War Eagle Daily

Auburn Basketball is rich in talent. Can they get richer? Yes. Here’s how.

Walker Kessler, Wendell Green Jr, Allen Flanigan, JT Thor, Jaylin Williams, Dylan Cardwell, Babatunde Akingbola, Jabari Smith, Trey Alexander, Zep Jasper, Devan Cambridge, and Chris Moore. Loaded. This is Auburn’s roster outlook for this coming season. Quite impressive. But, there’s still a spot or two for Bruce Pearl to fill.

Auburn missed out on 5-star 2021 point guard TyTy Washington’s final 6. The Tigers are out of running for him. But… There’s a 17 year old named Scoot Henderson. No matter where he goes to college, you’ll hear his name again. He is the next big thing in basketball.

Scoot Henderson is a 5-star point guard in the 2022 class. Auburn is highly favored to land him. While a commitment from Henderson would be great in any circumstance, Auburn fans are hoping he reclassifies to the 2021 class, and commits to Auburn.

The thought of reclassifying hasn’t yet been examined by Scoot. “I haven’t thought about that yet but I am going to try to talk it over with my family sometime soon if I will do that or not,”

There’s much buzz by fans that he will reclassify. Or at least deeply consider it. If Scoot Henderson reclassifies, the g-league is Auburn’s biggest competitor. The NBA g-league is a pro organization that allows players to play on a higher level of talent while getting paid a small amount. The g-league took last year’s top recruit Jalen Green away from Auburn. Green later said that he was going to Auburn before the g-league offered him.

Scoot Henderson would make Auburn a national championship caliber team, if they aren’t already. Scoot is going to be one of the biggest stars in the country. His play style is incredible. And I can confidentially say this… If Bruce Pearl were to land this guy, he would be the best point guard in Auburn history. Yes, better than Sharife Cooper and Jared Harper. Much better.

So will it happen? Only time will tell. The rich can get richer. Bruce Pearl’s #1 priority: Convince Scoot Henderson to reclassify and commit to the big AU.

War Eagle.

The news is out and the dust is settling. Yesterday evening, a very talented basketball player announced his commitment to Auburn. Last week, another did the same.

On Friday, point guard transfer Wendell Green Jr announced his transfer to Auburn. This news came a few days after star guard Sharife Cooper declared for the NBA draft. Green is a star and nothing short of it. As a freshman last year, he averaged 15.8 points per game with Eastern Kentucky. Green will be a sophomore for the Tigers. At 5’11, Green is a smaller guard. At first you’d think his size is concerning. But Jared Harper, who is arguably the best point guard in Auburn’s history, was only 5’11. And J’Von McCormick was 6’0. Both of these guards succeeded under Bruce Pearl. Green will do the same.

After a quick glance at Green’s highlights, you can tell that he has the chance to be special. He’s quick, agile, can easily create space under the basket, and can pull up from deep and get a quick three points. Flashes of J’Von McCormick are evident in his game.

While Green’s commitment is important, there was much more buzz about Auburn’s more recent pickup from the portal. On Monday night, Walker Kessler, a center from North Carolina, let everyone know via Instagram, that he would be joining Auburn. Kessler was a 5-star out of high school, because of his great defense and dominant paint scoring. As a freshman at UNC, Kessler only averaged 4.4 points per game. But he was only given an average of 8.8 minutes per game. Kessler was lost in the shuffle of talent in Chapel Hill. But with few points per game, why is everyone so excited? Good question. For one, he’s a giant. 7’1 to be accurate. He is also, in my opinion, the best rim protector in the country. Kessler’s highlights are littered with blocks. But not only blocks. The guy can get a rebound. I expect him to get a few double doubles of at least ten points and at least ten rebounds. Kessler’s long arms and large frame allow him the ability to dominate the paint. And by the way, he’s a pretty good shooter too. In fact, he’s the whole package. And he’s now an Auburn Tiger.

The Tiger’s also have guard Zep Jasper transferring in from Charleston. But wait, there’s more. Bruce Pearl can add two more players if he chooses. Who might they be? 5-star point guard recruit TyTy Washington is still uncommitted, and Auburn is a top school for him.

