Auburn Basketball: Tigers building foundation with yet another commitment

Auburn basketball landed a commitment from rising star Chuma Okeke on Sunday.

Auburn is a football school at heart. Think of the rivalry with heavyweight Alabama, ‘The Return’ by Chris Davis, and Cam Newton and his national championship.

When the Tigers hired Bruce Pearl, their number one goal was making their basketball program nationally relevant. It will never be as popular as the football team, however, Pearl is already taking steps in the right direction.

While the results haven’t been noticeable on the court just yet (11-20 overall and 5-13 in SEC play last season), the Tigers are building a strong foundation via the recruiting trail.

Auburn is not likely to be all that competitive in the SEC again this season, but they landed five-star coveted recruit Mustapha Heron, four-star point guard Jared Harper and big man Anfernee McLemore.

And then there’s the 2017 class.

On Sunday, Pearl added a rising star in Chuma Okeke, a four-star power forward from Atlanta, GA who is ranked 57th on ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2017. Okeke’s stock rose during the spring, and he had offers from Georgia, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

Okeke is long and athletic. He is a gifted scorer, especially in the half court where he is capable of pulling up from the mid-range, scoring inside, or hitting the defense with a soft floater. Because of his physical tools and 6’8″ frame, Okeke is also tough to stop in transition.

If he adds strength and develops some type of a three point shot, Okele could move down to the four-position more successfully. He would be able to battle with the big men, and also have the ability to step out, space the floor and knock down perimeter jumpers.

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Okeke isn’t the only gem of Auburn’s 2017 class – which is currently ranked as the number one recruiting class in the NATION!

Yes, under Pearl, Auburn has the best class in the nation.

In addition to Okeke, the Tigers have five-star physical center Austin Wiley and one of the top point guards in the class in Davion Mitchell. All three players are ranked in the ESPN’s top 100, and more importantly, all three will instantly upgrade Auburn’s talent level and help them compete in the SEC.

Wiley gives the Tigers an interior scorer, who is a plus when running the floor, finishing on the block and grabbing rebounds on both ends. He can block shots at the rim, and while he isn’t fast, he has enough mobility to be a force.

Mitchell is strong, quick and has tight handles at the lead guard position. He is a crafty finisher in the paint, and is capable of beating defenders off the dribble because of his natural speed.

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Combine Heron, Mitchell, Okeke, Wiley, Harper, McLemore, Horace Spencer and Danjel Purifoy, and Auburn is set to have a perfect core starting in 2017-18.

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