aubiefifty

what gets old is all the threats your side puts out there. your side tried to take over the country by stealing an election and you guys used force. instead of siding with cops at the capital you sided wth the young lady who was shot knowing damn well not to cross that thresh hold. what gets old is being accused of being a commie when you served your country during a time of war. and enlisted and not drafted. you guys hate nancy so much you made fun of her husband when your side smeared him in the papers. you guys claim to be the christian party................lol.

sorry no can do...............

tell ya what.........go hold your breath until i do and see what happens..............

Canzano: Oregon coach Dan Lanning not interested in Auburn opening John Canzano 2-3 minutes Columnist John Canzano on sports, Oregon sports, the Pac-12 Conference and more. Already a subscriber? Sign in Dan Lanning is 8-1 at Oregon in his first season. (Photo: Serena Morones) Believe what you’d like, but I’m here to tell you that Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning isn’t interested in leaving Eugene. Auburn fired football coach Bryan Harsin last week. The Tigers have hired a search firm. A writer at “Fan Nation” — part of the Sports Illustrated network — reported on Sunday that there was “mutual interest” between Auburn and Oregon coach Dan Lanning. I promised that I would give you sourced, in-depth reporting here. Stuff you can’t get anywhere else. I can tell you whoever reported “mutual” interest didn’t bother to check with Lanning or his agent. I did. Lanning has zero interest. Oregon’s coach may get restless at some point. He may hit a ceiling. Maybe he decides to leave Eugene one day, but that day doesn’t feel like it’s coming anytime soon. Remember, Lanning grew up in rural Missouri. His alma mater, William Jewell College, plays Division II football. This isn’t like the University of Miami calling on Mario Cristobal. It’s not Chip Kelly to the NFL. It’s not Willie Taggart, who barely moved his family to Eugene. I wrote a column recently about Lanning. He’s put down roots. It feels like he’s just getting started. But don’t take my word. Take his. He’ll be asked on Monday. Make sure you listen carefully. I appreciate all who have supported, subscribed and shared my new, independent, endeavor with friends and families. If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing. Your support allows me to go where the stories take us. Give a gift subscription This is an independent reader-supported project, with both free and paid subscriptions. Those who opt for the paid edition are providing vital assistance to bolster my independent coverage. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to have full access to all of my posts.

Kickoff time, TV network set for Auburn’s home finale against WKU Published: Nov. 07, 2022, 12:12 p.m. 2 minutes Auburn running back Tank Bigsby celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP Auburn will close out its 2022 home slate with an afternoon matchup against Western Kentucky on Nov. 19. The SEC announced kickoff times and television network designations for Week 12 of the season. Auburn’s home tilt against WKU in the Tigers’ penultimate regular-season game will kick off at 3 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be broadcast on SEC Network. Read more Auburn football: What’s next for Auburn football recruiting after Bryan Harsin? Auburn’s turnover margin trending in right direction, finally Watch Cadillac Williams’ heartfelt postgame locker-room speech after Auburn’s loss to Mississippi State Auburn is 3-3 at home this season, with wins against Mercer, San Jose State and Missouri. The team has lost home games to Penn State, LSU and Arkansas. It will host Texas A&M this weekend before next week’s home finale against the Hilltoppers. WKU (6-4) will host Rice this weekend before traveling to the Plains. Auburn and Western Kentucky have met just two prior times in program history, with the Tigers winning each of those matchups, the first in 2003 and the other in 2005. Auburn’s average margin of victory in those two games is 34 points. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Watch: What’s next for Auburn football recruiting after Bryan Harsin? Published: Nov. 07, 2022, 10:15 a.m. Auburn Tigers Recruiting on AL.com | What's next after Harsin?; Keys for Cadillac? NEW! By Nick Alvarez | nalvarez@al.com It’s the start of something new for Auburn football. The Tigers are in the Cadillac Williams era, following a tumultuous tenure for Bryan Harsin. AL.com broke down the 2023 cycle and Williams’ goals for 2024. Watch reporter Nick Alvarez and social media producer Patrick Greenfield discuss the latest news. What’s next for recruiting on the Plains? Who are the key players to hold onto in this class? Why is Williams, an Auburn legend, the right fit for this moment? Sponsored by Inline Lighting, the Auburn Recruiting Show on AL.com will occur live throughout the season on our social media channels. If you have a recruiting question re: any targets, strategies or flips, please email us at nalvarez@al.com or drop them in the show comment section. Click here for our last show. Thanks for tuning in! Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com. Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) is a digital sports & social media producer for AL.com based out of Birmingham.

