Who should Auburn target in the transfer portal with its remaining spots?
The Tigers have had an interesting offseason — to say the least.
Auburn watched its leading scorer and rebounder, Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, respectively, declare for the 2022 NBA draft.
Then the unexpected took hold of the program.
The first surprise came in the form of a transfer. Rising senior Devan Cambridge announced his plans to enter the transfer portal. Not long after, Devan announced he planned to team with his older brother Desmond at Arizona State.
More surprising news came along when both Allen Flanigan and Dylan Cardwell entered the NBA draft. Neither hired an agent, so they have maintained their eligibility. It certainly isn’t the end-all-be-all, but many Auburn fans didn’t expect that.
Two weeks ago, the coaching staff successfully lured Morehead State transfer Johni Broome. However, they lost their bid for 2023 five-star Julian Phillips, who committed to Tennessee.
As a result, Auburn has some scholarship spots still up for grabs. Both Flanigan and Cardwell are likely to return. If that is the case, two scholarship spots remain. Today, Auburn Wire takes a look at some of the players head coach Bruce Pearl should target in the transfer portal.
Mylik Wilson - Shooting Guard
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Wilson is an interesting player who is still available. The native of Rayville, Louisiana, spent two seasons at Louisiana prior to spending this past season at Texas Tech. He has good size at 6-foot-3 and can shoot fairly well. Over the course of his college career, he has shot 45.3% from the floor. It is also worth mentioning he has 55 starts between the two schools. Fifty of those starts were for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The other five were for the Red Raiders. Coach Pearl loves guards, and Wilson fits the mold at the guard position.
Mylik Wilson’s Career Stats
8.6 points per game
4.2 rebounds per game
2.5 assists per game
1.8 steals per game
Teddy Allen - Shooting Guard
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When I think of Teddy Allen, I immediately think of the basketball game “around the world.” That is exactly what Allen has done throughout his collegiate career. However, he has proven to be an elite scorer at all four of his stop: West Virginia, Nebraska, Western Nebraska CC and New Mexico State. His ability to attack the rim and his aggressiveness on defense is what puts him on the list. He is a low-risk, high-reward type of player. He fits what Pearl likes to have: a guard that can shoot well, attacks the rim relentlessly and leads by example. All of those fit the description for Allen.
Teddy Allen’s Career Stats
14.0 points per game
4.7 rebounds per game
1.6 assists per game
44.7% field-goal percentage
Josh Minott - Small Forward
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This is an intriguing player to say the least. Minott joined the Memphis Tigers as a four-star recruit. He was ranked as the nation’s 45th overall prospect in the 2021 class. After playing sparingly in his freshman season for the Tigers, he entered the transfer portal. However, he also entered his name into the draft. That means that he could elect to remain in the draft or potentially return to play at the college level. If he elects to return to college, he has made it clear he will play for a different program. Why not go from one Tigers team to another? After the Tigers lost out on Julian Phillips, they could look to replace him with Minott. At 6-foot-8, he can guard all positions on the floor and is also effective as a shooter. The coaching staff should look into expressing interest if it hasn’t already.
Josh Minott’s Career Stats
6.6 points per game
3.8 rebounds per game
0.9 assists per game
52.2% field-goal percentage
Pete Nance - Power Forward
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Nance has basketball in his DNA. His father, Larry Nance, played in the NBA. He was a three-time all star in the league. His older brother, Larry Nance Jr., is a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. As you can tell, basketball means a great deal to the Nance family, and it would mean a great deal to Auburn if it could land Nance. Following his senior season, Nance declared for the draft while entering his name into the transfer portal. His situation is much like Minott’s. If he were to return to the college level, he would be hard to pass on. He stands 6 feet, 10 inches and shoots extremely well for his size. He could also be a replacement option after losing Phillips.
Pete Nance’s Career Stats
9.6 points per game
5.4 rebounds per game
1.8 assists per game
45.6% field-goal percentage
35.6% three-point percentage
Josh Mballa - Power Forward
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We witnessed this season how Bruce Pearl was able to integrate two mid-major transfers into the lineup. Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky) and Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) made positive contributions.
Now, he should look at Buffalo big man Josh Mballa. The native of France originally signed with Texas Tech prior to transferring to play for the Bulls. Since leaving the Red Raiders, he has established himself as a great rebounder and bucket-getter for the Bulls. The Tigers could utilize Mballa in a starting role or off the bench. Regardless, he would produce.
Josh Mballa’s Career Stats
10.7 points per game
8.0 rebounds per game
1.1 assists per game
50.9% field-goal percentage
Keyshawn Bryant - Small Forward
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Auburn fans loved to see Devan Cambridge’s high-flying dunks last season. The Tigers could look to add a similar player that possesses even more attributes: South Carolina transfer Keyshawn Bryant. Over the course of four seasons in Columbia, Bryant started 72 games. His numbers aren’t glaring, but the production can come in Pearl’s system. He is a high flyer that possesses great size and length at 6-foot-6. As I mentioned, he would be a system fit for the Tigers and could play either the two or three spot on the floor.
Keyshawn Bryant’s Career Stats
9.9 points per game
4.3 rebounds per game
1.2 assists per game
45.2% field-goal percentage
Rocket Watts - Point Guard
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Watts was supposed to be the next big thing at Michigan State. He was a Spartan for the first two years of his college career prior to transferring to Mississippi State. Out of high school, he was ranked as a four-star and the No. 39 player in the 2019 class. He has battled several injuries throughout his college career. If he could stay healthy, his impact would be large on a team such as Auburn. Watts is a very active player that takes care of the ball very well and shoots at a good rate. With K.D. Johnson having turnover concerns, Watts could see some playing time at one of the guard positions.
Rocket Watts’ Career Stats
7.3 points per game
1.7 rebounds per game
1.8 assists per game
36.8% field-goal percentage
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