AU Men's Players Transferring

[ellitor 33,903]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

Why Stretch or Lior may stay

And we may be able to finally put Lior on scholly next season if he stays.

[Sani-Freeze 552]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

And we may be able to finally put Lior on scholly next season if he stays.

I'm good with that since Lior contributes some quality depth at the 2 or 3 spots when needed. It's harder to justify keeping Stretch on scholarship as just a culture guy, when you know there is absolutely no scenario where he could help you win a game even if a dire situation arose with injuries and foul trouble. If he's already had time to complete his degree, then they have done right by him and I'd invite him to stay with the team as a walk-on. But as others have said, it might not be necessary/helpful if there isn't NIL $ to bring in someone else good to fill his spot. 

 

[ellitor 33,903]

16 minutes ago, Sani-Freeze said:

I'm good with that since Lior contributes some quality depth at the 2 or 3 spots when needed. It's harder to justify keeping Stretch on scholarship as just a culture guy, when you know there is absolutely no scenario where he could help you win a game even if a dire situation arose with injuries and foul trouble. If he's already had time to complete his degree, then they have done right by him and I'd invite him to stay with the team as a walk-on. But as others have said, it might not be necessary/helpful if there isn't NIL $ to bring in someone else good to fill his spot. 

 

@Sani-Freeze We have to be realistic about what transfers we bring in and can land. Virtually no quality transfer is coming in to be a bench player. They want to be a starter, or if they can play multiple positions, no worse than the 6th man. We ain't bringing anyone in to start over Broome & likely not bringing in anyone to start over Jaylin, although I wish we had more rebounding from the 4 spot. So if we tell Stretch to move on then we will either bring in someone else who will not play much, who may or may not fit the team cuture, or end up not using the scholly at all. I'd rather have Stretch be here if he wants to than an open scholly or have another player who doesn't play much who my not fit in with the team.

[W.E.D 11,071]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

@Sani-Freeze We have to be realistic about what transfers we bring in and can land. Virtually no quality transfer is coming in to be a bench player. They want to be a starter, or if they can play multiple positions, no worse than the 6th man. We ain't bringing anyone in to start over Broome & likely not bringing in anyone to start over Jaylin, although I wish we had more rebounding from the 4 spot. So if we tell Stretch to move on then we will either bring in someone else who will not play much, who may or may not fit the team cuture, or end up not using the scholly at all. I'd rather have Stretch be here if he wants to than an open scholly or have another player who doesn't play much who my not fit in with the team.

It would be one thing if Stretch was our single player to replace in the portal and we said "Replace our 12th guy with a top transfer".  That could work.   But when we're already taking 4-7, at some point there just isn't going to be someone for that spot that is a "Top Transfer"

[ellitor 33,903]

7 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

t would be one thing if Stretch was our single player to replace in the portal and we said "Replace our 12th guy with a top transfer".  That could work

Even then in our situation it would likely be someone for another position like at the 4 to try to beat out Jaylin.

[Old fan 47 813]

On 3/28/2023 at 11:55 PM, Mikey said:

What we are losing in these two is a lot of assumed potential and no actual production. If they don't want to be at Auburn they can move along and AU will too.

While I partially agree, does some of this not fall on our coaches who are scouting these players? A supposed five star and four star who barely saw the court this year, when this team would have benefitted from at least one of them being reliable. I understand Westry was hurt a lot, but there is more to that. If you’re hurt you’re hurt, but if you become well and still don’t crack at least garbage time, sounds like a swing and miss in scouting. Just my thoughts. This team has a long way to go to be considered in the top of SEC again. 

[fishepa 2,046]

I’m not sure what anyone saw in Traore and why he was a 5 star. Guy didn’t look like he ever played bball before from what I saw this year. 

[ellitor 33,903]

2 hours ago, Old fan 47 said:

If you’re hurt you’re hurt, but if you become well and still don’t crack at least garbage time, sounds like a swing and miss in scouting. Just my thoughts.

@Old fan 47Knowing how players are going to respond after an injury is something not always available in the scouting process. Even if CW got 100% phusically after the injury, he struggled with it mentally in terms of his confidence and that kept him our of the line up.

[JuscAUse! 1,697]

3 hours ago, Old fan 47 said:

While I partially agree, does some of this not fall on our coaches who are scouting these players? A supposed five star and four star who barely saw the court this year, when this team would have benefitted from at least one of them being reliable. I understand Westry was hurt a lot, but there is more to that. If you’re hurt you’re hurt, but if you become well and still don’t crack at least garbage time, sounds like a swing and miss in scouting. Just my thoughts. This team has a long way to go to be considered in the top of SEC again. 

Exactly! Because if we hadn't offered them a scholly, they would be playing at Northeast Technical State College in Montana. Every other D1 school that was trying to sign them was simply playing 5 D chess to get our team to sign them. And it worked. What idiots we have for coaches!

