What has transpired in recent years isn’t normal for Auburn basketball as Bruce Pearl has really built a powerhouse here in the SEC. The Tigers spent a major portion of last season as one of the best teams in the nation and marched to the Final Four after another regular season conference crown. The work has been marvelous from Pearl and his staff but the efforts must be continuous to keep this program among the nation’s best.
The Tigers got an All-American season from Johni Broome in his final collegiate effort but he’s not the only big piece they’ll miss next season. Chad Baker-Mazara really grew into a top talent for Auburn and now he’s off to the West Coast. Other familiar pieces like Denver Jones and Miles Kelly no longer dot the backcourt, leaving this coaching staff with plenty of holes to fill.
In addition to a solid crew of freshmen recruits, Auburn found success in the transfer portal by adding four pretty decent names to this roster. Kevin Overton did solid work at Texas Tech and becomes a new veteran presence in Auburn’s backcourt. Elyjah Freeman was a highly regarded D2 prospect at Lincoln Memorial looking to make a similar jump like Baker-Mazara in recent years. Meanwhile, Keyshawn Hall was one of the top names in the portal and could be Auburn’s best player and scorer next season.
However our focus is on the important transfer and KeShawn Murphy fits that bill just a little better for Auburn. A 6-10 forward from Birmingham, Murphy spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career in familiar ground at rival Mississippi State. After two seasons in a backup role, Murphy played significantly more minutes as a junior, averaging 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds while making just under 61% of his 2-point field goals.
One thing to note is that Murphy started just three games last season. He wasn’t the regular big man during his time with Mississippi State but that’ll be different as a senior for the Tigers. Nobody can come to town and replace the production that Broome had these last few years but Murphy is the next best thing. He’s a veteran frontcourt with SEC experience and untapped potential and the Tigers are really going to count on him to produce in the paint this season.
The return of Tahaad Pettiford for his sophomore season gets a lot of the headlines after his brilliance last season. We’d expect him and Hall to be the top scorers for Auburn but don’t be surprised if Murphy doesn’t get in on that action. If he takes the step forward that’s expected he could become a major frontcourt weapon in this league. Auburn needs reliable production from him after all those changes, but is Murphy ready to produce at a major level and make this team a national contender again?