Unheralded Senior May Play Crucial Role in Auburn Tigers’ NCAA Tournament Journey

As the No. 1 Auburn Tigers move toward the postseason, the team looks to lean heavily on starters while role players also need to step up. Senior Dylan Cardwell remains a fascinating case. On a team of stars and standouts, Cardwell can humbly sit in the background, fulfilling his role and answer the call when the team needs him.

Now, this is where the rubber needs to meet the road and a bit of change must occur. In order for Auburn to reach the summit and take scissors to net, the team will need Cardwell to reach deeper and pick up a little more of the burden. No player in team history played more games at Auburn. As of this writing, that number sits at 149.

Listed a 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds, Cardwell should look to use his size more and dominate the paint. Now, that doesn’t mean score on successive baskets, but that frame is not common. To his credit, Cardwell currently enjoys his best offensive year at Auburn.

With 5.6 pounds and 5.1 boards, you can see how Cardwell’s role could slightly increase. Add in the 1.6 shots that he sends back as a rim protector and the picture begins to clear.

Now, no one with three working brain cells wants Cardwell to take over a game. On the contrary, the need is for him to become more of an ancillary option. Every team knows the ball will go through Johni Broome, as it should. What happens if Broome stumbles into foul trouble or worse, gets injured.

The senior big could become a finisher and the team could become guard-oriented and use Cardwell as a funnel to kick to the open shooter or become the main beneficiary of lobs. SEC coaches became hellbent on stopping Broome to zero success. What if the worm turns and Broome just cannot get going and that bleeds over to defense where he starts grabbing quick fouls?

Dylan Cardwell can become a legend of March Madness by being in the right place on the court. As mentioned, the pressure for him remains low, the reward remains sky high. Auburn, without a doubt if healthy, should make a deep tournament run.

To move that from should to definite, role players like Cardwell will need to give just a little bit more. Look for Cardwell to have a monster game (for him) before  the end of the season. See it as an appetizer, as March basketball remains the entree.