Shortly after their season ended, the Auburn Tigers received word on Danjel Purifoy’s status for next year.
Auburn’s hopes for repeating this season’s regular season success – and improving on their NCAA Tournament flameout – rested on Danjel Purifoy. The forward’s presence is integral to the Tigers.
On Tuesday, the NCAA finally ruled on his eligibility, declaring that he would have to miss 30 percent of the 2018-19 season; he already missed the entirety of this season. The AL report suggests there are no plans to appeal the ruling further.
Along with Austin Wiley, Purifoy was linked to the FBI probe that brought down assistant Chuck Person at the beginning of the season. Wiley’s suspension also lasted all season, though he’s eligible to return at the beginning of next season.
The possibility exists that Wiley will turn pro, but that option doesn’t seem as likely for Purifoy, according to most expert draft boards.
Auburn is in good shape to build upon their success next season. Two of their top four scorers were juniors, while the other two were sophomores. Their leader in field goal percentage was also a sophomore.
Having Purifoy to anchor the ship, however, would be a big help.
In 2016-17, Purifoy averaged 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for a team on the upswing. Losing a year and change of eligibility is critical, but he wasn’t removed from the program; he practiced with the team and worked with the scout team.
Therefore, the adjustment back to game action and team chemistry shouldn’t be too steep a learning curve.
The 2018 recruiting class leaves something to be desired, with no commits currently chanting “War Eagle.” This year’s successful core probably won’t see a significant shakeup from the freshman class.
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Danjel Purifoy appears ready to go. Auburn will have to wait longer than they want to get him back, though.