Goodbye, Buzz. Hello Bucky.
Former Samford and Mountain Brook High School coach Bucky McMillan returned to his home state after replacing Buzz Williams and implementing the up-tempo style known as “Bucky Ball”.
“Really dynamic offensively. The first shot they like to take is to go up,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said of the Aggies, who rank fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 94.7 points per game. “They try to pound you defensively. They’re going to press for 40 minutes.”
In Auburn’s SEC opener on Saturday, the Tigers nearly fell to No. 23 Georgia, falling 104–100 in overtime, a result that left Auburn determined to strengthen its defense.
“We made 127 defensive mistakes and we’re up by three in overtime with the ball and three minutes left,” Pearl said. “We also missed 12 free throws. If we cut down on some of our defensive mistakes and make a few more free throws, you’re able to get a great win against a ranked team.
“We’re right there, we just have to execute a little better and clean up some things on the defensive side.”
Auburn freshman forwards Filip Jovic and Sebastian Williams-Adams, who are averaging 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, will play a major role in the Tigers’ SEC home opener.
“An unbelievable spark off the bench,” said Pearl of Jovic, who recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Georgia. “He was our best defender one-on-one. He was the best guy guarding their guards and he was the best guarding their big men. He has a different level of pride. If he can continue to play like that and get us those minutes off the bench, it’ll be great for us.”
A skilled ballhandler, Williams-Adams will be a key factor in Auburn’s ability to defeat Texas A&M’s press on Tuesday.
“Being decisive,” Williams-Adams said of his press offense mentality. “Indecision will kill you when teams put pressure on you. Be aggressive. Create not only for yourself but for your teammates as well.”
Trying to beat the Aggies for the third time in nine tries at Neville Arena, Auburn (9-5, 0-1) will host Texas A&M (11-3, 1-0) on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on SEC Network. Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will deliver the call to action for listeners on Auburn Sports Network.
With wins over Oregon and NC State, the Tigers are 2-0 in Quad 2 games and will get a third chance on Tuesday’s Late Show.
“Looking forward to getting back out in the woods in front of my fans,” Pearl said. “It’s all there. It’s just a matter of us bringing it out and doing it collectively for 40 minutes.”
Jeff Shearer is a senior writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
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