The start to the 2024-2025 season has been full of tests. So far, Auburn men’s basketball has passed all of them.
Just one day after beating No. 5 Iowa State in an 18-point comeback, Auburn returned to the Lahaina Civic Center Tuesday night to beat North Carolina 85-72.
It’s the Tigers’ third ranked win already this season and it sets up a matchup with Memphis Wednesday afternoon in the Maui Invitational Championship.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
The Johni Broome show
Johni Broome is slowly making his case for the Naismith Award and Tuesday night might have been his best showing yet.
He had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and finished the game with 23 points and 19 rebounds, both numbers being game highs. Broome’s 19 rebounds are a career high.
Broome’s presence was vital for Auburn. The Tigers looked like a completely different team with him off the floor, as North Carolina went on a 10-2 run in the first half during the four minutes he was on the bench.
His impact was greater than just as a scorer, as he was quiet from the field in the second half. Broome’s presence on defense and on the glass was a constant positive for Auburn, finishing with six offensive rebounds and three blocks.
Sped up at times
Both Auburn and North Carolina played at a near frantic pace Tuesday night, something Auburn hasn’t had to do much this season.
It favored the Tigers for parts of the game, but also led to a few rushed possessions, something that seemed to favor North Carolina. Auburn shot the ball relatively well, but the shot selection was questionable at times, especially in the first half.
Auburn took a lot of transition 3-pointers, some open, but some forced with over 20 seconds left on the shot clock.
One thing Auburn did well despite the fast pace was take care of the ball. The Tigers finished with eight turnovers and forced 10, but led 15-6 in points off turnovers.
Anyone can hurt you
A big part Tuesday’s win was Auburn’s depth.
The usual suspects such as Broome, Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara all played well, but contributions off the bench from Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson had a big impact on the game as well.
Auburn finished the game with six players in double figures, something that is slowly becoming an expectation for this team. Even with Broome having a quiet second half, Auburn’s offense never really slowed down.
When Broome was quiet scoring in the paint, Johnson stepped up, scoring nine second half points. All of Auburn’s guards continued to shoot the ball well, allowing Auburn to play inside-out throughout the game.
It takes depth to beat teams like Iowa State and North Carolina on consecutive days. Auburn did just that and now will have a chance to win the Maui Invitational.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com
