Auburn Basketball got a good glimpse of their upcoming season today as they went to Greenville, S.C. and defeated the Furman Paladins 85-64 in their charity exhibition match.
There was lots of excitement brewing from the Tigers, as new players were set to get their first touches with Bruce Pearl. Returning players were also excited to get back on the court after a tough, long offseason.
One of those returning players was Johni Broome, who led the Tigers with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Broome is hoping for his biggest season yet, determined to lead the Tigers to bigger postseason success while raising his NBA Draft stock.
New players such as freshmen Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard made their debut and gave Auburn fans a glimpse of what they could bring to the team this season. Pettiford tailed up 13 points, shooting 5-9 from the field, while Howard scored 10 points, including a windmill dunk that was reminiscent of his performance last week during Tipoff at Toomer's.
Pearl has confidence that his team will improve and do big things this upcoming season.
“It’s a 20-point road win,” said Pearl. "This is a team that would be like, say, App State, and we went to App State last year and got beat. And so, from that standpoint, I’m pleased with the outcome.”
The Tigers will play one more exhibition game at Neville Arena against the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:00 p.m. CST. They will open the regular season on against the Vermont Catamounts on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 7:00 p.m. CST.
