Jabari Smith Undecided on 2022 NBA Draft Status After Auburn's Loss to Miami
Mar 21, 2022
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 20: Jabari Smith #10 of the Auburn Tigers looks on in the first half against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 20, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Auburn star Jabari Smith may be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, but he isn't sure if his collegiate career is done at this point.
"I don't know yet," he said of his future after Sunday's 79-61 loss to Miami in the round of 32 in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament, per Tom Green of AL.com.
Smith's offensive struggles can partially explain the second-seeded Tigers' loss, as he shot just 3-of-16 from the field and 1-of-8 from three-point range on his way to 10 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
While it surely wasn't the game he wanted, it also won't define his season.
Smith was the SEC Rookie of the Year and an All-SEC First Team performer who averaged 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from three-point range.
He is a matchup nightmare at 6'10" with the ability to shoot from deep, beat defenders off the bounce, control the glass and protect the rim on the defensive side. He is also capable of defending multiple positions and should be versatile enough to play in different rotations at the NBA level.
That skill set should immediately transfer, and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Smith as the No. 1 overall pick in his most recent mock draft.
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has Smith at No. 2 overall on his big board, highlighting the fact the Auburn star is a "hard worker with an unblockable jump shot and elite versatility on defense, making him a safe pick who still possesses star upside."
Still, he wasn't enough to hold off the upset-minded Hurricanes in the second round.
Miami is the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region and will face the 11th-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet 16 as they each look to keep the Cinderella magic rolling deep into the Big Dance.
As for Smith, he now has an NBA decision to make.
No. 10 Miami Upsets Jabari Smith, No. 2 Auburn; Will Face Iowa State in Sweet 16
Mar 21, 2022
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 20: Isaiah Wong #2 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes shoots past Dylan Cardwell #44 of the Auburn Tigers in the first half during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 20, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Miami Hurricanes are on their way to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years after their 79-61win over the Auburn Tigers in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Sunday.
Miami made the tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region, as head coach Jim Larranaga's team had its best regular season since 2015-16 (23-10). It had to hold off a furious second-half rally from USC in the first round to advance this weekend.
Meanwhile, Auburn looked like a potential national-title contender coming into the tournament. The Tigers earned their highest seed (No. 2) since the 1998-99 campaign after going 27-5 during the regular season. They had no problems against Jacksonville State with an 80-61 win in the first round Friday.
After a close first half, Miami outscored Auburn 46-29in the second half to cruise to an easy win.
Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller, Charlie Moore and Kameron McGusty combined to score 68of the Hurricanes' points in the win.
Auburn's offense vanished with just 61 points, its fewest in a game since Jan. 25. The Tigers' inability to put the ball in the basket offset their 17-6offensive-rebound advantage.
The formula for Miami to succeed this season has been outscoring opponents. Larranaga's team finished the regular season ranked 35th in offensive rating (110.1).
Miami's offense didn't put its best foot forward against USC in the first round. It scored 68 points on 42.9 percent shooting (1-of-14 from three-point range).
On Sunday, even though the three-point shooting still wasn't there for Miami (3-of-15), everything else for the offense was on point.
Four of their five starters scored in double figures. Wong has been fantastic so far in the tournament, scoring 22 points against USC. The sophomore guard followed that up with 21 points against Auburn.
Wong also had arguably the best highlight of the tournament thus far when he put Jabari Smith on a poster in the first half.
McGusty had a solid bounceback game after a 5-of-18 performance against the Trojans. He had 20 points on 10-of-18 shooting vs. Auburn.
The duo of Wong and McGusty scored Miami's first eight points to start the second half when the team opened up a 41-32 lead.
In addition to their efficiency on two-point attempts, the Hurricanes were great at protecting the ball and creating additional opportunities. They had 19 assists to 4 turnovers in the win.
Consistency hasn't been there for Miami throughout the season. It went from beating Duke on Jan. 8 to losing to Florida State in its next game. It needed overtime to beat a 13-20 Boston College team in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.
If Larranaga and his staff can harness this performance going forward, though, the Hurricanes will continue to be a major factor in the tournament with their offensive upside.
Shooting Lets Tigers Down in Loss
A matchup with Miami seemed like it was designed to highlight a lot of the things that Auburn does well.