i am all for lanning. good lord he did a banging job at ga.

Howard Stern: Preserving democracy is ‘the only f—ing issue on the table’ in midterms Judy Kurtz 4-5 minutes Howard Stern says there’s no greater issue in Tuesday’s midterm elections than “saving democracy.” “I love this country. I love what it stands for. I know the history of the world. I’ve seen what happens when people who are authoritarians — who want to control the vote, fix the vote, and then eventually eliminate the vote — I know what that means and I know the kind of society you’d be in,” the SiriusXM radio host told listeners of his eponymous show on Monday. “I would love to tell the people out there who think that’s not a big issue: The sad fact is you’ve never lived under an authoritarian regime,” Stern said. “To me, there’s no more important issue on the table for these elections than saving democracy,” he added on the eve of Election Day. “You have no idea what you have ‘til it’s gone,” Stern said as he took aim at election deniers who support former President Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen amid voter fraud following his loss to Joe Biden. Candidates categorized by States United Action as election deniers will appear on the ballot for nearly half of the country’s secretary of state races and one-third of the attorney general races, according to data from the pro-democracy nonprofit. “I’m going to suggest to you that the things you enjoy about this country, the freedoms, they will all be gone when you elect someone who says, ‘I don’t believe the vote. F— you. We’re going and we’re taking over.’ That’s how Hitler came to power,” Stern, 68, said. “I never thought I’d be saying this on the radio. I never thought that this would be in jeopardy,” the former “America’s Got Talent” judge said. “Like waking up and seeing the sun shining, I always just assume [in] America, we all are in agreement that we cherish free elections.” “As soon as someone says, ‘I believe that the… 2020 election was stolen,’ as soon as they say that — and they have no proof except they feel like it was stolen — you can’t vote for that person,” Stern said. “I don’t care if they’re a Democrat or Republican,” said Stern, who ran as a libertarian in New York’s gubernatorial race in 1994, before dropping out after the state’s Supreme Court upheld a requirement that he would have to disclose his personal finances as a political candidate. “This is the Republican rap now. I used to believe in the Republican Party. I had many, many candidates that I enjoyed, who I knew personally, that I can’t go along with this nonsense,” Stern said. “You don’t hear from any mainstream Republicans anymore. And I don’t think there’s a more important issue on the table,” he said. “I happen to think [President] Biden’s doing a good job. Do we have problems? Yeah, of course we do,” Stern said, citing Russia’s war with Ukraine, oil prices, and the global economy. “We struggle as a nation all the time with certain issues, but lo and behold, the one thing we got is our freedom — to elect a**holes and kick a**holes out of office. That’s the most important thing.” “So-called evidence” and accusations of 2020 election fraud played out in court, Stern said, and judges across the country found that “everything seems to be on the up and up.” Election deniers, Stern said, “Still go, ‘Well, we feel that they were stolen somehow.’ And yet we don’t feel the election was stolen when we win. You can’t have it both ways. So you accept your win, but you don’t accept your loss.” “I like waking up in an America where I know that the United States senators, people in Congress and the president all believe in America — not in a dictatorship. And that’s it,” Stern said. “That’s the only f—ing issue on the table.” For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to

because people are getting hurt or being murdered. lord help you folks..............