 

 

 

Yessss. It's sarcasm. 

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by JuscAUse!

[JuscAUse! 1,697]

8 minutes ago, ellitor said:

@Old fan 47Knowing how players are going to respond after an injury is something not always available in the scouting process. Even if CW got 100% phusically after the injury, he struggled with it mentally in terms of his confidence and that kept him our of the line up.

You're definitely more subtle than I am. That's a good thing.

😉

[TigerTennis80 354]

On 3/31/2023 at 5:06 AM, ellitor said:

@autan @NoALtiger It's not throwing away a scholly. It's letting an important part of team culture stay if he wants. Team culture is important to Bruce, especially with some other players not being positive elements to team culture this past season.

E, I've wondered about some players "not being positive elements to the team culture this past season," sometimes because of disappointments on the court but even moreso from some of Bruce's post-game comments. In particular the SEC Network guys once asked him after a win if he was having fun, & he answered, "Well, I'm doing my job." That's un-Bruce-like. So, is there anything more you can say about this subject? Even generally? Just wondering.

[SumterAubie 3,107]

On 3/31/2023 at 12:08 PM, ellitor said:

It's not though. If we have more than 10-11 players on scholly next year, and that's a big if, the worst schollied player or 2 will not play much barring extreme circumstances. It's that way for every team.

Right. There are only so many minutes in a game. The 11th, 12th, 13th player is riding the pine during game time

[bigbird 60,942]

3 hours ago, TigerTennis80 said:

I've wondered about some players "not being positive elements to the team culture this past season,"

Yes there was, but that negativity came from one player.

[NoALtiger 4,055]

3 hours ago, SumterAubie said:

Right. There are only so many minutes in a game. The 11th, 12th, 13th player is riding the pine during game time

I guess scholarship reduction as a form of punishment is kinda pointless then. It shouldn’t affect any program if that’s the train of thought. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,127]

Having a 11th-13th that COULD play in case of emergency and not having them at all are two very different things.

Lior Berman, Yohan Traore, they COULD play if needed. 2017-18 Auburn didn't have a body they could play at all once we started talking about 12th, 13th (or 9th, 10th...). A reduction prevents you from even playing an Austin Wiley or Danjel Purifoy. 

All that being said, we should basically expect someone who could feasibly play where Berman and Stretch are at on the roster in worse case scenarios, and we've ran C-Mo and Traore at the 5 before playing Stretch in dire straits. That tells me he's unplayable 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,127]

You don't get a ton of free time in CBB recruiting, but if we could find a Zep-type guy (the dude we ended up getting, not the one that seemed to be able to actually score, shoot and self-create) to anchor the bench, that'd be wonderful.

1. Knows college is the end of the road for him

2. Loves Auburn 

3. Willing to just be a cog 

Cook and Myles Parker in the past remind me of those type of dudes. I think Jamal Johnson should've been there when he was here. You have very specific cases where you have value, and we bring you in when we're in that scenario. 

[ellitor 33,903]

5 hours ago, bigbird said:

Yes there was, but that negativity came from one player.

I think I know who you are referring to. There is supposedly another prominent plauer who was somewhat unhappy with their role on the team and another not fully bought in to the culture but he wasn't nevessarily derisive per say.

[Old fan 47 813]

12 hours ago, JuscAUse! said:

Exactly! Because if we hadn't offered them a scholly, they would be playing at Northeast Technical State College in Montana. Every other D1 school that was trying to sign them was simply playing 5 D chess to get our team to sign them. And it worked. What idiots we have for coaches!

 

 

 

Yessss. It's sarcasm. 

 

Never said anyone was an idiot. That being said, Traore looked like a guy that needs about three more years to become a good player. 

[Tiger 8,863]

2 hours ago, ellitor said:

I think I know who you are referring to. There is supposedly another prominent plauer who was somewhat unhappy with their role on the team and another not fully bought in to the culture but he wasn't nevessarily derisive per say.

Who are you guys talking about? 

[NWALA Tiger 3,705]

22 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Who are you guys talking about? 

Probably have to fly up to the nest to get specific names

[bigbird 60,942]

43 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Who are you guys talking about? 

I'm not going to put it out there right now.  Maybe after things have settled.

[ellitor 33,903]

A nugget on Stretch from Jason Caldwell on The Drive yesterday...

Quote

Stretch is telling people he won't be back.

 

[aubiefifty 18,345]

Auburn basketball roster tracker: Which players are returning, leaving or being added?

2

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

Mon, April 3, 2023 at 6:50 AM CDT

 

 

Auburn basketball, just like nearly every other team in the country, is watching its roster churn this offseason.

After getting bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, coach Bruce Pearl is looking to upgrade his roster and surpass its successes from a season ago.

The Tigers will be working with 13 scholarships this season. In the past couple of years, Auburn was limited to 12, a punishment the program received from the NCAA stemming from former assistant coach Chuck Person's involvement in a bribery scandal.

