Auburn Tigers a Big Winner in Transfer Portal According to The Athletic

The Auburn Tigers are losing a lot from the Final Four team, but they're doing an excellent job of reloading according to The Athletic.

Former UCF standout Keyshawn Hall is expected to have a big impact with the Auburn Tigers out of the transfer portal. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

While the college basketball season just ended and the next one will not commence until the fall, work still exists. In order for the Auburn Tigers to stay elite despite losing all-five starters from a Final Four team, they needed to attack the transfer portal with furious abandon. 

To their credit they accomplished that.

CJ Moore of The Athletic made the case for Auburn being a big winner of the portal sweepstakes. However, Moore almost hedges his grade based on star freshman Tahaad Pettiford and his uncertain future. 

"It would have been nice to potentially return Tahaad Pettiford and Baker-Mazara for at least some continuity from a Final Four team, but now it’s just Pettiford, assuming he doesn’t stay in the NBA Draft,” Moore wrote on The Athletic. “So, you could make the argument for Auburn as a portal loser, but I like the roster Pearl built on the fly, especially if Pettiford is back. "

Never one to allow moss to grow under his feet, Pearl stayed both active and proactive this spring. Can they withstand Pettiford's absence? While not ideal, the team could weather that storm. Meanwhile if he does return, Moore outlines a couple of standout transfers, but one in particular stood out.

"(Keyshawn) Hall was one of the best scorers in the Big 12. He’s different than Johni Broome, but he’s a good candidate to become the isolation mismatch in Pearl’s offense that Broome was," wrote Moore.

Hall was the No. 3 small forward in the portal according to 247Sports. In no way does the writer or anyone with a functioning cerebral cortex believe that Hall could be Johni Broome. However, within the confines of Auburn's offense, he fits well. 

Granted, the Big 12 will never be held in the same class as the SEC. However, Hall piques interest with his history and ability. At 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, he looks to batter wing forwards, but still possesses the footwork to draw post players away from the hoop. Additionally, his ability to connect on 36.6% of his three pointers while playing for three different schools during his career means that he can adapt to any situation. 

The Auburn Tigers could enjoy a deeper team from a scoring perspective. How that will translate to the court remains to be seen. With so many new faces on the court next year, Pearl will have his work cut out for him to get them all to gel.