Steven Pearl is heading into his second year at the helm of Auburn basketball with a clear sense of what his team needs to become.
After a rocky first season that started with almost no carryover from the Final Four roster and ended with an NIT title, Pearl is looking for a more complete group in 2026-27. Auburn had only Tahaad Pettiford back from that previous team, and the rebuild was made even tougher when injuries sidelined several players. The Tigers wound up just short of the NCAA Tournament, then finished by winning the NIT Championship.
This offseason brought another wave of turnover, but Auburn does have some continuity to work with. Pettiford is back, along with Kevin Overton, Simon Walker and Blake Muschalek. That gives the Tigers two starters and two rotation players who already know the program and can help bring the new faces along as the roster comes together.
The biggest change, though, may be in the frontcourt. Auburn went into the offseason needing more size, and Pearl addressed it with three additions who could reshape that part of the roster: 7-foot Narcisse Ngoy, 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye and 6-foot-10 Owen Freeman. For a team that lacked that kind of presence a year ago, those bodies could matter right away.
Pearl said this summer has been about learning what each player can do and identifying the best defenders on the roster. He likes what he’s seen so far, even if the real answers won’t come until Auburn faces another team.
"You've seen some progression of guys making improvements, and a different guy plays well every week, which is encouraging," Pearl said, per AL.com. "But you really won't know anything until you go out there and play against other competition. So far, our guys have had a good summer to this point."
That first test is coming later this summer when Auburn travels to Greece for its foreign tour. The Tigers previously went to Italy in 2017 and Israel in 2022 under Bruce Pearl. The NCAA now allows foreign tours every year, after previously limiting them to once every four years.
With at least seven newcomers in the mix, that trip should give Auburn a valuable early look at how quickly the pieces can fit together before the 2026-27 season begins.
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