How love and trust made Auburn an elite passing team

Love and trust are the keys to success for Auburn mens basketball.

The comradery and chemistry are apparent , and the players are constantly each others biggest cheerleaders.

That closeness has elevated the Tigers offense to the best in college basketball and given head coach Bruce Pearl a team that shares the ball better than almost anyone in the country .

Six of Auburns players in the usual nine-man rotation the Tigers use were on last seasons team, so thats where a lot of the chemistry comes from.

But even the newcomers who play significant minutes Miles Kelly, Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard have seemingly gelled well with the team given how efficient Auburn has been this season.

The Tigers expertise on offense and its elite passing has simply come down to Auburn being a tight-knit team with capable, unselfish passers.

We love each other, and we trust each other as well, Auburn forward Chaney Johnson said.

Ball moving, people get open shots, theyre going to hit.

Auburn is ranked first in KenPom in offensive rating at 130.4 points per 100 possessions almost six points higher than UConn in second and its assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the country at 2.077, only behind Kentucky.

In Auburns SEC opener on Saturday against Missouri, it was another case of fantastic ball movement.

The Tigers made 28 baskets in its 84-68 win over Missouri and 18 of those were assisted by a teammate.

Auburns 18 assists were just under its season average of 19.3, which ranks fourth nationally.

Denver Jones, who was a shooting guard by trade but has taken over point guard duties, led the way with seven assists and had an assist rate of 42% while on the floor.

The assist rate is the percentage of possessions that the player assisted a basket while on the floor.

The fact that he was willing to go move to the point guard position and take less shots and be able to get seven assists just speaks volumes, Auburn center Johni Broome said.

BP always says he came from (Florida International), averaging 20 points per game, to now being our point guard and getting seven assists in a game.

It just shows how important he is to this team.

Jones had a majority of the assists but really everyone on the team shared the ball well.

No other player had more than two assists, but eight players in the Auburn rotation recorded an assist in the stat sheet.

Chris Moore, who really is more of a defensive specialist for the Tigers, did not record an assist in his seven minutes played.

Auburn did turn the ball over a season-high 16 times on Saturday, which on the surface looks alarming, but five of those came in the final five minutes with the game out of hand.

Pearl was content with how his team protected the basketball.

I think you go in the last four or five minutes having only turned it 10 times, I thought we did a pretty good job overall taking care of the ball, Pearl said.

Johnson said he and his teammates will watch film to try to limit the turnovers.

Auburn is ranked fifth in the country with just 9.3 turnovers per game, so it doesnt project to be a lingering issue.

One thing for sure though is that Auburns players will have elite weapons and elite shooters around them all season long, and Auburns incredible passing sure looks sustainable.

We have some great shooters on the team Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, Chad (Baker-Mazara).

When we get hot, Johni Broome, you feeling me? Johnson said.

Aubie waves an Auburn flag as Auburn's starting lineup is annouced before an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Dylan Cardwell (44) guards Missouri's Anthony Robinson II (0) in the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn's Johni Broome (4) celebrates after a three-point shot in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl directs his team from the bench during the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chad Baker-Mazara (10) celebrates with Tahaad Pettiford (0) after a fouled 3-point shot in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday.

Auburn's Denver Jones (2) shoots in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl (left) and assistant coach Steven Pearl (right) react to a foul called in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Miles Kelly (13) celebrates after a three-pointer in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrates during a timeout in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Miles Kelly (13) leaps to catch a pass in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Miles Kelly (13) shoots in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Fans raise their hands from the stands as Auburn's Johni Broome (4) attempts a free-throw in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chad Baker-Mazara (10) celebrates after a three-pointer in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Denver Jones, right, works against Missouris Tony Perkins in the second half of Saturdays game at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburns Chaney Johnson (31) shoots in the second half of Saturdays game at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburns Miles Kelly (13) takes the ball across midcourt in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn's Denver Jones (2) defends a shot from Missouri's Anthony Robinson II (0) in the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chaney Johnson (31) grabs a loose ball at the boundary in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford (0) shoots in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chaney Johnson (31) dribbles across midcourt in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Johni Broome (4) shoots in the second half of Saturdays game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburn's Johni Broome (4) flexes after drawing a foul while scoring in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl chats with Chaney Johnson (31) at the end of a timeout in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn's Johni Broome (4) shoots in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford (0) comes up with a loose ball in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chaney Johnson (31) flies to the rim for a dunk in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chaney Johnson (31) and Missouri's Annor Boateng (6) reach for a loose ball in the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Chad Baker-Mazara (10) draws a foul while driving to the basket in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburns Presley Patterson (14) shoots in the second half of an NCAA basketball game between Auburn and Missouri at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl walks the court after the Tigers 84-68 win over Missouri in an NCAA basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Saturday, Jan.

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