Auburn basketball is receiving a major addition for the second half of its season. Austin Wiley, a five-star center from Alabama, is enrolled in school and will play for the Tigers on Sunday against Mercer, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
Auburn just added a 5-star basketball recruit who wasn’t supposed to play until next season
Austin Wiley will play for Auburn on Sunday after graduating high school and enrolling in college early.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Wiley is the No. 17 recruit in the class of 2017 according to ESPN, but was able to enroll early at Auburn after graduating from high school at the end of the first semester. The 6’10, 250-pound big man is a powerful rebounder and rim roller who has the physicality to make an impact in college basketball from day one.
Wiley is already practicing with the team, according to Goodman. He’ll join an Auburn team that is 7-2 on the year with three games left before conference play.
Wiley was the centerpiece of what was one of the best recruiting hauls in the country for Auburn. The center has a history of knee injuries, but looked strong and springy at USA Basketball camp in October.
Wiley’s father also played football at Auburn. He was considered to be a potential one-and-done talent, so now coach Bruce Pearl will have him for at least one and a half seasons.
Could more elite recruits follow Wiley’s path and enroll early? With the one-and-done rule sticking around in the next CBA, both coaches and players would have an incentive to get it done. Either way, Wiley’s addition is huge for Auburn.
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