Auburn was seventh in the SEC a year ago in three-point percentage, making 32% of their shots from outside the arc. The Tigers started the season hot from deep but cooled down as the season progressed.

If Auburn wants to make history once again, they will need to be consistently good three-point shooters through league play. Auburn added talented freshman Chance Westry who has a smooth outside stroke, but besides him, you will see the same guys from a season ago taking threes for the Tigers this year. If Auburn can make their threes, this team will be scary good. 

As the saying goes, good guard play wins in March. Last season guard play was the downfall of Auburn in the tournament. The same guards from a season ago are back aside from Westry. It’ll will come down to whether or not KD Johnson, Zep Jasper, and Wendell Green Jr. developed over the off-season. If these guys can take a step forward, this team could make a deep run in March. 

One thing that was a consistent help for Auburn a season ago was their defense. They worked their rear ends off on the defensive side of the court. This helped the team stay in games where they weren’t making their shots on the offensive side of things. 

If Auburn wants to have another great season, the defense will have to be just as good as last year. Much of that will be in the hands of transfer big man Johni Broome. He will have to fill the hole left by Kessler on the defensive side of the ball. Auburn led the SEC in blocked shots a season ago with 88 more blocks than the next closest team. Broome is a talented shot blocker, so he is the perfect person to make up for the lost blocked shots that come with Kessler’s departure for the NBA.  

A season ago, Auburn was fifth in free throw percentage, making 73.3% of their free throws. The hope for the Tigers this season is that number rises. In a recent secret scrimmage Auburn had against UAB, the Tigers attempted 35 free throws and only made 22 for an abysmal 63%. Free throws are free points. A lot of basketball games come down to free throws. Auburn will need to be an excellent free-throw-shooting team if they want to make a run this season. 

Last year Auburn hit its peak a bit too early. This led to a round of 32 exit for the Tigers in the tournament. Losing a couple of basketball games at the beginning of the year is okay. Losses are learning experiences; in basketball, you play so many games that you will lose a few, which is just fine. The perfect time to peak in right when the 2018-19 team did, which led them all the way to the final four. 

If you want to win championships, your best month of basketball should be March.