Auburn Tigers Land a Top JUCO Player Early in Portal Window

The Auburn Tigers retool efforts land them a top JUCO player among the group coming in from the portal

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl is assembling his roster for next season / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers locked down one of the top JUCO basketball players in the country. Abdul Bashir signed with Auburn on Wednesday.

Head coach Bruce Pearl praised the skillsets that Bashir brings to the table for Auburn.

“Abdul is a special talent,” Pearl said. “If he can see it, he can make it. Falling in line with some of the great shooters we’ve had here at Auburn. He has great length, instinct and feel for the game. With three years of eligibility, I am excited about Abdul working on his body, improving his skills and becoming a dominant player.”

He is ranked as the top JUCO player transfer in the country, according to 247 Sports.

Bashier has spent the last two seasons at Casper College in Wyoming. He averaged 27.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Thunderbirds. Bashir also shot 41.4% from the floor, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 87.7% from the free throw line. A big-time scorer, he registered four 40-point games, including a career-high 49 points versus Laramie County Community College Feb. 28.

Auburn looks to retool after cornerstone members of last season's team either head to the draft or graduate. He comes in with fellow transfers Keyshawn Hall (UCF), KeShawn Murphy (Mississippi State) and Emeka Operum (UCF) to refortify the roster.

Four-star forward Sebastian Williams-Adams and four-star guards Kaden Magwood and Simon Walker represent the incoming freshmen joining the roster.

Returning players include top freshman Tahaad Pettiford.

Auburn finished last season 32-6 (15-3 SEC) with an appearance in the Final Four. They lost to the Florida Gators 79-73.

They were at the top of the AP Top 25 for eight weeks in the middle of the season and topped the NET rankings. This effort earned them the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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