Why Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl thinks transfer Chaney Johnson is primed to 'breakout'
AUBURN — Auburn basketball added five scholarship players this offseason.
The headliner, five-star guard Aden Holloway, has impressed coach Bruce Pearl thus far, as the 63-year-old said the freshman probably has a better shooting stroke than any of his previous point guards, including Jared Harper, Wendell Green Jr. and Sharife Cooper.
But the other additions have been less heralded. Denver Jones transferred to the Tigers from Florida International, Chad Baker-Mazara and Addarin Scott come from junior colleges and Alabama-Huntsville transfer Chaney Johnson has yet to play Division I basketball.
"I thought our staff did an outstanding job in the evaluation process," Pearl said Friday morning. "We studied the film, we studied them against certain opponents and we made evaluations not based on the name on the front of the jerseys.
"We made evaluations based on how good we thought they were going to be. I don’t think any of them are going to be disappointing. I think they are all going to be a little better than what they’re perceived or how they’re ranked."
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Pearl, who called the 2023-24 edition of the Tigers — his 10th iteration of a team at Auburn — "the hardest-working group" he's ever had, is particularly high on Johnson.
Johnson averaged 15.9 points on 51.8% shooting in 35 starts last season. He also grabbed 6.6 rebounds a game to go along with 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals.
"Chaney Johnson was one of the very best players in all of Division II basketball," Pearl said. "His story about growing up in Alabama and going to play for John Shulman up at Alabama-Huntsville. He shows up 6-2; he’s now 6-7. Chaney is one of the best athletes on our team right now. ... He’s going to have a breakout season.
“He and Jaylin Williams are in a great competition for starting and for playing. Is it possible that I could play one of them not at that big guard position — that 4-spot? Yes, it is possible. There could be some movement on the roster all over. We can move guys around. Chaney can shoot it. He can put the ball down on the floor (and) he can guard multiple positions. We’re going to be better at the backup 4 because of Chaney and because of Jaylin Williams.”
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball: Chaney Johnson primed for 'breakout season'
