What does Bruce Pearl want in a transfer guard? Inside Auburn’s effort for ‘last piece’

AUBURN — Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl believes his roster is just about set for the 2024-25 season.

There remains just one more move to make.

“I think that’s the last piece — one more impactful guard,” Pearl said Monday at his charity golf event at the Willow Point Golf and Country Club in Alexander City. “… We really need one more guy that has a chance to compete. It really doesn’t matter for me which position it’s going to be, whether it’s a 1/2 or a 2/1, a 2/3, a 3/2 — it doesn’t really matter. But it’ll be one more guard.

“We’ve tried to be really patient to get the right fit. We’re involved with a couple of really good ones. I can’t believe we’re in the middle of May and we’re not done recruiting, but that’s what the combination of NIL and the transfer portal has done.”

PORTAL FORWARD: Why Ja’Heim ‘Turtle’ Hudson was the transfer PF for Auburn basketball

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Auburn runs a system in which the small forward is included in the back court, along with the point guard and shooting guard. Those positions are often interchangeable, given a player has the adequate height and defensive abilities to survive in another role.

For example: Jared Harper, listed at 5-foot-11, was too small to play anything but point guard when he was at Auburn. Denver Jones, though, is big enough to play shooting guard — his natural position — but has the lateral quickness to keep up with smaller, craftier guards. That, coupled with his playmaking chops, means he can play some point guard.

Auburn lost both of its PGs to the portal this offseason in Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson. KD Johnson and Lior Berman, two veterans in the back court, also moved on. In their place, the Tigers have brought in Furman transfer JP Pegues and freshmen Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard.

“Can we play better defensively? Can we shoot it a little bit better? And can we get a little bit more tough 2-point baskets, or a little…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/does-bruce-pearl-want-transfer-091412048.html

Author : The Montgomery Advertiser

Publish date : 2024-05-23 09:14:12

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