Freshman point guard Tre Donaldson entered Thursday’s 83-75 Auburn win against Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s first round averaging 2.1 points per game as second-team All-SEC point guard Wendell Green’s backup.

Donaldson scored double-digits once this season in a 74-71 loss against Southern California. He had 12 against the Trojans with two games of seven points.

After the win, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl joked that Iowa coach Fran McCaffrey might’ve been caught off-guard by Donaldson going 3-3 from three in the second half and scoring 11 points in his tournament debut at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena.

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“He did not look or act like a freshman at all,” Pearl said. “And I think that — I know that you’re in a game like that. Coach McCaffery has to be looking down the bench who is this kid. We don’t need this.”

Pearl might’ve underestimated how much film study McCaffery did because he told reporters he was familiar with Donaldson and K.D. Johnson, who scored 11 points on 4-7 shooting and 2-4 from three.

“I was impressed with Donaldson. I think that kid is a good player,” McCaffery said. “Johnson, he’s had some games where he’s gone off. He’s taken over at the end. So you can look at the numbers and say this is what they did over 32, 33 games, but I look at the quality of the player, the complete picture. And I think those two kids are really good.”

Donaldson had hit eight three-pointers on 27 attempts during the season and hadn’t attempted a three since he went 1-2 from behind the arc on March 1st in the overtime loss at Alabama. He scored his first three with 12:47 left to give Auburn a 51-39 lead.

The Tigers shot 1-9 from three in the first half and went 7-10 from three in the second, paced by Donaldson’s three-for-three night.

“I kept the confidence in my catch-and-shoot game,” Donaldson said. “I was open and I was ready for them to kick it out to me. It felt great to contribute to a win in March Madness. I’m thankful for the tough time because it makes moments like this sweeter.”

Auburn advances to the second round and Saturday will face either No.1 seed Houston or No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky with a chance to go to the Sweet 16. Donaldson’s role in the Tigers scoring 52 points in the second half didn’t go unnoticed by Pearl.

“He’s got a toughness about him, a swag, confidence, not afraid,” Pearl said. Absolutely not afraid of the moment. He’s going to be a really goodplayer in the future. But he’s got a role to play.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group