The Auburn Tigers dropped their first exhibition of the season to Florida State at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday night.
After leading by as much as eight after halftime, Auburn’s defense allowed 50 points to the Seminoles and ultimately fell by double digits.
There were many concerns that emerged from the game for the Tigers, but also a few bright spots sprinkled in there, as well.
Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Auburn’s 82-71 loss to Florida State.
Frontcourt has its inconsistencies
Auburn’s reloaded frontcourt certainly saw its fair share of struggles. Although the Tigers were without Owen Freeman due to a foot injury, Santa Clara transfer Bukke Oboye and French center Narcisse Ngoy seemed slightly lost in their Auburn debut.
Florida State big man Marcis Ponder presented significant problems for Oboye and Ngoy and dominated down low. The 7-foot freshman posted 13 points and a whopping 21 rebounds, and his physicality purely outmatched that of Oboye and Ngoy.
Oboye earned the start at the five, and he recorded 3 points on just 1-for-6 from the field along with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. His length played a factor at moments, but there were also times in which the senior looked lost defensively.
On the other hand, Ngoy notched 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks and certainly showed some flashes around the rim. However, it’s evident that Ngoy will have to adjust to the style and pace of American basketball.
As head coach Steven Pearl pointed out in the postgame media availability, Auburn will definitely need more production from its frontcourt moving forward.
Pettiford, Overton need to be better
Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton, often viewed as one of the best guard duos in the SEC throughout the offseason, combined for 30 points against the Seminoles, with Pettiford contributing 20 of those.
But they also committed seven total turnovers and recorded just two combined assists, which isn’t a stat line Pearl and company need from his veteran backcourt.
“They have to trust their teammates. I can’t sit here and talk about how we’ve built this team around them to bring out their strengths and they’re not going to trust their teammates. They’re going to watch it, and we’ll watch it as a team,” Pearl said. “They’ll see we took some tough ones. I always want those guys to be aggressive offensively. That’s where they’re great.”
Pettiford went 6-for-18 from the floor and knocked down 4 triples, while Overton went 2-for-10 from downtown, but they must be more efficient and create increased opportunities for their teammates.
Kimble, Olsen impress despite loss
Although the Tigers ultimately fell on Wednesday and didn’t look particularly great on the offensive end of the floor, there were some bright spots from a couple of newcomers.
Vanderbilt transfer George Kimble III recorded 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the first half alone, and he was definitely a source of energy and intensity in all aspects.
South Alabama transfer Adam Olsen also saw his stock rise in his first game in the orange and blue, posting 9 points on 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
Kimble and Olsen will look to play a big role off the bench for the Tigers, as both are seniors who bring experience and production in multiple facets.
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