Bruce Pearl on the evolution of Chaney Johnson: 'We get different'

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl likes what he’s seen out of forward Chaney Johnson of late. The 6-foot-7 Johnson seems to have only gotten better as the season has gone on after transferring from Alabama-Huntsville.

Johnson finished Saturday’s 78-63 victory against Mississippi State with a solid eight points (3-4 FG), two rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench. Speaking postgame, Pearl praised Johnson for what he brings subbing in for starting forward Jaylin Williams, noting he adds a different element to the lineup.

“I thought we got great play out of the position in the sense that I think we got double figures from both of ’em,” the coach said. “The four spot was really productive tonight. We get different when Chaney’s in the game, but we don’t get worse. That’s the real key. We get different. Chaney can do a lot of things that y’all haven’t seen yet and he will, probably more so next year. He’s got a lot of tricks in his bag.”

Chaney flashed his potential last week in a win against Georgia. Stepping into the starting lineup for an injured Williams, he finished with a season-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Chaney has averaged 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds this season while playing 15.2 minutes per game. With postseason play coming up, he’s begun to make a case for himself to get more playing and Pearl is taking notice.

Chaney arrived in Auburn after being named Gulf South Conference Player of the Year at Alabama-Huntsville. He helped lead the team to the regional final of the NCAA Division II Tournament and a 27-8 record with averaging 15.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. As Pearl mentioned, he could soon find himself playing more minutes at Auburn next season.

The Tigers shot 47.4% from 3-point range in Saturday’s win and Chaney was a big part of that. He made both of his shot attempts from beyond the arc despite entering the game as just a 19.2% shooter from long range.

As the SEC and NCAA Tournaments approach, Auburn will need the depth that Chaney provides off the bench if it hopes to make a run. The Tigers improved to 22-7 (11-5 SEC) with the win and now sit tied for fourth place in the conference standings.

They have two more games remaining in the regular season, beginning with a matchup against Missouri at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday in Columbia.