(Photo Credit: Auburn Athletics)
Nashville–Johni Broome went just 6-for-16 from the field, Miles Kelly had just three points and Tahaad Pettiford scored in single digits.
It didn’t matter, though.
Auburn found a way to go on the road and win in Nashville against Vanderbilt on Tuesday without its best guys at their best. Broome– a national player of the year contender–is a bonafide star, practically nobody has a guy like that.
You can’t win with just him, though. Even if he’s averaging a double-double and taking over games. Perhaps the best thing about Auburn is that it doesn’t.
Tuesday night’s win over Vanderbilt was evidence of that as the Tigers held Vanderbilt to just 17.6% shooting from 3-point range, generated eight steals and blocked five shots. A Vanderbilt team that has generally been composed for the entirety of the season looked rattled, it looked as if Bruce Pearl’s team was too much for it.
That wasn’t just because of Auburn’s defense.
“I can’t think of anybody better than them right now,” Byington said. “That’s a pretty damn good defensive team and offensive team…we were just trying to find anything that worked.”
With Broome, Kelly and Pettiford not at their best, Auburn was trying to do the same. Fortunately for Pearl, he found two guys that could do what he needed. Those two are the epitome of why his team has been so successful.
Denver Jones–who went for a season-high 21 points on Wednesday–and Chaney Johnson–who went for 20 on 9-for-10 shooting–have bought in. They defend. They rebound. They attack.
So does veteran big man Dylan Cardwell, who could be starting elsewhere but has sacrificed scoring and personal accolades in order to win. As a result he’s done a lot of that.
“The kid 44 [Cardwell] I know he doesn’t score a lot of points, he’s a lot out there,” Byington said. “He’s physical, he’s everywhere, he’s a great defensive presence.”
Johnson, Jones and Cardwell didn’t have to, but have accepted that it’s Broome’s team and have embraced their secondary roles on it. Most around the country don’t have that, but Pearl does. That’s why nobody should be surprised that his team is 22-2 with 13 quad one wins.
“Chaney is our hardest worker. You watch film last year, Chaney, and you see some moments, but you don’t even recognize him because he’s twice the man he was,” Pearl said. “[Denver] gives up so much of himself defensively…Stephen Pearl and Denver had some time together this week, and Stephen said, ‘Look, you are a scorer that we have playing point guard.’ He said, ‘Go score, score. That’s what you do. You don’t have to be a great passer, just a solid passer, but score the ball,’ and he did.”
You don’t often see what Johnson and Jones do around college basketball. They’ve sacrificed. They’ve put themselves second. They’ve let others get the shine. That doesn’t have to be the case for either of them.
Byington notices Johnson’s sacrifice, in particular.
“He could be an all-conference player in most leagues in this country and he takes his role of coming off the bench,” Byington said of Johnson. “But, he’s really good.”
Auburn will have a hole as big as anyone in the country when Broome ultimately leaves town, but it’ll be ok. That’s because it’s culture has shined through through its guys who have decided to stick it out and complement him.
In a sport that often revolves around selfishness and money nowadays, Auburn’s supporting cast has put its ego to the side and has won as a result of it.