Impact of Auburn Tigers landing JUCO star Abdul Bashir for 2025-26 season

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers have a lot working for them. They’re the No. 1 team in the nation at 23-2 (11-1 SEC) and are almost a lock to be a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They have All-American and National Player of the Year contender Johni Broome and one of the most experienced and talented rosters in the nation.

Still, programs must also look toward the future and ensure the rosters remain just as loaded. And Auburn will have a ton of roster turnover to deal with in a couple of months, as at least seven players on the current roster are seniors, while freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford could be a candidate to enter the NBA Draft once the season is over.

The Tigers currently have three commits in the 2025 recruiting class, all of whom are four-star prospects. But he landed another player, this time from the Junior College level.

Abdul Bashir is a 6’7 guard from Casper College and one of the best JUCO players. He’s averaging nearly 30 ppg, shooting around 40% from three-point range. He can score at all three levels and is also a versatile perimeter defender. Coach Pearl has landed former JUCO stars before, including current starting wing Chad Baker-Mazara.

With Baker-Mazara likely gone, Auburn needed to refill its depth on the wings. Bashir can slide in at the three-spot and give the Tigers a capable double-digit scoring option. Just as important is that the Tigers won’t have to deal with a major recruiting battle in the transfer portal for whichever high-level wing option enters.

Abdul is the brother of 6’7 sophomore guard Abdi Bashir Jr., who currently leads Monmouth with 20.2 ppg, including a career-high 38 points in a road loss at Rutgers. He’s the kind of mid-major star on a bad team that tends to enter the portal. If that were to happen, could Auburn land another high-scoring big guard for a package deal?