AUBURN - October looks calmer around Auburn basketball this time.
A year ago, Pro Day came with a jolt: the news broke that Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall were staying put just a week after Bruce Pearl retired and Steven Pearl took over as head coach. This week’s version carries none of that chaos. Auburn will hold its annual Pro Day practice Thursday afternoon in front of NBA scouts inside Neville Arena, and for the first time in Steven Pearl’s tenure, the preseason has had a clear rhythm.
That matters. Auburn has been in official practices for a couple of weeks, but the work started long before that, including an overseas trip to Greece. The point, as Pearl sees it, was to finally get a real offseason with his team instead of spending the early stretch on damage control.
“You’ve got to remember, we spent the first month after I got the job just re-recruiting our entire team and trying to retain everybody,” Pearl said last week. “We didn’t have much time to really focus on basketball or practice. I was, like, polishing up my recruiting pitch every single day.
“So to be able to have a whole offseason to, one, build the roster the way I want it built with our staff and, two, be able to develop those guys and really spend time with those guys and build those relationships - I’m just in a much better place after a full summer and a full offseason under my belt.”
The calendar is about to get busy. A day after SEC Media Days next week in Birmingham, Auburn heads back to historic Boutwell Auditorium for an exhibition against Florida State.
Then it’s another Birmingham stop, this time at Legacy Arena for a rivalry exhibition with Alabama. A week after that, the Tigers return home to play Samford in their third tune-up.
Before long, Year 2 under Pearl begins for real. Auburn opens the season less than a month from now against Southeastern Louisiana.
As for where this team stands right now, Pearl’s own assessment sounds like a coach still sorting through the possibilities.
“There’s days where you’re like, ‘We’re gonna be really good and tough to beat,’” Pearl said. “And there’s days where I don’t know if we’ll beat a team on our schedule.
That’s just coaches, though. We’re kind of up and down.”
The optimism starts on offense. Auburn brings back Pettiford and Kevin Overton from a group that had its flaws last season but still finished No. 11 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom. This roster also has more size and more shooting, and Pearl said the Tigers “finally” have two 7-footers in Bukky Oboye and Narcisse Ngoy who can actually threaten the rim as lob options again.
That could make life easier for Pettiford and Overton, while also creating cleaner looks for shooters like Mantas Rubštaviciuš and Adam Olsen.
Auburn already knows the offense can be dangerous. The bigger question is defense, where last season’s drop-off hit hard. Pearl said the goal is to keep taking steps there and force opponents into difficult shots.
“Biggest thing for us is just, defensively, continuing to turn the corner and be disruptive and make guys have to make tough, difficult, contested 2s,” Pearl said.
One thing Auburn would surely like to have settled by opening night: a fully healthy roster.
That’s where this week starts, and where the conversation around Auburn basketball is headed next, with more coming from Pro Day later this week and the annual Nothing But Net basketball preview podcast during Auburn football’s off week.
In Other News...
Auburn Could Be Headed For A Bowl Twist Fans Will Notice
ESPNs Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are already projecting Auburn into bowl season, which gives the Tigers at least a little national confidence even as the schedule remains demanding. The path is not simple, though, and Auburn still has to take care of key business along the way, including games against Arkansas and Samford if it wants to reach bowl eligibility.
If the Tigers do get there, the destination could carry an interesting wrinkle. One projected landing spot is the Birmingham Bowl against North Carolina, while another has Auburn in the Gasparilla Bowl against South Florida, a matchup that would stand out because of head coach Alex Goleshs previous connection to USF. For Auburn fans, the bowl picture is starting to feel less like a distant hope and more like a possible subplot worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Golesh Sent A Clear Message On Auburn Recruiting And Defense
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Golesh also leaned into what Auburn can sell once prospects get to campus, especially for in-state players who can stay close to home and still compete at a high level. On defense, he sounded encouraged by what Auburn has in place, but he framed the next step as a matter of consistency and detail, a reminder that the Tigers standard will be built as much on execution as on promise. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Is Holding Onto A 4-Star WR Other Programs Want
Auburn has some early stability in its 2027 recruiting class thanks to DeShawn Hall, the four-star wide receiver from Prattville High School who remains verbally committed to the Tigers. Even as other programs have kept in contact, Hall has made it clear he is not planning to spend this season touring elsewhere, a sign Auburn has already built real traction with one of Alabamas top young pass catchers.
Halls comfort level with Auburn has stood out as much as his talent. He has described the program as feeling like home and pointed to confidence in the coaching staff as a major reason he believes the Tigers can help him reach his potential, which is exactly the kind of foundation Auburn wants as it tries to keep his recruitment from drifting. [Read more 🡒]