Nov. 5: Fresh off a Southeastern Conference tournament title last season and with a roster that combines several key returnees with major transfers and freshmen, No. 11 Auburn opens the season at home against a team of Vermont returning most of its regulars from an NCAA Tournament team. .

A season ago, Auburn finished 27-8 and used the school’s third SEC Tournament crown to earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Auburn was then defeated 78-76 by No. 13 seed Yale in the round of 64.

Vermont made its way to the NCAA tournament after capturing the America East title. The Catamounts finished 28-7, including a 15-1 mark in league play, before falling to No. 4 seed Duke 64-47 in the round of 64.

In their season opener on Monday, the Catamounts beat UAB 67-62 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Auburn returns forward/center Johni Broome, guard Denver Jones and sixth man Chad Baker-Mazara.

Broome earned third-team All-America honors after a season in which he averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Jones started slowly but averaged 9.1 points and scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games. Baker-Mazara recorded 10 points per contest for his fourth school in four seasons.

Impact transfers this season for the Tigers include former Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly, who averaged 13.9 points per game a season ago and scored 1,057 points for the Yellow Jackets. Also notable is Furman’s move to JP Pegues, who scored 18.4 points per game last season and scored 1,080 points with the Paladins.

Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford and freshman forward Jahki Howard were four-star recruits from major prep scouting services.

Bruce Pearl, about to open his 11th season as Auburn’s head coach, seemed eager to get the season started for his team, which was picked second in the SEC preseason media poll.

“We’ve done everything we can do now to prepare,” Pearl said at a preseason event. “I want more. I know what the schedule is like. I know how physical it’s going to be. And it’s hard for us to duplicate that kind of physicality every day in practice. Guys are tired of hitting each other.”

Vermont returns four starters and one part-time starter from last season: TJ Long, a senior guard who averaged 12.0 points per game; Shamir Bogues, a senior guard who scored 11.3 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 5.2 rebounds per game; senior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye (7.7 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game); sophomore guard TJ Hurley (7.4 points per game); and senior forward Nick Fiorillo, an occasional starter who contributed 8.5 points per game.

The Catamounts, who have no players taller than 6-foot-9, were outrebounded by the Blazers 49-35. Still, Vermont prevailed thanks to Hurley’s 20 points.

Vermont was voted the preseason favorite in the America East as it seeks a fourth consecutive league title. Long and Bogues earned AEC preseason honors.

“There’s always expectations, but being picked first in the league… you’ve got a little bit of a target on your back,” said coach John Becker, in his 14th season at Vermont. “Our guys are used to it.”

–Field level media

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