The Tigers ranked in the top 50 in offensive (108.9) and defensive efficiency (92.4), per Basketball Reference. Miami's defense was 227th in points allowed (70.9) and 281st in efficiency (104.6).
Instead, everything that could go wrong for Auburn pretty much did across the board. The team's 30.4 field-goal percentage matched its performance in a 67-62 loss against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.
Miami nearly pitched a shutout on fast-break points in the game:
Walker Kessler, who was fourth on the Tigers with 11.7 points per game during the regular season, scored two points and didn't make a field goal Sunday.
Jabari Smith did have a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds, but he only made three of his 16 shot attempts. Smith and K.D. Johnson were the only Auburn starters to score in double figures.
Auburn been so awful. I know Jabari and Kessler both massive struggles, but going away from them and jackin contested 35 footers aint the way.
Jaylin Williams was the only Auburn player who can legitimately claim to have played a good game. The junior forward scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench, as he tried to provide a spark.
But nothing was working for head coach Bruce Pearl's team. He didn't have any way to stop the slide once it started, leading to a blowout loss and a frustrating end to what was one of the best seasons in program history.
Auburn's 28 wins are the third-most in school history. It reached No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time ever Jan. 24 and remained there for three weeks.
Pearl has done a fantastic job of making the Tigers into an annual title contender. He will almost certainly be able to reload for next season, but this loss will likely linger for some time because of how high the expectations were coming into the tournament.
What's Next?
Miami will play Iowa Statein the Sweet 16 on Friday.
Tennessee guard Kennedy Chandler (1) runs a play against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
The penultimate Saturday of regular-season action in college basketball turned into a day of upsets across the country.
No. 3 Auburn suffered its fourth loss of the season with a 67-62defeat at the hands of No. 17 Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Jabari Smith didn't have an efficient scoring day with 27 points on 9-of-21 shooting (3-of-9 behind the arc) from the field.
Four Tennessee players scored in double figures, led by Santiago Vescovi's 14 points. He only went 3-of-9 from the field but made all six of his free-throw attempts.
The Vols only shot 32.8 percent in the game, but they had a 21-10 advantage in offensive rebounds. John Fulkerson had six of those boards off the bench.
Head coach Bruce Pearl's team is limping to the finish line after being one of the best teams in the nation for most of the year. The Tigers have lost two of their last three games, including a 63-62 defeat against Florida on Feb. 19.
Saturday's loss leaves the door open for the SEC regular-season title. Auburn still leads the pack with a 13-3 record in conference games, but Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas are all tied for second at 12-4.
The Volunteers are 2-1 against those three teams, with all three games coming in the past 11 days. They beat Kentucky on Feb. 15, lost at Arkansas on Feb. 19 and now hold a win over Auburn.
Each of Auburn's four losses this season have come on the road or at a neutral site.
The Vols outscored Auburn 42-31 in the second half after trailing by six points at halftime.
After Smith made two free throws to put the Tigers ahead 41-39 with 12:21 remaining, Tennessee took the lead for good on Kennedy Chandler's layup two minutes later.
Tennessee did lead by as many as 10 points with 2:48 left in regulation, but Auburn went on a 9-2 run that cut the deficit to 63-60. Smith's four-point play was the exclamation point on that drive to put pressure back on the Vols.
Chandler responded on Tennessee's ensuing possession to get the lead back to 65-60. Wendell Green Jr.'s missed three-pointer for the Tigers, followed by Vescovi making two free throws, sealed the win.
Auburn is one of three teams ranked in the Top 10 of the current Associated Press Top 25 poll that lost Saturday afternoon. Unranked Michigan State upset No. 4 Purdue 68-65. No. 6 Kentucky lost 75-73 to No. 18 Arkansas.
Since a 107-79 loss to Kentucky on Jan. 15 that dropped its record to 11-5, Tennessee has won 10 of its last 12 games.
Auburn is just 3-3 in its past six games after winning 22 of its first 23 games to start the season.
The Vols will wrap up the regular season at Georgia on Tuesday before hosting No. 18 Arkansas on March 5. Auburn plays at Mississippi State on Wednesday and returns home to take on South Carolina on March 5.