why? because i can see through your bullsh*t? try harder scooter.

these people know they are wrong. the truth is they do not give a rats ass who gets hurt. they do not care how dirty or dishonorable it gets. they do not care if jesus gets smeared by them claiming to be a christian but ok with all this crap?

hate speech and getting people hurt or killed is not freedom of speech. if you are arrested and you tell that cop you are going to kill him you think he is going to apologize? hell no he is tacking on more charges. see how easy that is scooter?

keep showing your stupidity there scooter. and it is a really bad look. and omg i am so butthurt at your commie comment i will not be able to eat super today. you are just being lazy now...........

you sir are an idiot if you think that. if your mouth causes someone to get hurt or killed that should be on you. that is not freedom of speech. it also falls under slander and a ton of other things but freedom of speech does not include instigating murder or harm to anyone. period. jesus dude listen to yourself.

Let’s join with Jesus and call Christian nationalists what they are — destroyers of a great faith and a great nation. And that has nothing to do with either democracy or Jesus Christ.

Ahrens: Christian nationalism isn't Christianity. It's spewing hate in 'the name of Jesus' Tim Ahrens 5-7 minutes Tim Ahrens is the senior minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Downtown Columbus. Supporters of then-President Donald Trump pray outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. A growing number of people have lost track of Christian faith and values and replaced them with a devastatingly corrupt and disturbed idea: Christian nationalism. Let’s look more closely. In the name of patriotism, a frightening movement of Christian nationalists has gained strength and now big money is behind them. Michael Flynn, Franklin Graham, Tony Perkins and others have taken their show on the road with right-wing politicians claiming their view of Christian faith combined with their views of American politics are the right and only view. Keeping the faith: Without truly representative democracy, all communities are less safe Let’s be clear. Patriotism is the love of country. Patriotism is good because all of God’s creation is good and patriotism helps us appreciate our particular place in it. Our affection and loyalty to a specific part of God’s creation helps us do the good work of cultivating and improving the part we happen to live in. As people of faith, we can and should love the United States — which also means working to improve our country by holding it up for critique and fighting for justice when it errs. More:Marjorie Taylor Greene, other conservatives lean into Christian nationalism. What is it? More:Opinion: 'Religious freedom' should not justify intolerance Nationalism is not patriotism. Nationalism is very different. Nationalism is an argument about how to define our country. In an article in the evangelical magazine, Christianity Today, Paul Miller defines nationalism as grounded in the belief that humanity "is divisible into mutually distinct, internally coherent cultural groups which are defined by shared traits like language, religion, ethnicity, or culture.” Nationalists believe that these groups should each have their own governments; that governments should promote and protect their nation’s cultural identity and that sovereign national groups provide meaning and purpose for human beings. More:How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch Christian nationalism assert that America is and must always remain a “Christian nation.” This is not merely their observation about American history. They present this as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future. Scholars like Samuel Huntington have argued that America is defined by its “Anglo Protestant” past and that we will lose our identity and our freedom if we do not preserve our cultural inheritance. More:Michael Flynn is wrong. Christians shouldn't mandate one religion for everyone in America. Christian nationalists falsely teach that there is no separation of church and state — and that conservative Christians should seize complete power by any means necessary. "I am being attacked by the godless left because I said I’m a proud Christian Nationalist," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on Twitter on July 25. "The left has shown us exactly who they are. They hate America, they hate God, and they hate us." Let’s be clear, Christian nationalism is not Christianity. Recently, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said, "If you look at the complex of white Christian nationalism as an ideology and you lay it alongside Jesus of Nazareth, we are not even talking about the same thing." Christianity is grounded in Christian scriptures where Jesus teaches love, peace, unity and truth. Christian nationalism preaches hatred, violence, separation, and disinformation. Christian nationalism is the single biggest threat to both democracy and the Christian faith. With hundreds of far-right political candidates using Christ's name to deny election results, demonize their opponents, and spread dangerous conspiracy theories, all with the blessing of pastors and televangelists, the name of Jesus is disparaged and mockery is made of true Christians. Here is a truly pressing concern. Christian nationalists don’t call themselves this. They call themselves “true Christians.” They are not. They are nationalists who wrap themselves in pseudo-Christian language. A man holds a Bible as Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. The Christian imagery and rhetoric on view during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection are sparking renewed debate about the societal effects of melding Christian faith with an exclusionary breed of nationalism. More:Christian nationalism is a threat, and not just from Capitol attackers invoking Jesus Like wolves in sheep skins, they hide behind their true purpose, which is bigotry, racism, separation of people and our nation — all in the name of Jesus. Jesus would never approve of this. He would call them what they are — false prophets and blasphemers of our faith. More clearly, as in Matthew 23:17, Jesus would call them “Blind fools!” Let’s join with Jesus and call Christian nationalists what they are — destroyers of a great faith and a great nation. And that has nothing to do with either democracy or Jesus Christ. Tim Ahrens is the senior minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Downtown Columbus. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tim Ahrens: Democracy, Christianity threatened by Christian nationalism

