3 players Auburn basketball and coach Bruce Pearl can look to add via the transfer portal
AUBURN — After Auburn basketball lost to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, coach Bruce Pearl made one thing clear: There is no true offseason for a Division I coach.
Pearl, who just completed his ninth season leading the Tigers, can't afford to take his foot off the gas when it comes to roster construction.
"I'm proud of this team," Pearl said. "But if you know me, I'm on to the next play. And I'll be recruiting tonight."
Auburn has reportedly been in touch with a number of players in the transfer portal. The Tigers should have ample amount of scholarships to work with, too, considering Zep Jasper is out of eligibility, Yohan Traore announced he is entering the portal and Chance Westry is reportedly following suit.
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Plus, Auburn will be back to 13 available scholarships. The Tigers have been working with 12 the last couple of seasons, a punishment the program received from the NCAA stemming from former assistant coach Chuck Person's involvement in a bribery scandal.
With at least a few scholarships to hand out, here are three players in the transfer portal Auburn can target.
Denver Jones
A prominent name in the portal, Florida International transfer Denver Jones has heard from Auburn, according to On3. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard averaged 20.1 points per game for the Golden Panthers last season, making him one of 26 players in Division I basketball to average at least 20 points.
Jones, who has spent two seasons at FIU, has proven to be a capable shooter from long range, something the Tigers desperately could use. Jones made 37.1% of his 3-pointers last season and attempted 5.7 triples per game. Not only does he have the efficiency, but also the volume.
TJ Bamba
Similar to Jones, Washington State transfer TJ Bamba has some size to him at 6-5, 208 pounds. Bamba has heard from Auburn, according to ESPN, and could be a good fit for the Tigers if the 6-6 Allen Flanigan opts either to enter the transfer portal or to go pro.
Flanigan has spent four seasons at Auburn, but due to the Covid-impacted season in 2020-21, he has an extra year of eligibility to use if he wants it.
Bamba became a full-time starter for the Cougars last season − his third with the program − starting all 31 games for Washington State and averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game. His 32.2 minutes per game was the ninth-highest in the Pac-12; Auburn did not have a single player average over 30 minutes last season, with Wendell Green Jr.'s 28.3 leading the way.
Quincy Olivari
Another guard looking for greener pastures, Rice transfer Quincy Olivari told Fox's Mark Berman on video that he had a scheduled meeting with Pearl on Tuesday.
Olivari, who is listed at 6-3, 200 pounds, would make sense for Auburn if Green opts to head to the portal himself. Green said on a podcast Thursday that he plans to have a decision about his future "next week." With freshman Aden Holloway coming in and players like Tre Donaldson and KD Johnson potentially returning, the guard rotation could be locked in place if Green opts to come back for a third season with the Tigers.
An 18.7 points-per-game scorer last season, Olivari has knocked down 37.8% of his 3-pointers over his four-year career with the Owls. Despite his height, he also grabbed 5.9 rebounds to go along with 2.2 assists and a steal per game in 2022-23.
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: 3 players Tigers can target in the transfer portal
