Vermont Catamounts vs. Auburn Tigers Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Fresh from a victory in the Southeastern Conference tournament last year, No. 11 Auburn is ready to kick off their season at home against Vermont. The team has a mix of returning players, transfers, and freshmen, making them a formidable opponent. Vermont, on the other hand, has most of their regular players back from last season's NCAA Tournament team.

Last season, Auburn finished with a record of 27-8 and secured their third SEC tournament title, earning them a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, they were upset in the first round by No. 13 seed Yale with a score of 78-76.

Vermont earned their spot in the NCAA Tournament by winning the American East title. They ended their season with a record of 28-7, including an impressive 15-1 record in their conference. However, they were eliminated in the first round by No. 4 seed Duke with a score of 64-47.

In their first game of the season, Vermont defeated UAB 67-62 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Auburn's returning players include forward/center Johni Broome, guard Denver Jones, and sixth man Chad Baker-Mazara. Broome was named to the third team All-America after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season. Jones had a slow start but finished strong, averaging 9.1 points and scoring in double figures in seven of his last eight games. Baker-Mazara, who has played for four different schools in four seasons, averaged 10 points per game.

The Tigers also have some impact transfers joining their team this season, including former Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly, who averaged 13.9 points per game and scored a total of 1,057 points for the Yellow Jackets. Another notable transfer is JP Pegues from Furman, who averaged 18.4 points per game and scored 1,080 points with the Paladins.

In addition, Auburn has two highly-rated freshmen joining their team: guard Tahaad Pettiford and forward Jahki Howard, both of whom were four-star recruits.

Head coach Bruce Pearl, who is entering his 11th season with Auburn, is eager to start the season and has high expectations for his team. They were picked to finish second in the preseason SEC media poll.

"We've done all we can to prepare," said Pearl at a preseason event. "But I want more. I know how tough our schedule is going to be and it's hard to replicate that level of physicality in practice every day. The players are tired of playing against each other."

Vermont, on the other hand, has four returning starters and one part-time starter from last season. Their top scorers include senior guard TJ Long, who averaged 12.0 points per game, and senior guard Shamir Bogues, who added 11.3 points per game and led the team in rebounds with 5.2 per game. They also have senior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye, sophomore guard TJ Hurley, and senior forward Nick Fiorillo, who was a part-time starter and contributed 8.5 points per game.

Despite being outrebounded 49-35 in their season opener against UAB, Vermont still managed to come out on top with a 67-62 victory. Hurley led the team with 20 points.

Vermont was chosen as the preseason favorite in the American East conference, as they aim for their fourth consecutive league title. Long and Bogues were both named to the all-AEC preseason team.

"There are always expectations, but being picked first in the league puts a target on our backs," said head coach John Becker, who is in his 14th season with Vermont. "But our players are used to it by now."

PREDICTION

Vermont Catamounts

Auburn Tigers