Jabari Smith, No. 2 Auburn Upset by Unranked Florida in SEC Showdown
Feb 19, 2022
Auburn guard K.D. Johnson (0) tries to shoot around Florida guard Niels Lane (44) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
Saturday started off on quite the high note for the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team when it was named one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA selection committee's bracket preview.
That feeling didn't last long.
The Florida Gators earned a massive win for their NCAA tournament chances with a 63-62 victory over the Tigers in Saturday's SEC showdown. Tyree Appleby (26 points) and Colin Castleton (19 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals) led the way for Florida, while 28 points and seven boards from Jabari Smith weren't enough for Auburn on the road.
Auburn had an opportunity to win on the final possession after a frantic finish but didn't even get a shot off before throwing the ball away.
It appeared as if Florida was going to cruise to victory after much of the game was back-and-forth when Appleby's three-pointer extended the advantage to eight with just more than two minutes remaining.
However, the Gators fouled Smith on a three-pointer, turned the ball over multiple times and took ill-advised shots as the Tigers came clawing back.
A final Florida turnover on an inbounds pass in the last 10 seconds with a one-point lead looked to be disastrous, but Auburn was unable to generate a shot on the last possession.
While the Gators still need to do more work to ensure themselves a spot in the Big Dance, this was a major resume-booster. They now have quality wins over Ohio State and Auburn with chances to add more down the stretch of the regular season against Arkansas and Kentucky.
As for Auburn, a No. 1 seed is still very much on the table.
This was just the team's third loss of the season, although two of them have come in the past four games. Auburn is also still a game ahead of Kentucky in the loss column in the SEC standings and won the only head-to-head game between the teams this season.
All of the Tigers' goals are still ahead of them, but Saturday was not the performance they were looking for after receiving some validation from the NCAA selection committee.
Gonzaga, Auburn Among No. 1 Seeds in 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracket Preview
Feb 19, 2022
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 08: Head Coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers yells to his team during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 08, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 80-76. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
One month away from the start of the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Gonzaga is in the driver's seat for the No. 1 overall seed.
The NCAA selection committee unveiled the top 16 seeds in the standings Saturday. The Bulldogs, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 and Coaches Poll, are sitting at the top of the group and projected to be in the West Region.
Auburn (Midwest), Arizona (South) and Kansas (East) would also be No. 1 seeds in the tournament if it started today.
Baylor is the next team in line for a No. 1 seed. The Bears were given the No. 2 seed in the south region behind Arizona. Kentucky, Purdue and Duke rounded out the teams on the two line.
Villanova (East), Texas Tech (Midwest), Tennessee (South) and Illinois (West) are the current No. 3 seeds. The No. 4 seeds are Wisconsin (East), UCLA (Midwest), Providence (South) and Texas (West).
Selection committee chair Tom Burnett said on CBS the gap between Gonzaga, Auburn and Arizona at the top is "razor thin"
Gonzaga, which has spent five weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll this season, has won 15 consecutive games since a 91-82 loss to Alabama on Dec. 4. Head coach Mark Few's team was the top overall seed last year after going 26-0 before the NCAA tournament.
The Bulldogs made it all the way to the championship game before losing to Baylor. They currently lead the nation in points per game (89.9) and rank second in offensive rating (120.2) and third in defensive rating (86.2), per Sports Reference.
Expectations were modest for Auburn coming into the season, as the team hadn't made the NCAA tournament since 2019, when it lost to Virginia in the Final Four.
The Tigers were ranked No. 22 in the AP preseason poll and kept steadily rising before finally moving into the top spot on Jan. 24. They stayed there for a total of three weeks before an 80-76 overtime loss at Arkansas on Feb. 8.
Auburn has responded with blowout wins over Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, with a road game against Florida looming Saturday night.
Arizona is seeking its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament since the 2013-14 season. The program hasn't made the tournament since 2017-18.
In their first season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats have been one of the best teams in the nation. They are 23-2 overall with a top-10 offense and defense by rating and have won seven straight games since a 75-59 loss at UCLA on Jan. 25.
Kansas was able to get on the one line despite losing two of its past six games, including an 80-62 blowout defeat at home against Kentucky on Jan. 29.
