Dylan Cardwell isn’t going to score a lot of points.

He’s not a ball handler, doesn’t really shoot and plays a more traditional center role not often seen in modern college basketball. But he wins and consistently affects winning for an Auburn team that is a game away from reaching the Final Four.

In each of the Tigers’ first three NCAA tournament games, Cardwell led the team in plus/minus despite only averaging 3.3 points per game.

“I just try to be the glue guy for this team. You really can’t go anywhere without the guy,” Cardwell said before Auburn’s Sweet 16 win over Michigan. “It’s kind of just being here before, sharing my experience, but also trying to keep these guys levelheaded.”

In Auburn’s last two games, Cardwell has been one of the team’s most valuable players, particularly on defense. He had the biggest hand in shutting down Michigan leading scorer Vladislav Goldin one game after he had another impressive game against Creighton All-American center Ryan Kalkbrenner.

His role isn’t glamorous, but for Auburn, it’s needed. When head coach Bruce Pearl was asked about Cardwell Saturday afternoon, he expanded on what the 6-foot-11 senior brings to the team.

“Dylan Cardwell blows away every analytic that’s out there. You can’t look at the stat sheet and think he’s going to lead in plus-minus, and he does all the time,” Pearl said. “What does he do? He dominates the boards. He’s the best defender on the floor. He doesn’t turn the basketball over.

“I think he’s got a chance to play in the NBA because he can score in the air, he can defend any position. He’ll rebound his position, and he can guard one through five.”

Despite being more known for his defense and not scoring much, Cardwell still leads Auburn in offensive rating, per KenPom. His 133.5 rating ranks 12th in the country, largely created by his high 2-point percentage and low turnover rate.

Cardwell has also seen and won more than any other player on Auburn’s team. This season, he became the program’s all-time winningest player and has stuck with Pearl and the Tigers since 2020.

This season is the first year that Cardwell has been a starter, previously sitting behind players like Walker Kessler and Johni Broome, someone who Cardwell now shares the floor with.

“What do most kids do when you bring in Walker Kessler to their position? They transfer, they flee. Not Dylan Cardwell,” Pearl said. “The following year, he’s going to be a junior, pretty good player. What do I do? I bring in Johni Broome. What do most guys do? Flee. Not Dylan Cardwell. He stays.”

Cardwell now has Auburn on the doorstep of the Final Four, a stage the program has reached just once in its history. Auburn’s Elite Eight game against Michigan State is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on CBS.

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