Auburn Daily

How Auburn Coaches Will Be Juggling the Transfer Portal and the Final Four

Auburn has already added one transfer through the portal despite still fighting for a national championship.

Austin Walls

Apr 3, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl talks to the media at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl talks to the media at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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As of 11 days ago, the transfer portal officially opened. Auburn Tigers’ head coach Bruce Pearl and his staff have already got one commitment this spring in former UCF guard/forward Keyshawn Hall. At the same time, Auburn will be playing in the Final Four against the Florida Gators in San Antonio.  

Hall said met with the Tigers via Zoom on Wednesday. He also met with the Kentucky Wildcats before ultimately choosing the Tigers.  

Auburn’s associate head coach Steven Pearl, Bruce Pearl’s son, noted how difficult the juggling has been between handling the end of the 2024-2025 season and forming the roster for next season. 

“There's only two guys that can potentially come back out of our rotation guys," he said. "We've got to go in the portal and be aggressive, but at the same time, we've got to concentrate on this, because our ultimate goal is obviously to win a championship."

Steven Pearl said they are doing three-to-four calls a day with potential Tigers. While all of the Final Four teams are dealing with the issue, the transfers/recruits might understand that Auburn could be a top destination for players looking to get playing time early in their career. 

"The good thing is, I think, most of these kids recognize the fact that we're spending a little bit of time with them while we're also in the middle of this tournament run, it speaks volumes," he said. "I think it's helped put us in a decent position with a few guys." 

Auburn will take on Florida at 5:09 p.m. CDT on Saturday in the Alamodome in San Antonio with television coverage on CBS. The winner will advance to the national championship to face the winner of Duke or Houston. 

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Austin Walls
AUSTIN WALLS

Austin Walls is a University of Florida Sports Journalism graduate. He has covered different sports, from motorsport, professional and college football, professional and college basketball, women's basketball and hockey among others. He has spent most of his time focusing on the SEC Conference, but has spent time covering the AAC, MWC and ACC.

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