Auburn earns top-five spot in first KenPom rankings of season

With the college basketball season begins in three short weeks, Ken Pomeroy has released his initial “KenPom Rankings” ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

The rankings, which have become one of the predominant metrics in analyzing team success, rank each college basketball program using various factors, such as offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo, and strength of schedule.

While the ranking is not a perfect indicator of future success (Auburn and Arizona were top-five heading into last season’s NCAA Tournament before bowing out early) it is a useful tool.

After claiming spots throughout the top 10 throughout last season’s SEC Tournament winning campaign, Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers have opened the season at the No. 3 spot in KenPom, trailing only Houston (1) and Duke (2), teams Auburn will face during the 2024-25 slate. The Tigers check in just ahead of rival Alabama (4) and defending back-to-back National Champion UConn (5) to round out the top 5.

With future 2024 opponents Purdue (No. 10), Iowa State (No. 7), and SEC counterpart Tennessee (No. 13) also ranked in the top 15, the Tigers are guaranteed to face off against nearly half of the top-13 ranked teams at some point this season. That number could elevate to more than half if the Tigers match up with Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies during the Maui Invitational in late November.

Auburn’s basketball program is in arguably a better spot than it was at this point a year ago. With transfers JP Peagues and Miles Kelly joining a great incumbent core featuring Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, and Dylan Cardwell, Bruce Pearl should again feature one of the better and deeper rotations in the country.

A much more difficult non-conference schedule could suit the Tigers well in the SEC and in March. We’ll see if Auburn can live up to the preseason hype when the season tips off at Neville Arena on November 6 against American East opponent Vermont.

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