Keyshawn Hall Game-Time Decision For Auburn Basketball vs Oregon

The Auburn Tigers await to see if a key player is available for their game out west in Las Vegas against Oregon

Auburn may be without a key player when it takes the court in Las Vegas | John Reed-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that Auburn basketball’s Keyshawn Hall would be a “game-time decision” for the Tigers’ Monday matchup against Oregon. Hall has missed just one full game after suffering a lateral foot and ankle sprain on Nov. 16 against Houston. 

Hall is the Tigers’ leading scorer by leaps and bounds this season, averaging a double-double of 23.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, so his potential inclusion in the Tigers’ matchup with the Ducks is good news for the Auburn faithful.

If Hall isn’t able to play against Oregon on Monday at 7 p.m. CST, he may be back for Auburn’s matchup the following day against No. 7 Michigan.

Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said in an interview on Wednesday that though Hall would travel with the Tigers, Auburn hasn’t had a timetable for Hall’s return, so the team has been preparing for these upcoming matchups as if Hall isn’t available.

“[Keyshawn Hall] is still out,” Pearl said. “He’s working with [Clark Pearson] every day, working to get to 100%. Not sure when that’s going to be. Not going to rush him back. He’s going to make that decision with Clark.”

Hall’s inclusion on the floor would certainly help the Tigers in Sin City, particularly against teams as strong as Michigan and Oregon, as the UCF transfer is no stranger to stellar performances against top teams. Though Hall suffered the injury that’s kept him out against the No. 1 Houston Cougars, he still managed to put up 20 points, 11 rebounds and an assist in that matchup. 

Hall also managed to muster the strength to make two free throws just moments after the sprain, though he was immediately removed from the game after.

Before his injury, Hall had a historic start to his season, as he’s the first Auburn player since KT Harrell in 2014 to open a season with three consecutive 20-point games.

If Hall is active for the Players Era tournament, it could completely change the game plan for the Tigers. Without Hall, players like Elyjah Freeman, Filip Jović and KeShawn Murphy stepped up and took control of the game, but the inclusion of a veteran guard could allow those players to fill roles instead of having to run the game on their own.