re: #tAuburnBasketball Thread

Got 2 players on SI's "Best NBA Draft Prospects Returning To School" list...
Flanigan & Kessler

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Allen Flanigan, SG, Auburn | Junior

Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 215 | Age: 20

Flanigan will team with Walker Kessler and potential lottery pick Jabari Smith on what could be a formidable Auburn team next season. The athletic lefty showed some encouraging things as a sophomore, with a handful of big scoring performances under his belt and a streaky but dangerous three-point shot. Flanigan has deep range and isn’t afraid to let it fly (he shot 33% on nearly five threes per game), but the rest of his game is still a work in progress. The Tigers used him as a secondary ballhandler with mixed results—Flanigan is a capable passer, but struggled with turnovers, shot selection and decision-making over the course of the year.

With good size, above-average athletic ability for a two guard and a clear willingness to shoulder a heavy load on offense, Flanigan is a candidate to take another big leap forward on a team that should have a pretty potent offense. He recently turned 20 and is on the younger side for a junior. He’s very strong-hand dominant and the more dynamic he can become with the ball in his hands, the more it’ll help his stock. But he was fairly efficient all things considered last season (58.8% TS), bolstered by his ability to get to the foul line. Flanigan needs to prove he’s more than just a scorer—his work on the defensive end was sporadic. Still, there’s no lack of ability here and it’s a matter of better harnessing it.

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Walker Kessler, C, Auburn | Sophomore

Height: 7' 1" | Weight: 245 | Age: 19

Kessler’s freshman-year minutes were severely limited at North Carolina, but he built some buzz in NBA circles as his minutes ticked up at the end of the season. He’ll presumably play the lion's share of minutes after transferring to Auburn, giving him a better platform to showcase his skills. While there’s a lot left for scouts to figure out, Kessler’s sheer size, plus mobility and above-average skill level around the basket put him squarely on the draft radar going into next season. A 16-point, 12-rebound, eight-block performance in 21 minutes during UNC’s ACC tournament blowout of Notre Dame was notable.

While Kessler didn’t play enough to really force the issue this season, he’s a person of interest for NBA teams heading into the summer. Developing a reliable jumper would be his ticket to a first-round selection. His mechanics aren’t a disaster, but he was a poor free throw shooter this season on limited attempts, which casts some doubt on his improvement. Kessler is pretty coordinated, plays light on his feet and has shown he can protect the rim, giving him a good baseline of strengths to where he should make a major impact at Auburn. He turns 20 in July.

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Here's the whole article:

The Best NBA Draft Prospects Returning To School

Wendell Green Jr, on the court in Auburn

One minute, we are losing all the recruiting battles. Next, all the football and basketball recruits are on campus. AU sports is an interesting ride.

Green will hopefully turn into our version of the guy teams hate to play who seems like he’s been there forever.

It’s his dads agency (along with Lil Wayne) and why there was so much issue with him playing this year.

Also 5* Brandon Miller is on campus today

LINK

Got him on the last page. He’s probably my favorite F in that class

That’s what King is reporting. Heck yes.

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Sharife Cooper signed a deal with Adidas

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Little surprising. He played for and his dad founded AOT which is a Nike sponsored AAU team.

No

Adidas is moving away from the AAU circuit to a large extent so there's just not much value recruiting wise in going that direction. Nike is pretty much the only option if we're switching for AAU related reasons. I'm actually hopeful that the days of the AAU running recruiting is nearing its end with the introduction of G League Elite and the Atlanta based group. They obviously don't compete with AAU for players but the influence they have will be weakened if it happens the way I hope