AUBURN \u2014 If it’s no easy to task for a team to make to a Final Four, then replacing nearly the entirety of that squad’s roster in a single offseason can’t be any easier.<\/p>\n
One month and 11 days after their trip to San Antonio ended, Bruce Pearl<\/a> and his Auburn basketball<\/a> staff have nearly done both.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Between the transfer portal and eligibility expiration, 11 players left the program after the 2024-25 season. But the Tigers have added six transfers from three different levels to go with a three-man signing class. They could also have a lone returnee in Tahaad Pettiford<\/a>, who’s still eligible to withdraw from the NBA draft process.<\/p>\n But there’s a final piece Auburn<\/a> is after. It’d like another big man after losing All-American Johni Broome<\/a> and longtime Tiger Dylan Cardwell<\/a>. Pearl said Thursday at the Jimmy Rane Foundation’s annual fundraiser banquet in Montgomery he’s “confident” Auburn will land one.<\/p>\n “We think we’ve got an opportunity,” Pearl said. “I think we’re one more big away from having our roster complete.”<\/p>\n This offseason has swirled chaotically for Auburn, with several Tigers out of eligibility, and the few who had some heading elsewhere.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Pettiford has already stated he’d solely return to college at Auburn, but fellow freshman Jahki Howard transferred to Utah. Chad Baker-Mazara, who Pearl said had remaining eligibility, ultimately hit the portal, too, picking USC.<\/p>\n However, Auburn’s gains out-weigh its losses. From the Division I level, it has added Big 12 leading scorer Keyshawn Hall from UCF; an NCAA Tournament veteran in Kevin Overton, who played at Drake and Texas Tech; and KeShawn Murphy, who grew to frontcourt size at Mississippi State.<\/p>\n Beyond them, Auburn has again scoured the Division II and junior college ranks for talent, adding DII standout Elyjah Freeman, and 7-footer Emeka Opurum alongside Abdul Bashir from JUCO, the latter of which led the country in scoring.<\/p>\n Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com<\/a> or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n