There were a number of players Bruce Pearl could have chosen to bring with him to SEC Basketball Media Day.

Johni Broome felt like an obvious choice, but the second player didn’t seem as clear. Former FIU transfer guard Denver Jones got the nod, a sign of his development both as a player and a leader going into his second year with the Tigers.

“I think Denver has had probably as good an off-season as any of our returning players,” Bruce Pearl said Tuesday.

Jones played mainly as a two-guard for Auburn last season, but this year he’s expected to take on more responsibility. Pearl said that Jones will play both at point guard and shooting guard this season, a transition that he said benefits both Jones and the team.

“Denver makes good decisions with the ball. He can score, he can get downhill, he can make tough twos, he’s unselfish,” Pearl said.

Making the switch to point guard was the biggest area of development for Jones during the offseason. He had familiarity, having played the position before, but developing as a playmaker was still a point of emphasis for him during the offseason.

“I got with our skills guy, Rob. He basically was teaching me a lot,” Jones said. “Deep in detail about my footwork, being able to shoot floaters, because I’m not gonna be able to get to the rim every single time in this league. Obviously, like, helping with my passing ability… there are a lot of attributes that come with playing point guard, and I feel like he prepared me for that.”

Since the start of practice, Jones has been someone who Pearl was quick to mention when asked about the team’s most improved player.

Without even mentioning his position change, Pearl is optimistic about what Jones can bring to the team this season.

“You can‘t sleep on Denver, he’s getting downhill scoring. He has been our most consistent defensive guard from a standpoint of pretty much bringing it every day,” Pearl said before Auburn’s first practice.

He’s also the lone returner in a talented group of point guards. Furman transfer JP Pegues and freshman Tahaad Pettiford will also likely contribute at that spot.

Pegues was arguably Auburn’s biggest addition of the offseason, averaging 18.4 points per game and 4.8 assists last season.

“He brings a lot of experience,” Jones said. “Just by watching him, I learn a lot of things just from watching an experienced point guard play, trying to implement it in my game.”

Miles Kelly is another guard Auburn brought in through the transfer portal, known primarily for his scoring ability. While he‘s a slightly different player to Jones, he didn’t hold back his excitement when asked about playing with Kelly.

“That’s going to be a show. As I’ve told y’all already, Miles can really shoot the ball,” Jones said. “I feel like with me out there too, we complement each other very well.”

Auburn is just weeks away from opening the regular season where Jones and his new teammates can publicly display their growth for the first time. With expectations high for Auburn this season, Jones is looking forward to showing off his growth.

“Honestly, I only got one goal in mind and that’s just win March Madness, win a national championship,” Jones said.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m