The preview for Auburn last year had a theme: Auburn’s guard play will determine how far this team goes. That was the literal title of the preview. We knew how good Jabari Smith could be, although I’m not sure many expected him to be top 5 draft pick good. We knew Walker Kessler could be a force in the paint. What wasn’t know was the type of production Bruce Pearl would get from his guards.
For the most part, the guards were really good. Auburn won the league — far better than my prediction of 5th last season — and landed a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament.