Bruce Pearl details importance of defensive intensity from bench

Bruce Pearl has said it all year and emphasized once again after Saturday’s win over LSU: Auburn’s strength is their depth, especially once the second unit comes in.

Against LSU, the game really flipped when Pearl brought in his second unit just after the first media timeout. Out of that break, backup center Dylan Cardwell got a steal and found KD Johnson for a dunk. Then, Chad Baker-Mazara ended LSU’s following two offensive possessions by recording a pair of steals within 15 seconds of each other. A couple minutes later, Tre Donaldson came up with another steal which led to a Chaney Johnson dunk.

By the time the starters came back in, Auburn’s second unit had turned LSU over four times leading to nine points of turnovers, which helped flip a one-point deficit into a six-point lead during their brief stint on the court.

“It’s getting obvious that our second group coming in is effective defensively in turning people over,” Pearl commented after the game, explaining that those five fresh sets of legs can really make life tougher on the other teams starters.

“Part of it is when that group comes in, the other teams’ starters are in there. They are fresh and furious and able to make plays, that’s part of what we try to do,” he added.

Specifically, Coach Pearl singled out Baker-Mazara, who came up with two of those steals and is the lynchpin of the Tiger’s second unit on both sides of the floor.

“Well, just having Chad Baker-Mazara on the floor and that’s 3-or-4, before you even get started. Just Chad’s length and IQ – he’s a problem out there. He’s so versatile offensively — the fact that he knocked down three 3s tonight and shot a good percentage. I trust him as a playmaker, and obviously, trust him defensively. He does all that.”

Such a strong outing forced Pearl’s hand and he ended up playing the former JuCo product more minutes than any other Tiger vs. LSU: “He did manage to get 27 minutes tonight. That might be Chad’s high in minutes played, but he’s earned it.”

That type of effort set the tone for the whole second-unit.

“That could be infectious in the team. How about some of the plays Chaney Johnson made tonight? Chaney was flying around out there. KD is a problem. Dylan is such a great defender and physically, doing it without fouling. That group does take a great deal of pride…and as a result, their plus/minus — doing it on both ends.”

Basketball is often about star power, but this Auburn team is showing that, in 2024, there is still a path to great success off the back of a balanced lineup and an electric bench unit.