Former Auburn Tigers Bolstering Michigan and Alabama in Top 25

The Auburn Tigers are a nearly unanimous No. 1 team in the country heading into March. It stands to reason that the Tigers would be one of the deepest and most talented teams in college basketball.

Assembling the type of talent that Bruce Pearl has on the Plains lends itself to departures in the transfer portal. Auburn has six players scoring in double figures, and there's only one ball. Talented players struggling to get minutes will look for a clearer path to playing time.

A pair of former Auburn Tigers made Jeff Borzello of ESPN's recent list of top-transfer portal additions. Tre Donaldson of the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines and Aden Holloway of the, for now No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide, each made Borzello's list as under-the-radar additions for top-25 teams.

"Donaldson wasn't the most hyped transfer addition for the Wolverines after Dusty May took over, and one could say the point guard position was a potential trouble spot entering November," Borzello wrote on ESPN+. "But Donaldson has been a revelation in Ann Arbor after two seasons in Auburn, averaging 12.9 points and 4.2 assists, shooting 42% from 3 and making a number of big shots."

The Tallahassee, Fla. native spent two years with Auburn before heading north for Ann Arbor. Donaldson averaged 2.5 points on 10.6 minutes as a freshman. Those numbers increased to 6.7 and 19.2 respectively as a sophomore. He's leading the Wolverines in assists, steals, and minutes played.

Holloway was considered the No. 3 point guard in the country by 247Sports when he signed with Auburn. He played in 35 games last year for the Tigers averaging 7.3 points in 20.2 minutes.

"Holloway underwhelmed during his freshman season at Auburn, struggling to make shots despite coming out of college with a reputation as a perimeter shooter," Borzello continued. "He moved to rival Alabama, where he's thrived in a sixth-man role, averaging 11.7 points and shooting nearly 42% from 3-point range."

Holloway was listed at 6'0 and 155 pounds in high school, and Alabama lists him at 6'1 and 180 pounds. Holloway needed some time to physically mature. As a player with limited eligibility though, it makes sense to mature while getting playing time, something that wasn't readily available at Auburn this season.

He had 10 points on 3 of 8 shooting when Auburn beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa last week.

Auburn had one of its own incoming transfers make the list as well. Senior Miles Kelly adds more size at the guard spot at 6'6. After spending three seasons at Georgia Tech, Kelly is playing less and scoring less at Auburn than he did last season for the Yellow Jackets, but he's a key player on a team competing for trophies.

"Kelly was one of the more consistent scorers in the ACC during his previous two seasons at Georgia Tech, but his commitment to Auburn didn't receive many headlines," wrote Borzello. "He's been key for the Tigers' season, however. He's given Bruce Pearl size and shotmaking on the wings, averaging 10.9 points and shooting 40% from 3."

Bruce Pearl has spent more than a decade on the Plains. He's built a juggernaut of a team with the 2024/25 edition of the Auburn Tigers. It speaks well of the talent he's been able to recruit in his tenure that he has the No. 1 team as well as several former players playing key roles for top-12 teams.