Here's what Auburn's roster currently looks like and the changes that have been made. This story will be updated throughout the offseason as moves occur.

 

TRANSFER TARGETS: 3 players Auburn basketball and coach Bruce Pearl can look to add via the transfer portal

ADEN HOLLOWAY: Auburn basketball signee drops 15 points in McDonald's All-American Game

2023 NBA Draft declarations (1)

Wendell Green Jr. (Guard): Following his second season on the Plains, Green declared for the 2023 NBA Draft on April 2. He averaged 12.8 points in 67 games with the Tigers, helping guide them to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Outgoing transfers (2)

Yohan Traore (Forward): A former five-star recruit in the class of 2022, Traore spent one season with the Tigers before announcing March 28 that he was entering the portal. He appeared in 25 games this past season, averaging 2.1 points in 9.9 minutes per contest.

Chance Westry (Guard): Although he hasn't made it official himself, multiple reports have come out saying Westry plans to transfer. Because of a knee injury, the 6-foot-6 ball-handler appeared in only 11 games in 2022-23, his first season in college.

Out of eligibility (1)

Zep Jasper (Guard): Jasper spent two seasons with the Tigers after playing at the College of Charleston for three years. He started all 66 games he appeared in at Auburn, proving to be one of Pearl's best perimeter defenders. He's completely out of eligibility and will not return.

Freshman addition (1)

Aden Holloway (Guard): The lone recruit in Auburn's class of 2023, Holloway showed out at the McDonald's All-American Game on March 28; he scored 15 points on 57.1% shooting and had three steals. Holloway is a four-star recruit and rated as the No. 27 player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Returning scholarship players (8)

Every player from last season who still has eligibility remaining is assumed to be returning, unless they've announced otherwise or reports have come out detailing their plans.

Babatunde Akingbola (Center): Akingbola has spent four years with the Tigers, appearing in 50 games in which he has played a total of 361 minutes. The 6-10 Akingbola has an extra year of eligibility to use due to COVID, assuming he wants to return and the staff wants him back.

Dylan Cardwell (Center): A fan favorite for often getting the crowd riled up in Neville Arena, Cardwell just wrapped up his junior season. He served mostly as the back-up big man, participating in 32 games in 2022-23 and making one start.

Johni Broome (Forward): The most impactful addition from last offseason, Broome just finished his first season with the Tigers after spending two years in the Ohio Valley Conference with Morehead State. Broome was Auburn's leading scorer with 14.2 points per game on 52.7% shooting. He also averaged 2.4 blocks.

Chris Moore (Forward): Moore began last season as the starting small forward before injuring his right shoulder in a game against Ole Miss on Jan. 10. He came off the bench for the final 15 games of the season, with his best performance coming in Tuscaloosa versus Alabama on March 1. He grabbed five rebounds and was the de facto center for Auburn after three Tigers fouled out and Cardwell went down with an injury.

Jaylin Williams (Forward): Whatever decision Williams makes will have a massive impact on Auburn's roster. Williams, who averaged a career-high 11.2 points per game and made 35.4% of his 3-pointers last season, has an extra year of eligibility to use due to COVID. He can return, go pro or transfer.

Allen Flanigan (Wing): Similar to Williams, Flanigan has spent four years in college but can return for one more season if he wishes. The 6-6 Little Rock, Arkansas, native bounced back in 2022-23, averaging 10.1 points in 26.9 minutes per game. Flanigan's dad, Wes Flanigan, is an assistant on Pearl's staff.

Tre Donaldson (Guard): After news came out of Traore and Holloway's intentions to enter the portal, Donaldson, a fellow class of 2022 recruit, took to Twitter to all but confirm he is returning for another season: "Auburn family let's ride," Donaldson wrote March 29. He had his best game of the season in the first round of March Madness against Iowa, dropping 13 points and knocking down three 3-pointers.

KD Johnson (Guard): Johnson transferred to Auburn in May 2021 after he spent one season at Georgia. He started 31 games in his first year with the Tigers and came off the bench last season. Johnson has averaged 10.6 points in 67 appearances at Auburn.

Walk-on news

Lior Berman cracked the rotation last season and played meaningful minutes for Auburn. Pearl has previously said if he had that 13th scholarship these past couple of seasons, it would've gone to Berman. For now, however, he remains a walk-on. He was celebrated at Senior Day, but he also has an extra year of eligibility to potentially be used.

It appears Chandler Leopard is entering the portal, per a Twitter post from the guard March 29. Leopard appeared in 18 games in four seasons with the Tigers, mostly serving as a member of the scout team at practice.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball: Keeping track of the Tigers' offseason moves

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,127]

2 hours ago, ellitor said:

A nugget on Stretch from Jason Caldwell on The Drive yesterday...

 

That brother has to have his degree by now, might as well spend his last year at Samford getting some actual PT 

[bigbird 60,942]

Stretch is gone