The biggest offseason storylines to watch for Auburn men’s basketball (2024)

The offseason is here — probably far earlier than Bruce Pearl and Auburn ever anticipated.

Auburn was stunningly bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round on Friday in Spokane, Washington, losing to No. 13 seed Yale 78-76.

It puts an Auburn roster that was so reliant on its depth into a little bit of flux looking forward to the summer. There’s change coming. The winningest player in Auburn history is gone. Several others have decisions to make.

This team won’t look the same next year. So let’s take a look at the biggest storylines that will shape the 2024-25 Auburn team.

What might next year’s depth look like?

The transfer portal could change things, of course, as no Auburn players entering the portal in the immediate aftermath of the season. That can, and most likely will, change.

Jaylin Williams and Lior Berman are the only scholarship players who definitely will not be back. Both are out of eligibility.

The 2024 recruiting class with bring in Tahaad Pettiford — a five-star recruit rated as the No. 1 point guard in America — a highly athletic guard with deep shooting range.

It will also add four-star small forward Jahki Howard, ranked as the 70th overall player in the 2024 cycle.

So based on Auburn’s current roster, here’s a possible look at a starting lineup for next season.

• PG: Aden Holloway
• SG: Denver Jones
• SF: Chad Baker-Mazara
• PF: Chaney Johnson
• C: ? (More on that below)

What could change from this? The transfer portal has a good shot to impact Auburn’s guard depth.

We’re penciling in Holloway as the starter just because he ended this season as the starter and started most of this season. But with the impending addition of Pettiford and Denver Jones as the clear starting shooting guard, it seems unlikely that Auburn will retain Holloway, Tre Donaldson and K.D. Johnson.

For the sake of this exercise, let’s assume everyone stays. Auburn will have many options at guard and especially point guard, but it may not be obvious that Holloway starts given his inconsistencies this season. Auburn has also used Jones at point guard at times this season and maybe continue using that lineup. That versatility could impact how Auburn uses the other guards around Jones.

The small forward spot will likely stick with Chad Baker-Mazara who ended this season as the starter. Behind him is Howard and Chris Moore. Moore went through Senior Day festivities this year. He does have the chance to come back for one more year. He also has the opportunity to explore the transfer portal should he choose if he wants more playing time.

Chaney Johnson will take over Williams’ spot at power forward as he did after Williams injured his knee against Kentucky this season.

The depth behind Johnson at that spot appears very thin, however. Auburn would either have to use more small-ball lineups. It may also look to the transfer portal to add another forward.

Purely based on eligibility, the only scholarship interior players on Auburn’s roster next season are Johnson, Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome. It’s quite likely at least one if not both Broome and Cardwell aren’t back next year.

And then there’s the center spot.

So what’s the situation at center?

This is Auburn’s biggest lineup question mark.

More likely than not, Johni Broome isn’t coming back. Certainly, that’s not a done deal, but Broome went through some NBA Draft steps last summer to get a read on his stock. He came back to Auburn when it wasn’t high enough and had a season where he showed big improvements as a passer and a shooter.

Broome’s draft stock now seems uncertain, with some projections viewing him as a potential first round pick and others not having him on their prospect rankings at all.

If Broome does come back to Auburn, then this is easy. Auburn’s got its best player back.

If Broome leaves, things get more interesting.

Dylan Cardwell would be the easily penciled-in option to start in that scenario. But after Auburn’s loss to Yale, he said he hasn’t yet decided if we will return to Auburn.

Few players are as vocally supportive of Auburn as Cardwell. It’s hard to imagine him playing in another uniform. But he has one more year of eligibility and it’s not a guarantee he’ll use it on the Plains.

If the duo returns — which is of course a possibility — then it’s simple. Run it back exactly as this season went.

If one or both leave, then Auburn is likely looking to the transfer portal.

The Tigers have already reached out to Rutgers transfer center Cliff Omoruyi.

Omoruyi used one of his five official visits for a trip to Auburn as a high school recruit. He’s from New Jersey and could still remain close to home, having quickly set up a visit to St. John’s after entering the portal.

It’s still quite early of course, and Auburn will likely have several other options in the portal. Center may not be the only position Auburn is looking to the portal, anyway.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com