Auburn’s arch rival Alabama, had a good basketball season last year. A sweet sixteen appearance and an SEC Championship prompted several recruits and transfers to pick the uprising Tide. And as it was hard to see them land such incredible talent, Bruce Pearl had a plan. And that plan has panned out, and has pleased the fans, and the players.

Auburn sports has had a down year. Football went 6-5. Men’s Basketball went 13-14. Women’s Basketball was 5-19. Baseball is currently 12-16. That’s in the past. Look at the future, It’s very bright for Auburn sports. Things are changing on the Plains. Now we get to sit back, enjoy a nice offseason as fans, and when fall comes, football will be a revamped team. Basketball will be a dominant team.

War Eagle.

Out with the old, in with the new. When Auburn hired Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin on December 23, 2020, some fans were shocked. Some were joyous. Some were, frustrated. Frankly, some didn’t even know who Harsin was. Auburn had hired a man who had a nice resume and an impressive winning percentage. But he’d spent nearly half his life in Boise, Idaho. He had no ties to the deep south. The closest he’d ever been to coaching in the south, was Arkansas State. Ironically, year Gus Malzahn had left Arkansas State, Harsin was hired. that only lasted a year, as he was soon hired to Boise State. A lot of people, Auburn fans, SEC fans, and just College Football fans in general, were skeptical of how Bryan Harsin would understand the culture of the SEC. The bigger question, could he recruit? Let’s take it step by step.

After a 6-5 season, Gus Malzahn was fired. Not a bad 7 year career as Auburn head coach, but not bad doesn’t cut it. After watching a pitiful offense for two years straight, Malzahn was peacefully removed as Auburn’s head coach. No beef stands between Auburn and Malzahn. Gus was later hired at UCF.

Auburn fans wanted at first, Oregon coach Mario Cristobal. He seemed like a reasonable candidate, but that faded immediately after Cristobal signed a massive extension with Oregon. Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was coveted too. But apparently, Auburn wasn’t offering enough money. Billy Napier, an incredibly succesful coach at Louisiana, refused to leave his project. A few more names came and went. Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was expected to be hired. Fans hated the idea, and athletic director Allen Greene took the reigns of the coaching search. As it seemed Auburn had butchered its coaching change, the news broke that Harsin was expected the coach.

Bryan Harsin quickly changed skeptical Tiger fans’ minds when he was introduced in a on December 24. His speech was quite impressive. Auburn had made a seemingly under the radar, but solid hire. Harsin quickly showed the SEC that he did belong. He fit Auburn’s culture. He is nothing like Gus Malzahn, yet he fit the Tigers program. Let’s dive into the biggest questions.

Can Harsin win in the best conference in America?

The SEC, is filled with great teams. Auburn has to play Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Alabama year in and year out. It’s very hard to win all of those games. Even just a few of them. It’s too early to tell if Harsin can win. This question will speak for itself in the fall.

Can Harsin be a dominant recruiter?

Alabama brings in at least five 5-stars every year. So does Georgia. LSU too. Bryan Harsin has to recruit well. Gus Malzahn had the 35th recruiting class in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Harsin was able to add high ranked 4-star edge rusher Dylan Brooks, 4-star offensive tackle Colby Smith, 4-star safety Juwan Gaston, 3-star linebacker Joko Willis, 3-star CB Armani Diamond, 3-star running back Jarquez Hunter, 3-star safety Cayden Bridges, transfer defensive end Eku Leota, and highly coveted transfer cornerback Dreshun Miller. This was salvaged after 95% of recruits had already signed with a chool or were committed to a school. Harsin was able to move the class all the way up to 20th. He salvaged several recruits. That’s very hard to do considering Harsin’s situation at the time. While his 2022 class is very unimpressive so far, once recruits are allowed to visit campuses again, Auburn will land some monster athletes. But the thing that concerns me, is can he sign five stars? Five stars are just a ranking, but if they’re ranked that high, these recruits are obviously very talented. Alabama and Georgia sweep in multiple five stars every year. So where are Auburn’s five stars? First and foremost, Alabama can guarantee a championship. That’s Saban’s main pitch. They can also get you into the NFL. That’s really impressive. Georgia, is based in the most athletically talented state in the nation. Most of that talent comes from the Atlanta area. Kirby Smart and Georgia are sitting on a gold mind. Smart can recruit as well as anyone. And many say that Georgia can win a national championship at any given time. With their offense and defense outlook this year, I expect them to make some noise. Kirby Smart wants recruits to be a part of Georgia’s championship team. He can paint a picture in their minds. Georgia is very close to winning national championships. Bama is already there. So recruits are easily attracted by that. Especially the five stars. Harsin seems like a great coach who recruits love. But it’s the program that has to do the talking. If Harsin can beat Georgia and Bama in a season, or make the SEC Championship or better, recruits will see that Auburn is on the rise big time. And that’s how Harsin must get them on board.

