of an up-tempo offensive attack, but there isn't a ton of depth or experience around him. Still, the Mountain Hawks have been consistent in recent years, and it's just a matter of seeing how chemistry comes together.
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Dec. 29 vs. Lipscomb
New Lipscomb coach Lennie Acuff is no stranger to basketball in the state of Alabama after leading Alabama-Huntsville to eight regular season titles and three conference tournament titles in his 22 years at the school. Lipscomb took a big leap under new Belmont coach Casey Alexander, and there shouldn't be much of a drop-off long-term due to Acuff being one of the most respected coaches in the business. However, the Bisons must replace four starters from a team that made it to the NIT game, which could present some challenges in Acuff's first season in Nashville.
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Jan. 25 vs. Iowa State (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
How the Cyclones, who finished ninth in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings last season, replace the bulk of their scoring will be the biggest thing to watch for during the 2019-20 campaign. Steve Prohm loses four of his top five scorers, but does get a double-digit scorer back in Michael Jacobson (11.1 ppg). Having Penn State transfer Rasir Bolton (11.6 ppg) eligible also helps a great deal. Iowa State will need consistency on the defensive side of the court to make up for the exits of several key players on offense.
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Blake Lovell is a national college basketball writer for ClutchPoints. He’s also a contributor for the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview magazine. He hosts two podcasts: Marching to Madness (CBB) and Establish the Pass (NFL).
You can follow him on Twitter @theblakelovell. Also, be sure to follow the ClutchPoints NCAA Facebook page for more great college basketball discussion.