pardon me if i prefer to be tanning with lanning...........i just posted an article where dan and auburn have mutual interests.

not really. want to go have lunch hank? grins

my grandfather taught me about honor and it still means something to me. i might give the right hell but i will never make up stuff to make them look bad. but than again i really do not have to.

i thought the repukes were the party of christian values? i have never seen such a trashy group in a long time. and you sell your soul where jesus is concerned. i hope it is worth it.

Republicans Fed Cycle of Misinformation About Pelosi Attack Annie Karni 7-9 minutes WASHINGTON — Within hours of the brutal attack last month on Paul Pelosi, the husband of the speaker of the House, activists and media outlets on the right began circulating groundless claims — nearly all of them sinister, and many homophobic — casting doubt on what had happened. Some Republican officials quickly joined in, rushing to suggest that the bludgeoning of an octogenarian by a suspect obsessed with right-wing conspiracy theories was something else altogether, dismissing it as an inside job, a lover’s quarrel or worse. The misinformation came from all levels of Republican politics. A U.S. senator circulated the view that “none of us will ever know” what really happened at the Pelosis’ San Francisco home. A senior Republican congressman referred to the attacker as a “nudist hippie male prostitute,” baselessly asserting that the suspect had a personal relationship with Paul Pelosi. Former President Donald Trump questioned whether the attack might have been staged. The world’s richest man helped amplify the stories. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times But none of it was true. The flood of falsehoods showed how ingrained misinformation has become inside the Republican Party, where the reflexive response of the rank and file — and even a few prominent figures — to anything that might cast a negative light on the right is to deflect with more fictional claims, creating a vicious cycle that muddies facts, shifts blame and minimizes violence. It happened after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which was inspired by Trump’s lie of a stolen election, and in turn gave rise to more falsehoods, as Republicans and their right-wing allies tried to play down, deny or invent a different story for what happened, including groundlessly blaming the FBI and antifa. Pelosi’s attacker is said to have believed some of those tales. “This is the dynamic as it plays out,” said Brian Hughes, a professor at American University who studies radicalism and extremism. “The conspiracy theory prompts an act of violence; that act of violence needs to be disavowed, and it can only be disavowed by more conspiracy theories, which prompts more violence.” The Justice Department moved swiftly to bring criminal charges against the suspect in the attack — David DePape, 42 — who prosecutors said broke into the Pelosi home intending to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and shatter her kneecaps, and assaulted her husband with a hammer, leaving him with a cracked skull. The San Francisco district attorney said it was imperative for prosecutors to present the facts to the public, given the misinformation circulating widely about the case. But by then, it was far too late. In a pattern that has become commonplace, a parade of Republicans — helped along by right-wing media personalities including Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and prominent people including newly installed Twitter owner Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man — had already abetted the viral spread of lies about the attack, distorting the account of what happened before facts could get in the way. Finding life on far-right websites and the so-called dark web, conspiracy theories and falsehoods leaped from the fringes to the mainstream. Although many Republican leaders denounced the violence and some, including former Vice President Mike Pence, expressed sympathy for the Pelosis, none of them publicly condemned the falsehoods their colleagues were elevating or did anything to push back. That left others to fill the void. “Just produce the police bodycam — why is that so hard?” Carlson demanded on his show Wednesday night. Addressing those criticizing the conspiracy theorizing, he added: “We’re not the crazy people; you’re the liars. