Tre Donaldson Plans to Only Play Basketball at Auburn

The dual sport athlete will only play basketball while enrolled at Auburn.

© Jack Williams/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

Auburn signee Tre Donaldson had initially planned to play both basketball and football at Auburn but has decided he will only play basketball. This is a tough break for Coach Bryan Harsin and the football team since Donaldson was such a great football player at the high school level. 

It would have been challenging for Donaldson to manage to play both sports since they overlap seasons. He would have missed a good portion of one of the two sports depending on how Harsin and Pearl worked it out. This will no longer be an issue since he will solely focus on basketball. 

Donaldson is listed on 247 Sports as a four-star in football and basketball. On the gridiron, Donaldson played safety, and on the hardwood, he plays point guard.

He is taller than the classic Bruce Pearl style of point guard, standing at 6-foot-1. Donaldson is a dynamic finisher and passer, making him a fantastic point guard. His three-point shooting needs some work, but Pearl will start developing him quickly after he gets on campus. Donaldson was the starting point guard at Florida State University High School in Tallahassee for five years and has also played as an eighth-grader. Donaldson is not as high of a recruit as some recent Auburn stars like Jabari Smith, Sharife Cooper, and even recently committed Yohan Traore, but he is a player that Pearl and staff can turn into a star.

It will be interesting to see how or if Donaldson mixes into the lineup with guards Wendell Green Jr., Zep Jasper, and K.D. Johnson already on the roster. Even if Donaldson does not get much playing time this year, he will be behind some good guards that can hopefully teach him a thing or two while he waits.

Fans might be bummed that such a dynamic athlete like Donaldson will not be playing football for the Auburn Tigers, but this situation has an upside. He will become a much better basketball player since he will give his full attention to basketball for the first time in his athletic career. Hopefully, this extra time to concentrate on basketball will help Donaldson develop into the next great Auburn point guard. 

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