There are going to be plenty of shakeups before the field of 68 is unveiled on March 13. Conference tournaments are set to begin as soon as Feb. 28. The last No. 1 overall seed to win the NCAA championship was Louisville in 2013, though that title was later vacated as part of the fallout from the bribery scandal.
Bruce Pearl, Auburn Agree to Reported 8-Year Contract Extension amid Louisville Buzz
Jan 29, 2022
AUBURN, AL - JANUARY 22: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Auburn director of athletics Allen Greene announced via his Twitter account on Friday a contract extension for men's basketball head coach Bruce Pearl that will keep him in Eastern Alabama "for a long, long time."
"War Eagle, Auburn Family," Greene said. "Tonight's a great night. I've got a big surprise for you. We locked him up."
Greene then turned the camera to Pearl, who said:
War Eagle, everybody. Listen, it wasn't that hard. I'm grateful to Allen, I'm grateful to the administration, Dr. Gogue, and Gen. Burgess and the folks who worked on this. My family and I are going to be able to stay and be your basketball coach for a long, long time.
I'm grateful, I'm humbled, I'm blessed to be your coach. War Eagle.
According to Stadium's Jeff Goodman, the deal is for eight years.
The news comes after Pearl led Auburn to its first No. 1 ranking in school history following a win over Kentucky last Saturday. It also comes after rumors that the 61-year-old was among the top candidates to replace Chris Mack at Louisville.
During an appearance on ESPN's Kendrick, JWill and Max Thursday, Pearl did not shut down the Louisville rumors:
I was at a basketball school. I was at Tennessee. It was a women's basketball school, but it was a basketball school. Listen, when you win, folks are worried you're going to leave, and when you're losing, they're packing your bags. Look, Auburn is a fabulous place, and it's been the best place that I've ever been where I can develop players. It's a small college town. Kids coming here to grind. They're around other student-athletes that are trying to grind. We're about an hour and a half from Atlanta. There's a lot of good players.
Pearl has been head coach of the Tigers since 2014 and has led the team to the NCAA Tournament in two of the last four years. He is 157-93 in his eight seasons on the sideline and has led the Tigers to a 19-1 record this season.
Pearl has also been lauded for his recruiting in recent years as Auburn has landed five-star Jabari Smith, who is currently a freshman, and four-star 2022 prospect Chance Westry.
Before joining Auburn, Pearl spent four seasons as head coach of the Milwaukee Panthers from 2001-05 and six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers from 2005-11.
NCAA Suspends Bruce Pearl, Accepts Auburn's Self-imposed Ban After Recruiting Probe
Dec 10, 2021
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - JANUARY 20: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers yells at his team during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on January 20, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 75-73. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The NCAA has announced the punishment for Auburn's basketball program stemming from former assistant coach Chuck Person's involvement in a bribery scandal.
Per Meghan Durham of NCAA.org, the NCAA infractions committee announced it accepted Auburn's self-imposed postseason ban from last season and head coach Bruce Pearl will be suspended for two games.
The university and Pearl, who will begin serving his suspension on Saturday against Nebraska, issued statements about the NCAA's decision:
Statements from Auburn and Bruce Pearl about today’s NCAA decision. Pearl will serve his two-game suspension immediately, missing games against Nebraska and North Alabama. pic.twitter.com/HyvfZVKnfx
In addition to those measures, Auburn has also been put on probation for four years and must vacate all team records from when ineligible student-athletes played in games.
The Tigers were one of seven programs implicated in the college-basketball corruption scandal in 2017 when the FBI arrested 10 individuals, including four assistant coaches, three athlete advisors and three Adidas employees.
In February 2018, Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports obtained federal documents that also tied programs like Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC and Alabama to potentially giving "impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players."
Auburn announced in November 2020 a self-imposed one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season as a result of Person's role in the scandal and arrest.
Person was hired as an associated head coach by Pearl in April 2014. He was going into this third season with the program at the time of his arrest and subsequent firing.
The 57-year-old was sentenced to 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a charge of bribery conspiracy.
Former 5-Star C Walker Kessler Announces Transfer to Auburn from UNC
Apr 12, 2021
North Carolina forward Walker Kessler (13) grabs a rebound over Louisville forward JJ Traynor (12) while North Carolina guard Anthony Harris (0) reaches in during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Walker Kessler's time with the North Carolina Tar Heels is over after one season.