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions, period.” The disinformation surrounding the attack on Pelosi presented many of the standard elements of alt-right conspiracy theories, which relish a culture of “do your own research,” casting skepticism on official accounts, and tend to focus on lurid sexual activities or issues related to children, often driven by a fear of society becoming immoral. Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation expert, said no amount of evidence — be it police body camera footage or anything else — could get in the way of such falsehoods in the eyes of those who do not want to believe facts. “It doesn’t matter when there are documents or sworn testimony claiming something is, in fact, not the case,” Jankowicz said. “There will be an elaborate reframing effort. If the footage was released, people would claim it was fabricated. There’s no bottom.” Many of the Republicans who amplified the fiction couched their comments as jokes, effectively preempting any criticism by suggesting they might not be serious. Hours after the attack, Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, shared online a viral image of a costume that included an oversized pair of men’s briefs and a hammer, remarking “the internet remains undefeated.” A spokesperson for Trump said he “simply posted a joke meme and has always rejected political violence in all forms.” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., circulated a photograph on Twitter that showed a group of young, white men holding oversized hammers beside a gay Pride flag, commenting simply: “LOL.” Tenney did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear whether the elected officials and media personalities who have trafficked in falsehoods believe the conspiracy theories they are elevating, or simply want to be rewarded by their right-wing base. According to public polling, as many as 70% of Republicans still believe that Donald Trump was the true winner of the 2020 election. Mary Williams Benefield, a Republican running for a seat in Georgia’s statehouse, said she had responded online to a tweet suggesting the attack was staged because “the official narrative is unwilling to present all the facts.” “Maybe their daughter has a film crew shooting a documentary on this too,” wrote the mother of three and former music teacher at a church school, making a reference to newly surfaced footage from a documentary that Nancy Pelosi’s daughter Alexandra was filming that showed the speaker in a secure location during the Jan. 6 riot. In an interview, Benefield brought up a report that the police have debunked, which wrongly asserted that the intruder was dressed only in his underwear. The Fox News affiliate that originally reported the detail issued a correction saying the article had previously “misstated what clothing the suspect was wearing.” That did nothing to change Benefield’s mind. “There’s a lot of questions that need to be asked before there’s any legitimacy,” she said. According to federal charging documents, DePape was enthralled by the conspiracy theories that have portrayed Nancy Pelosi as an enemy of the country. His online activities show him ranting about the 2020 election being stolen, seeming to deny the gassing of Jews at Auschwitz and claiming that schoolteachers were grooming children to be transgender. His attorney has said he planned to argue that DePape was so influenced by disinformation that it should be considered a mitigating circumstance. © 2022 The New York Times Company

