re: 2015 Auburn Basketball Recruiting Thread

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The basketball roster in Bruce Pearl's second season at Auburn will undergo dramatic changes. With four departing seniors in Antoine Mason, K.C. Ross-Miller, KT Harrell and Malcolm Canada, and at least five talented newcomers expected to arrive this summer, Pearl says he hopes additional talent and depth will overcome the loss of experience and leadership.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be better at two or three positions, maybe four, but let’s say three," Pearl said recently at the Birmingham Tip Off Club.

Kareem Canty has been itching to help Auburn's basketball team since he arrived from Marshall last year. With Canada and Ross-Miller gone, Canty is expected to give the Tigers quality play at the point guard position.

"(Canty) is a terrific scoring point guard, and half the time he was our best player on the floor during practice," Pearl said. "He’s really good. When you have a great point guard, it can make everyone else better."

Four-star signee New Williams from Los Angeles will also add depth at point guard and shooting guard. Pearl called him a "terrific athlete."

"Like in football, a terrific athlete that you don’t know where he can play, but he can play," Pearl said. "It’ll be interesting to see. He’s a high-level player that will allow us to press and do some things."

With Harrell and Mason gone, Auburn's ability to replace 33 combined points per game will be a question Pearl is optimistic he can answer.

Signees T.J. Dunans, Danjel Purifoy and Bryce Brown all will arrive in the summer. And all three are known for scoring ability. Dunans is a "high scorer" from the junior college ranks and Brown is an "outstanding 3-point shooter" from Atlanta, who averaged over 25 points per game this season.

"I think he’ll be like KT Harrell in a couple of years," Pearl said.

Purifoy, from Centreville, Ala., is a "system fit" and earned high praise from Pearl after a season at Hargrave Military College.

"A year ago, he was an athlete that could get into the lane and create, but had no jump shot," Pearl said. "I went back to see him at Hargrave. He’s a player. That kid will be a first-team All-Freshman SEC player. He’ll have a chance to really dominate his position. He looks like a bunch of other guys that walked into my gym this year."

Beyond Auburn's four signees, “I’d say we’d like to sign one more for sure, and that would be great," Pearl said.

The one is 4-star Horace Spencer.

Known for his defensive presence, Spencer is Auburn's highest ranked commitment. He is expected to sign with Auburn on April 15. Spencer should help returning forwards Cinmeon Bowers and Jordon Granger rebound and defend the low post.

“We’ll have better overall size," Pearl said.

Auburn's average height this season was ranked 250th nationally at just over 6-foot-4. Next season's roster could average nearly 6-foot-6, which could place Auburn among the top 50 teams in average height.

Auburn's height could grow if a fifth-year transfer power forward is added to the roster before next season.

Tahj Shamsid-Deen and Matthew Atewe will return from injury, Shamsid-Deen with shoulder problems and Atewe having broken his leg twice in the last two seasons.

Freshman T.J. Lang made a strong move late in the season and became a part-time starter. Jack Purchase, another freshman, rarely payed.

"I think you always keep your options open and see what else could be out there to improve your roster," Pearl said. "We’ve got some question marks. We’ve got some young players that need to develop.”

Pearl said he hoped to have Auburn competing in the middle of the SEC in his first season. That didn't happen, but he said it can happen next season.

“I’m hoping next year we’re good enough to compete in the middle of the league," Pearl said. "That gets you in position where postseason is possible. That’s a step we can make. It won’t be a monumental step, an overnight step, but it’ll be progress. We’ll be deeper. We’ll be longer. We’ll be more athletic. We’ll be younger and less experienced.

"Progress will be made, but I don’t think it’ll be leaps and bounds.”

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