On Monday, the big man used his Instagrampageto announce he is transferring to the Auburn Tigers. He message read: "I am excited to play for a great coach at an awesome school and be close to home and my family. War eagle!"
Kessler was a 5-star prospect and the No. 22 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Brendan Marksof The Athletic noted Auburn, led by head coach Bruce Pearl, was one one of Kessler's finalists during the recruiting process before he chose the Tar Heels.
The Georgia native did not live up to the expectations that came with being such a highly regarded prospect during his one season with North Carolina. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 8.8 minutes a night over 29 games.
The Tar Heels lost to Wisconsin by 23 points in the first round of the 2021 men's NCAA tournament, and Kessler finished with two points and one rebound in 13 minutes.
His best performance came when he notched a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds along with eight blocks during an ACC tournament win over Notre Dame. He also posted 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a February win over Florida State but was unable to establish much consistency throughout his brief tenure.
Kessler joins an Auburn team coming off a disappointing 13-14 effort during the 2020-21 campaign, although the Tigers went to the 2019 Final Four and would have been a contender for another long run had there been a Big Dance in 2020 given their 25-6 record.
If Kessler lives up to the expectations that accompanied him when he arrived at North Carolina, he can help Auburn quickly return to form and compete in the SEC.
5-Star PG Sharife Cooper Cleared to Play for Auburn vs. Alabama
Jan 9, 2021
McEachern's Sharife Cooper #2 in action against Rancho Christian during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic, Monday, January 21, 2019, in Springfield, MA. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Auburn freshman guard Sharife Cooper, a 5-star prospect from the 2020 recruiting class, will make his team debut Saturday against SEC rival Alabama after being cleared by the NCAA following an investigation into his eligibility.
Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl confirmed the news, per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
Cooper missed Auburn's first 11 games of the 2020-21 season while awaiting an NCAA decision. The team posted a 6-5 record during his absence, including a current three-game losing streak.
ESPN'sJeff Borzelloreported representatives for the guard started to reach out to teams in Europe and Australia for pro opportunities in case he was declared ineligible, but he preferred to remain with the Tigers.
Cooper returned to practice with his teammates Dec. 28 to begin preparations for a possible debut, perTom Greenof AL.com.
The Tigers could use a spark at both ends of the floor heading into Saturday's clash with the Crimson Tide. They enter the day 67th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 98th in adjusted defensive efficiency, according toKenPom.
While Auburn has been on a slide, Alabama (8-3) comes into the contest red hot with four straight wins, including a 71-63 victory over No. 7 Tennessee last Saturday.
It's unclear how much run Cooper will get in his debut with less than two weeks since he returned to practice, but his playing time should steadily increase during the remainder of the regular season.
Report: Auburn PG Sharife Cooper Exploring Overseas Options amid Investigation
Nov 23, 2020
McEachern's Sharife Cooper #2 in action against Rancho Christian during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic, Monday, January 21, 2019, in Springfield, MA. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Auburn guard Sharife Cooper is reportedly exploring overseas options amid questions about his NCAA eligibility, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
The incoming freshman reportedly "hasn't practiced in weeks."
Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports reported Cooper's eligibility is currently under investigation, while Jeff Goodman of Stadium added the player has not yet been cleared by the NCAA.
Auburn announced a self-imposed postseason ban Sunday for an unrelated matter dealing with former assistant coach Chuck Person.
Cooper was considered a 5-star recruit and the No. 24 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports composite rankings.
He committed to Auburn over Kentucky, Florida and others in September 2019 shortly after his official visit.
"Ever since I got on campus, everyone addressed me as family," Cooper said, perJason JordanofUSA Today. "And it’s always been that way. I just love everything about Auburn, and I didn’t want to prolong it. I’m still in a little bit of shock because it’s a big moment for me, but this is a night I’ll never forget."
If Cooper does forgo college, he would have plenty of company as four of the top 20 players in the2020 classchose to play some form of professional basketball this season instead of in the NCAA.
Last week's NBA draft also featured two Americans selected in the first round after playing overseas the previous year: LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton.
Auburn is scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season Thursday against Saint Joseph's.
