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Auburn Basketball: 2016-17 Season Preview and Lineup Predictions

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:09 p.m. ET

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Mar 9, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn basketball Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts during the first half of game one of the SEC conference tournament against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Here we take a look at the upcoming Auburn basketball season, giving our predictions of who will be the starting five, and who will have a major impact.

There is no denying that Auburn basketball has been a disappointment under Bruce Pearl thus far, but hope is on the way.

Pearl has brought in a bevy of talented players that could quickly help turn this thing around.

In his first two seasons at Auburn he’s won 15 and 11 games respectively, taking a step back last year. Struggles in 2015-16 can be attributed to some tough injuries to key players.

That shouldn’t be the case this season as Auburn is as deep as I’ve ever seen them.

A lot of these guys are still young, so you can expect some growing pains, but the talent is there to compete in just about every game.

After back-to-back 20 loss seasons, Auburn basketball fans are ready to have a team they can get behind. I think this year we have that team.

Auburn was picked to finish 11th in the SEC by the media after finishing 13th last season. I think we have a chance to do much better than that in a conference that is wide open.

In a poll on CBS ranking all 351 college basketball teams, they had Auburn basketball ranked 95th. That put them as the 10th best team in the conference.

In that same poll there were only three SEC teams in the top 37, so it’s not like they have much confidence in the teams they put ahead of Auburn.

I think Auburn basketball takes a huge stride forward this year, and that’s because of the guys we’re about to discuss.

Oct 19, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn player T J Dunans during SEC Tipoff at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Lineup

Bruce Pearl has many different options for his starting lineup this year, and I think we see several different lineups to start the season as he gets a feel for this team.

Point Guard – T.J. Dunans

Even though Dunans isn’t a prototypical point guard, I think he is best suited to start the season at the point with his experience.

When healthy, I thought he was Auburn’s best player at times last year as he can do it all. As the younger players get more comfortable I would like to see Dunans become more of a utility guy for Auburn, possibly even coming off the bench.

Shooting Guard – Mustapha Heron

Heron might be the most hyped freshman that Auburn basketball has had in a long time. The 5-star recruit should come in and have an impact on this team right away.

This kid is a scorer, something Auburn desperately needs in the lineup. I look for the offense to flow through him more-and-more as the season goes on.

Small Forward – Danjel Purifoy

We were all disappointed that Purifoy didn’t get to play last year, but I think it works out for the best as now he can come up with the talented recruits Pearl has brought in this year and the next.

He is a very athletic forward that can play close to the rim and step outside for a 3-pointer. I’m really looking forward to what this kid can do for Auburn basketball this season.

Power Forward – LaRon Smith

It’s possible Horace Spencer plays the power forward position and Pearl goes with a smaller lineup. If that’s the case Smith will likely just back-up Spencer, but for the sake of filling out a starting five I have Smith here.

Smith will give Auburn the defensive pressure it needs in the post as he averaged 6.9 rebounds and 3 blocks per game in 32 games for Bethune-Cookman. If and he Spencer do end up on the floor at the same time, good luck getting to the rim.

Feb 24, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Horace Spencer (0) fouls Georgia Bulldogs forward E

Center – Horace Spencer

Auburn basketball doesn’t have an actual center to me on the roster right now, but Horace Spencer comes the closest to fitting the bill at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds.

Spencer was one of the most impressive aspects of Auburn basketball last season as he dominanted near the rim with 65 blocks. The next closest to that total was T.J. Dunans with 17. I think he can be an elite shot blocker this season for Auburn basketball, but he’ll need to improve in the rebounding department.

Feb 17, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Bryce Brown (2) takes a shot during the second half of play with the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. The Tigers won 90-86. Mandatory Credit: Gunnar Rathbun-USA TODAY Sports

The Bench

Any of the guys listed below could enter the starting lineup at some point this season, that’s how deep I think Auburn is this year.

TJ Lang started 28 games last year for Auburn, but I see him more as a role player this year. He had the highest 3-point percentage on the team last year, and can help lead the second unit.

Bryce Brown made 11 starts a year ago and he is also a 3-point specialist. He finished the 2015-16 season averaging just over 10 points per game as a freshman. When he’s hot you can’t stop him.

New Williams missed a lot of time last year because of injuries, but I think he could become a vital piece off the bench this season if healthy. Auburn’s backcourt is crowded, but Williams has role in this offense.

Ronnie Johnson is a graduate transfer who has spent time with Purdue and Houston. The guard could crack the starting lineup to start the season just based on his experience. Johnson should help provide some veteran leadership on this young team.

Jared Harper is another freshman guard who could crack the starting lineup at some point this year. He’s probably the best option at point guard on this team as he’s a great distributor, but he’ll need time to feel is way into the college game.

Anfernee McLemore is a freshman forward, and because of the lack of depth at the position I could see him getting a lot of playing time this year, much like Horace Spencer did last season. I think the two are comparable and have very similar games.

Mar 1, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl gestures to his players during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Auburn Arena. The Aggies beat the Tigers 81-63. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Season Outlook

I honestly think this is going to be a fun year for Auburn basketball fans. I’m not saying we will be dancing in March, but I certainly expect this team to be competitive all season.

More from Fly War Eagle

There is no question that Bruce Pearl is a good coach, but you have to have talent in order to win in basketball. Now that he has that talent, I think he will be able to do more things on the court.

Mustapha Heron has a chance to become the SEC Freshman of the Year as I think he plays early and often for Auburn basketball this year.

The other player I’ll be keeping an eye on this year is Danjel Purifoy. We were teased into thinking we might see him last year, so it feels like we’ve been awaiting his arrival forever. He has a chance to breakout for Auburn basketball this year as well.

The schedule is a bit difficult with Texas Tech, UAB, Oklahoma, UCONN, TCU and possibly Purdue on the out-of-conference slate. If they win at least three of those games – and they probably should – along with the other out-of-conference games they should win, then I think this team goes into conference play with a lot of hype.

The SEC is not as stacked in basketball like it is in football and baseball, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for Auburn basketball to find some conference wins.

I think Auburn fans should expect around a .500 record in conference play this season, which with a good out-of-conference performance that should make them a bubble team, and at the very least have them in the NIT.

Auburn really struggled to score last season, especially when Kareem Canty left the team, but that shouldn’t be a problem this year. I expect a more fast-paced approach on offense in 2016-17.

I also expect the defense to be much better with Horace Spencer down low getting more playing time.

Auburn fans haven’t been this excited about a basketball season in a long time, and there are many reasons why you should be pumped up.

This should be a very good season for Auburn basketball, and the beginning of great seasons to come.

War Eagle!

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