Wendell Green Jr. is top SEC guard and other bold predictions for Auburn basketball 4-5 minutes Auburn basketball is in a strange spot as it enters the 2022-23 season. The Tigers won the regular-season SEC title, but lost their two most impactful players to the NBA in Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler. They also brought in a highly touted recruit in the class of 2022 and return two of their top three scorers. With a wide range of possibilities, here are five bold predictions for Auburn's season. Allen Flanigan returns to full strength Senior wing Allen Flanigan has had a turbulent tenure at Auburn. He busted onto the scene as a sophomore, averaging more than 14 points per game, but injured his right Achilles and missed the start of his junior season. And when he returned, his numbers took a hit, and his field goal percentage fell below 40%. He just wasn't the same player. But sometimes when a player returns from injury, especially with something as serious as an Achilles, it takes some time to reestablish themselves. Now, more than a year removed from surgery, Flanigan should be back to full strength. GRADING THE FOOTBALL TEAM:Report card: Auburn football gets A for effort in MSU loss, but what grade does offense get? RALLYING AROUND CADILLAC:What is Auburn football playing for down the stretch? Players uniting under Cadillac Williams. K.D. Johnson is the team's scoring leader This isn't as bold, considering he's the highest scorer returning to Auburn from last season, but by virtue of the sheer amount of shots he takes, K.D. Johnson will lead the team in scoring. With Wendell Green Jr. presumably having to focus on orchestrating the offense, the responsibility of scoring will fall predominantly on Johnson. His efficiency — he shot 38.6% from the field and 29.0% from 3-point range last season — should also be bumped up in his second year with the program. If Auburn is lucky, his poor shooting against Alabama-Hunstville in last week's exhibition will be an exception, not the rule. Johni Broome is the best defender With Kessler selected No. 22 overall in the NBA Draft, Auburn lost its best rim protector, and maybe the best rim protector in the country. The Tigers are in desperate need of someone to step up and fill that void, and Moorehead State transfer Johni Broome looks primed to do it. Broome, who was the defensive player of the year for the Ohio Valley Conference in 2021-22, may not be the rim protector Kessler was, but he should be able to step in and at least supplement the loss. Coach Bruce Pearl did an excellent job identifying a weakness for the Tigers and going out and getting a player who can help to resolve it. Wendell Green Jr. becomes top SEC guard Green was tabbed as a second-team, All-SEC guard in the preseason coaches poll, but he could be even higher than that by season's end. Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr. will be tough to outduel, but Green has the experience and opportunity to at least end the season in the same breath as them. If his efficiency improves even marginally, his scoring should take a jump up to 14 or 15 points per game. And if he can maintain around a 5:2 assist-to-turnover ratio, like he did last season, there's a chance his name could be discussed among the SEC's best guards. The Tigers are an early round NCAA Tournament team Losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed stings, and while it would be a nice story for the Tigers to make it back and surpass last season's team in March, it's just not likely. The fact of the matter is Auburn doesn't have the star power. Could the Tigers band together and go on a run? Sure, any team can, and Auburn is talented, but to bet that happens would be foolish. If this team reaches the second round again, that should feel like a win. Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

Could Auburn Basketball have a Top 5 Recruiting Class in 2024? Jeremy Robuck 2-3 minutes Cam Scott is currently the 14th ranked prospect in the 2024 class according to On3, and Bruce Pearl has him using one of his four official visits to come to the plains. Pearl will also be taking a visit to see Scott this week. The shooting guard is 6’5 and currently plays at Lexington High School in South Carolina. Below is a warmup dunk that shows Cam’s length and athleticism. Bruce has a number of other high profile members of the 2024 class officially visiting the Tigers. Can Auburn bring in a top 5 class this year? It’s early, but some believe they can. Here are tweets from a few believers, as well as a list of some of those prospects that include 5 star Jayden Williams, 5 star Airious Bailey, 4 star Peyton Marshall, and 5 star Tahaad Pettiford. Notice three of those four prospects are from the Georgia area. Geography can be very important to recruiting and Pearl has often said the Atlanta area and the state of Georgia are huge keys to Auburn's recruiting success. Pearl has recruited the state well lately. Jabari Smith, Georgia native, had a solid professional debut last night in Atlanta after nearly being the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Needless to say, Auburn has recruited very well lately, and there’s no reason recruiting shouldn’t continue getting stronger. Auburn’s basketball reputation has transformed and took a major leap last year with the teams long stint at No. 1 in the rankings. Recruits know Jabari Smith. Nearly every recruit considering the Tigers has been mentioning it. Pearl has shown that he can make players look great and significantly increase their draft stock. His charisma and coaching style are fun and contagious. Coach Pearl is a big recruiting draw by himself, but Auburn’s success, culture, and commitment to improve facilities are landing them right in the thick of it with 5 stars in the coming years. Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

