AUBURN, Ala. – Last year, Walker Kessler set the Auburn single-season record with 155 blocks. It was the seventh most in SEC history. He's now in the NBA. And yet, through seven games, the Tigers have blocked 13 more shots this year than they did a year ago.
Next Game:
Colgate
Dec. 2, 2022
7 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network+
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
That's because of Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, Auburn's frontcourt duo who currently ranks fourth (Broome, 16.67) and fifth (Cardwell, 16.28) nationally in block percentage.
In fact, the Tigers lead the nation in blocks per game (8.3) this season. Broome is third with 3.7 blocks per game, and Cardwell ranks ninth with 2.9 blocks per game.
"It helps," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Obviously, they do a great job with their verticality. We teach it, they drill it. The challenge, though, is the backside rebounding. The challenge is if they leave, they're going to block shots and they're leaving the back side. So, our rotation on the backside -- or rebounding down as we call it -- is important."
Cardwell, in particular, has taken a big leap this season, and he credits some of that improvement t0 playing behind and learning from Kessler last year.
"I learned a lot," Cardwell said. "I learned when not to jump. I learned when to jump. He made a lot of non-business decisions, but he didn't get dunked on that many times. He had no fear when jumping. I second guess a little bit. If somebody is already up, I'm not going to jump late. But that's something I did learn. Just jump with no fear. If you get dunked on, you're still going to get drafted one day. He was a fearless jumper, and he still is."
"Obviously, his rim protection, his ability to switch and guard guards and stay in front – for a man his size, Dylan is as athletic as anybody in college basketball," Pearl said.
Cardwell, Broome and the rest of the Tigers will be back in action Friday night when Auburn hosts Colgate in Neville Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7:01 p.m. CT. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be streamed exclusively on SEC Network+.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. CT. The arena lot, stadium deck and Plainsman Park lots will be reserved at 8 a.m. due to the Super 7. Please note that there will be a lot of activity and traffic around Neville Arena due to the Super 7 and high school S&D state championships.
PLAYER TO WATCH: ALLEN FLANIGAN
Allen Flanigan has had a strong start to his senior campaign thus far. Having played in 87 career games, he tied his career high with 10 rebounds against Saint Louis on Sunday. It matched his previous best of 10 boards versus Arkansas on Dec. 30, 2020. Coming off the bench, Flanigan is currently fifth on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg), fourth in rebounding (4.7) and has made the second-most 3-pointers (8) on the team, shooting at a 34.8 percent clip.
INSIDE THE SERIES: COLGATE
Auburn leads 1-0 in the all-time series with Colgate. The lone came on Nov. 18, 2019. All five starters scored in double figures, led by 20 points from Samir Doughty, and the Tigers ran away with a 91-62 victory at Auburn Arena (now Neville Arena).
The Tigers are 7-1 lifetime versus Patriot League opponents having faced Colgate (1-0), Lehigh (1-0) and Navy (5-1).
TAKING AWAY THE TREYS
Colgate is one of the top 3-point shooting ballclubs in the country (16th nationally) with a 40.4 percent accuracy (91 of 225 attempts) this season. Auburn is holding opponents to 23.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc and just 4.6 3s a contest. Its 3-point defense ranks fourth best in the nation and tops in the SEC. The Tigers have also held three opponents without a 3-point field goal in one half this season: USF, Texas Southern, Northwestern.