Auburn basketball has announced they will hold Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy out of competition until the ramifications of the FBI probe are clearer.
Auburn is holding star center Austin Wiley and starting wing Danjel Purifoy out of games in an effort to “avoid any potential eligibility issues”. Wiley is a former five-star prospect who enrolled at Auburn after the first semester last season. He averaged 8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 1.3 bpg in just over 18 minutes per game, but is expected to be one of the biggest break-out candidates in the country.
Purifoy is also a former highly ranked recruit and averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg as a redshirt freshman last season. The 6’7’’ wing played as a small ball PF but is expected to move to the wing more often as a sophomore.
Both players will clearly be missed and Auburn fans should hope that a positive resolution is reached quickly. Whenever you lose two starters, your team will take a hit, but luckily, Auburn has one of the deepest teams in the country. The Tigers had 11 legitimate rotation players before this development and they have numerous players who can replace Wiley and Purifoy.
Who replaces Wiley?
Auburn has one of the most interesting position battles in the country at the PF position. Sophomore Anfernee McLemore, freshman Chuma Okeke, junior Horace Spencer, and transfer Desean Murray are all viable candidates to win the starting job and all four are capable players. With Wiley out for the foreseeable future, more minutes are available at center for this talented quartet.
Murray and Okeke will be the primary power forwards, but Murray should have the early edge. Murray is an extremely undersized PF (6’3’’) who proved to be a great interior scorer at the low major level. He averaged 20.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg two seasons ago and his experience could pay dividends for the Tigers. Okeke has been impressive this summer and should play a substantial role, but Murray’s proven productivity will be needed with Wiley and Purifoy out. Okeke has more perimeter skill so, if spacing becomes an issue, expect Okeke to earn more playing time.
Spencer and McLemore will battle for the new opening at center. Spencer is an athletic big who can block shots and play above the rim. He averaged 4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, and 1.5 bpg as a sophomore. McLemore had a very strong freshman season and is a 6’7’’ energy big man who excels around the rim. He averaged 5.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 1.2 bpg. Both players should split the position pretty evenly, but expect McLemore to get the early starting nod.
All four frontcourt players will be essential pieces for Auburn. While none of the players are as talented as Wiley, Auburn has some capable substitutes while Wiley’s eligibility is being straightened out. Do not be surprised if Coach Bruce Pearl mixes and matches different combinations of these four frontcourt players as the season progresses.
Who replaces Purifoy?
Fortunately, Auburn has some depth on the wing which should help soften the blow from losing Purifoy. Mustapha Heron is the team’s leading scorer and will take up a lot of the wing minutes, but there are two candidates who can start next to him at the other wing position.
Junior Bryce Brown is the leading candidate. The 6’3’’ sharpshooter saw his minutes and production decline last season but still managed to score 7.5 ppg and shoot 40% from three. His familiarity with the Auburn program and shooting ability will allow him to earn major minutes.
The second candidate is JUCO transfer Malik Dunbar. Dunbar is a solid JUCO prospect and has great size for a wing at 6’6’’, but he should come off the bench at the start of the season. He will play a big role with the loss of Purifoy, but expect Brown to get the starting nod.
Auburn loses two great players which hurts their ceiling, but their strong depth will keep them in contention for a tournament bid. The Tigers were one of the deepest teams in the entire country so they have capable pieces to withstand this enormous loss. If Wiley and Purifoy are able to return at some point this season, then Auburn has top-25 upside, but without them, just sneaking into the tournament would be a major success.