So much has happened since the last time I’ve posted. Auburn had a disappointing football season which led to the firing of Gus Malzahn. Bryan Harsin has now stepped in and is the head coach. Auburn Basketball saw a new star emerge this year in Sharife Cooper. A lot has changed in the Auburn sports world. But I’m back ready to write again. If you’re seeing this, please share this website with others so that I will have an audience to write to. Not having many people view the website is ultimately what had lost my motivation to post.

Hi everyone and War Eagle!

I haven’t posted in a while. I was simply taking a break. While I was away, there were some big headlines in the Auburn Sports world. College Football began. The Big 10 is returning in October. Cam Newton’s first two games as a Patriot were incredible. The depth chart for the Tigers was released which featured some surprise starters. But you probably know this news already. So let’s move on to what happens in two days.. SEC football!

The Kentucky Wildcats take on the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday at 11:00 CT.

War Eagle! Beat Kentucky!

The real journey for Cam Newton now begins. The former Auburn mega star quarterback has beat out another former Auburn quarterback for the starting job. Behind Newton, Jarett Stidham will be the backup. Newton is also a captain for the Patriots.

War Eagle! #thehypeisreal

It took former Auburn running back starter JaTarvious ‘Boobie’ Whitlow a while to find a fit for him. Whitlow, who entered the portal in February, has decided to transfer to Western Illinois, an FCS program.

Whitlow, who fumbled over twenty times over two seasons at Auburn, also ran for sixteen touchdowns.

Western Illinois, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, had its fall season postponed last month. The Missouri Valley is schedule to play an eight-game season in the spring, ahead of the FCS playoffs.

Whitlow will have two seasons of eligibility left with Western Illinois.

War Eagle and good luck JaTarvious!

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry has been moved to October for the first time this year. Georgia is Auburn’s week 2 opponent. Here’s a quick breakdown.

What’s crazy, is Georgia plays Auburn week 2. Not only is that not traditional for the first time, but it’s a game that both Auburn and Georgia could be sleeping in.

Auburn’s defense looks pretty good but the offensive line may struggle early on which is what I’m scared of. Georgia has a super good D-line with Nolan Smith and others. Auburn’s O-line features, grad transfer Brandon Council, Austin Troxell, Brodarius Hamm, Nick Brahms, and one more guy who needs to emerge. Could be a great O-line, could be a bust.

Auburn’s positives however, are defense. We have a great linebacker core and D-linemen that could be useful. Safeties that are pretty explosive and quick defensive backs that are pretty good. The only thing on defense I’m worried about is the lack of experience at slot CB. We’ll likely have freshman Marco Domio starting there.

Secondly, a good passing game outlook. Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz, Eli Stove, and a boat load of tight ends with Bo Nix throwing the ball is a positive. Running game shouldn’t cause as many turnovers as Boobie Whitlow is gone who fumbled 20+ times over two seasons at Auburn. Tank Bigsby, the jab step power/agility RB, Shaun Shivers, the 5’7 speed tank, DJ Williams, the bulky speedster, and Mark Antony Richards, the pass catching, balanced back, with Kerryon Johnson comparisons are who we have at RB. Harold Joiner will also play in wheel routes and third and long situations.

