Auburn Tigers

How Bruce Pearl built Auburn into a true title contender

Published Jan. 25, 2022 2:26 p.m. ET

By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst

Building a championship team is now an art form.

Getting players to stay for multiple years is no longer a given. Finding the right mix of long-term players, one-and-done NBA talent and transfers is key.

Auburn, ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history, has been put together in a modern way by Bruce Pearl.

The Tigers reached the Final Four in 2019, led by Jared Harper, Bryce Brown, Chuma Okeke and Austin Wiley. Pearl said the beginning of the build occurred five years ago, when Wiley was one of the first to commit.

A cascade of incoming players who fit Pearl’s style has ensued, and each major contributing player had a connection.

Here is a look at how Pearl built this title-contending team.

Jabari Smith, freshman, 6-foot-10, Sandy Creek HS (Georgia), 15.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG: Pearl said Smith was an early-morning workout player, so Pearl said he and assistant Ira Bowman were in the gym as much as possible. They could do so because Smith was just 90 minutes away. "He saw what we had done with first-round picks," Pearl said. "And he wanted to win."

K.D. Johnson, sophomore, 6-foot, Hargrave Military (Georgia), 13.1 PPG, 41 steals:
Pearl said the Tigers were in on Johnson from his sophomore year of high school. "We loved his passion. He was fearless," he said. "But we had signed Sharife Cooper. So he wanted to find some place else to go." Johnson ended up at Georgia. He played well as a freshman, averaging 13.5 points in the final 16 games. When he wanted to leave, "he remembered who believed in him early." Now Johnson is the second-leading scorer for the Tigers.

Wendell Green Jr., sophomore, 5-foot-11, La Lumiere School (Indiana), 13 PPG:
The Tigers had Cooper, so they weren’t looking for a point guard. Pearl said he was recruiting in West Virginia. He called his son, assistant Steven Pearl, and said there was an undersized mid-major player who was the best player on the floor. A year later, Bruce Pearl said his son let him know that Green Jr. was leaving Eastern Kentucky and was in the portal after averaging 15.8 points and five assists. Pearl said they watched him, talked to coaches in the Ohio Valley and determined that even though he was undersized, his toughness and their success with smaller guards were plusses. And he has been a huge plus for the Tigers.

Walker Kessler, sophomore, 7-foot-1, Woodward Academy (North Carolina), 10.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG: Kessler was a target for Auburn out of high school. His family has a summer home near Auburn’s campus. Pearl said he thought it was a done deal, but Kessler fell in love with North Carolina. "It broke our heart," Pearl said. "It was one of the toughest losses we had in recruiting." But then Kessler and the Tar Heels had an erratic season during the pandemic. He averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 boards for the Tar Heels in Roy Williams’ last season. There was a glut of bigs, and Kessler wanted out. He was in the portal, and after also looking at Gonzaga, he chose the Tigers, another bounce back for Pearl. "We rekindled the relationship," he said.

Allen Flanigan, junior, 6-foot-6, Jr., Parkview Magnet HS (Arkansas), 7.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG:
Allen’s father, Wes Flanigan, is on the Auburn staff, and Pearl said you cannot make a mistake with an assistant’s son. Flanigan was the best player in Arkansas, and Pearl had watched him a lot, but it wasn’t until the summer in advance of Flanigan's senior year that Pearl said he was willing to sign his "dear friend’s son." You don’t want to take an assistant’s son and not play him, but that isn't the case at all with Flanigan. He was the primary scoring option as a sophomore, averaging 14.3 points. His junior season has been marred by an Achilles injury that occurred in October and required surgery, but he has made his way back into the rotation, and the hope is he will continue to do so. His leadership is critical on this roster.

Jaylin Williams, junior, 6-foot-8, Brantley County HS (Georgia), 7.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG:
Williams was one of the most improved SEC players as a sophomore. He averaged 10.9 points and 4.7 boards. But in came Smith. Williams easily could have bolted and entered the transfer portal. Not so fast. He had been recruited by Pearl and the staff since he was a sophomore. "You bring in Jabari, and most players would just leave,’’ Pearl said. "Jaylin stays. He’s coming off the bench and sometimes playing with Jabari. It gives us the best big guard/point forward in the country."

Devan Cambridge, junior, 6-foot-6, Hillcrest Prep (Arizona), 6.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG:
This recruitment was all about relationships, as Pearl said Cambridge had a connection with Sharife Cooper. The family knew of Pearl’s success at Tennessee. Cambridge reclassified, and the Tigers were in on him in August. He scored more last season without Jabari Smith but has been a critical rotation player this season.

Auburn defense leads to a fast-break dunk for Devan Cambridge as Auburn takes a 45-40 lead

After a steal, Devan Cambridge finished a fast break with a dunk as the Auburn Tigers took a 45-40 lead over the Kentucky Wildcats.

Zep Jasper, senior, 6-foot-1, Laney HS (Georgia), 5.1 PPG, 2.7 APG:
He was a mid-major-type talent out of high school. Pearl and the staff had seen him play and loved his energy and toughness, but he wasn’t quite good enough. So Jasper went to the College of Charleston. He was the leading scorer for Charleston as a junior, averaging 15.6 points. Once he was finished with Charleston, the Tigers were looking for another guard. Relationships matter.

Dylan Caldwell, sophomore, 6-foot-11, Oak Hill Academy (Virginia), 2.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG:
Pearl and everyone else was watching Kofi Cockburn at Oak Hill Academy. Playing behind Cockburn was Caldwell. "We watched him practice and saw that this kid could really move," Pearl said. Caldwell transferred back to McEachern High School (Georgia) for his final season but couldn’t play due to transfer rules. So Pearl said they took Caldwell even though he hadn’t played in two years. "He was the big kid who could move," Pearl said. He’s now a key rotation player for the Tigers off the bench.

Building a title team is about finding the right pieces. Having an elite, NBA-bound talent is a must. But the roster doesn’t have to be littered with them. Having transfers who fit the program, who are selfless and who are all-in is the most important component.

"We’ve done a good job with evaluations and player development," Pearl said. "The bottom line is kids come here and get better. We’re at a point where we can plug in the next class. History does repeat itself."

And it’s working. Auburn is No. 1.

Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.