Can Auburn basketball once again contend in a loaded SEC? It starts with guard play. Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser Sun, November 6, 2022 at 9:09 PM·3 min read From start to finish, Auburn basketball had arguably its best season under coach Bruce Pearl. The Tigers had their highest win-loss percentage (82.4%) in the Pearl era, were ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time in program history and earned a regular-season SEC title. The Tigers didn't go as far in the NCAA Tournament as they did in 2018-19, but the overall accomplishments of last season stand taller than any of the other seven seasons Pearl has had on the Plains. But after losing Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler to the NBA, can Auburn regroup and once again establish itself as a threat in the SEC and beyond? The answer to that question begins with the play of Auburn's players in the backcourt, specifically, K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. SCOUTING GEORGE MASON:Auburn basketball vs. George Mason: Scouting report, score prediction for the season opener - ADVERTISEMENT - SILVA:Get to know Richard Silva, the Montgomery Advertiser's new Auburn beat writer Johnson, a transfer from Georgia, was the second-leading scorer for the Tigers in 2021-22. He averaged 12.3 points and nearly two steals in 27.8 minutes per game, but his inconsistent shot from 3-point range was the most-glaring issue, hitting just 29.0% from deep and 38.6% from the field. With presumably more on his plate this season, his efficiency must go up for the Tigers to reach their ceiling, and the same can be said for Green, who also transferred into the program last season. Green came off the bench for 29 of the 34 games he appeared in 2021-22, but his impact on the offense was felt immediately when he checked in. He finished with 172 assists, 104 more than the next nearest teammate, but his 36.5% field goal percentage left much to be desired. Standing just 5-foot-11, Green is the stereotypical smaller guard that plays with energy and can get hot at any given moment, but he can also get just as cold. Channeling that energy and being consistent in his second season with the Tigers will be huge for Auburn. Replacing Smith and Kessler in the frontcourt is where things get dicey for Pearl. The duo combined for 965 of Auburn's 2,660 points last season, and the anchoring defense they provided together is surely something the Tigers will miss. Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl talks with his team from the sideline as Auburn Tigers take on Mississippi Rebels at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022. It'll take a committee to replace them, but Johni Broome, a transfer from Morehead State, could step in immediately and provide a defensive presence and a real scoring punch. The junior averaged 16.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season for the Eagles, and became the second player in Morehead State history to win defensive player of the year for the Ohio Valley Conference. He also set the program's single-season record for blocks with 131. A younger player with size that could step in and provide an impact immediately is freshman forward Yohan Traore, who is listed at 6-10. Traore was a 5-star recruit and 247Sports had him rated No. 26 nationally in its composite rankings. Originally from France, Traore came to the United States and played basketball for Dream City Christian School in Arizona. Other SEC schools that offered Traore include Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee. He also heard from the likes of Gonzaga, Houston, Michigan and Kansas before turning them all down in favor of the Tigers. The SEC is a stacked conference this season. Auburn checked in at No. 15 in the preseason USA TODAY poll, but Kentucky (No. 4), Arkansas (No. 10) and Tennessee (No. 11) all rank above them. Alabama also made the preseason rankings, slotted in at No. 19. The bottom line is Auburn is going to need someone to step up and fill the void. Whether its Johnson or Green improving their efficiency, or Broome or Traore coming in as newcomers and establishing themselves, Pearl needs a player or two to surpass expectations. Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter (@rich_silva18). This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Guard play will determine if Auburn basketball can contend in SEC