Georgia’s offense might be choppy early on. Jamie Newman or JT Daniels, have never played in the SEC, however JT Daniels is more SEC ready than Newman. But week 2 you play Auburn, who’s got some good defensive backs, after opening against Arkansas week 1. Arkansas is a team you don’t have to go 100% on. But Auburn is. So whoever Georgia’s QB is, Auburn will be his first big test. Also, Georgia’s offensive line has to replace a lot. But there’s some good young guys that could start so I don’t expect it to be a particularly bad offensive line.

Georgia’s positives… They look good in the running game, which could be the key to beating Auburn, since the defensive line isn’t as strong as it was last season. I’m still not on the Zamir White hype train, but he could definitely be good. But he has to stay healthy. Behind him, you’ve got James Cook, a pretty bulky and fast runner, and Kendall Milton, a freshman who’s got a smooth running style.

Also, like Auburn, Georgia’s got a great defense this year. A scary one in fact. Starting with the safeties and corners. Richard LeCounte leads the group. Eric Stokes can light it up as well. Malik Herring and others are leading the linebacker core. And the defensive line will be good as well.

Georgia also has a decent tight end look. They bring in Tre’ McKitty from Florida State to start and freshman Darnell Washington will also play a lot as he’ll be a superstar early on.

So yeah, just a quick preview for both teams. Who has the advantage? I wanna say Auburn because we’ll be potentially tested with a decent team in Kentucky who has a very interesting offense, while Georgia opens with Arkansas, a really bad team, but Georgia has the home field advantage with a scary defense. So I think it’s a toss up right now.

War Eagle.

Auburn and Kentucky haven’t played in a while. Now they will in this strange year of College Football. Week one where anything can happen. Let’s dive in.

Joey Gatewood is going to be on everyone’s mind whether you’re a UK fan or an Auburn fan. The quarterback who transferred from Auburn last season is now at Kentucky and awaiting his eligibility decision. Gatewood, the Cam Newton comparison, won’t start for the Cats, as Terry Wilson is returning from injury. But Gatewood could be used as a tight end, a running back, or even a receiver in certain situations.

The Cats have an all around explosive offense. It’s always a hard one to game plan against. An advantage Auburn may hold is that Gus Malzahn knows a dual threat offense. After all, he’s run some very successful offenses with running quarterbacks. So Gus will know some of the things that Mark Stoops might have up his sleeve.

On offense the Cats have Terry Wilson at quarterback. His style is similar to Jalen Hurts. Gatewood may back up Wilson if granted eligibility. At running back, Asim Rose and Kavosiey Smoke lead the group of talented backs. Behind him is Christopher Rodriguez. Josh Ali leads the receiver group for the Wildcats.

I don’t know much about the Cats defense except that it’s a bunch of developed three stars that are capable of wreaking an offense when in the groove.

Auburn must find Anthony Schwartz and let him to the rest in the passing game. Running the ball will be important as well.

Overall, I think this is a close game. Auburn wins by 10 to 17 points at the most.

War Eagle!

Auburn has the chance to lands its biggest recruit in its 2021 recruiting cycle. When? Nobody knows but it may be soon. Who? 5-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry from Pinson Valley, the same high school in which Bo Nix is from.

McKinstry is down to Auburn, Alabama, and LSU. It’s all neck and neck on the outside.

McKinstry was wearing an Auburn towel in his most recent high school game. But he was also wearing LSU gloves. No Alabama gear was spotted. Of course this probably means nothing, but you never know with recruits these days.

All three schools want McKinstry to play basketball. He’s a great basketball player. Here’s why there’s know telling if basketball plays a factor for Auburn. Auburn has the best basketball program of the three schools. That could either help Auburn, or hurt them. McKinstry could look at Bruce Pearl’s team and see that he may get great development there, or he could see that he may not get playing time with as good as Auburn is.

McKinstry could almost definitely start for Alabama in both sports at some point. Probably LSU too.

“All three of them,” McKinstry said of who’s pushing the hardest. “There’s not really a difference. All three of them.”

The Pinson Valley standout was asked what the best part about each of the three schools was:

Alabama: “They’re a winning school and they’ve got a winning tradition.”

Auburn: “Family-oriented.”

LSU: “DBU.”

With that said, I’m stressed about if Auburn can win the Ga’Quincy McKinstry battle.