Bruce Pearl praises the play of Dylan Cardwell against USC

USC won’t forget Dylan Cardwell’s name anytime soon. After Auburn’s 91-75 win over the Trojans on Sunday, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl praised his senior forward’s performance.

“That’s probably the best Dylan Cardwell has played on both ends of the floor,” Pearl said. “Those monster dunks, the pivots, the footwork, the physicality, the rim protection — anything he got his hands on, he got. He just grabbed everything.”

Cardwell stuffed the stat sheet, tallying a season-high 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks. Further, he was extremely efficient, shooting 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe. Cardwell was the only bench player for Auburn who scored double figures in the win.

Cardwell is a veteran Tiger. In his fourth season at Auburn, he has appeared in 103 games and started twice. For his career, Cardwell has averaged 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting a fantastic 70.6% from the field.

As solid as Cardwell has been on the hardwood for the Tigers, he’s been an even better team member off the court.

“Dylan is such a great ambassador for us,” Pearl said. “He is a 4.0 student. He does it on and off the court in the community. When he plays like this, now the next level is a possibility for him because he can defend at that level, he can rebound at that level, he’s making his free throws — there’s a place for him.”

Dylan Cardwell walks through the fire

Cardwell has faced no shortage of tough competition already this season. Auburn has already faced five Power Five opponents this season, boasting a 4-1 record. Pearl knows the gauntlet of games will be beneficial for his team in the long run.

“This is the most Power Five opponents we’ve had in the non-conference,” Pearl said. “I care about this league a great deal. This is my 10th year at Auburn and six at Tennessee, I’ve seen it change. I’ve never seen it as strong and deep as it is right now.

“I’m proud of the fact that Auburn basketball has the best non-conference record in this league over the last seven years. We’re all going to beat each other up in conference play, but these non-conference wins…big wins in the non-conference matter come tournament time. I’m proud of it.”

Auburn won’t have long to celebrate its victory. On Friday, the team will face off against Alabama State at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.