Bruce Pearl knew he had a shot.
Last week, Auburn's head coach said Auburn's NBA draft entrants (Mustapha Heron, Austin Wiley, Bryce Brown, Jared Harper) "could all come back." This seemed a long-shot, especially for Wiley, who is graded as first-round talent by most NBA scouts.
Wiley had other plans.
The 6-foot-11 Wiley, who missed all of the 2017-18 season due to alleged involvement in the Chuck Person FBI investigation, will return to The Plains next season.
"I'd like to thank the Auburn Family for the support, as well as my coaches and teammates for an incredible season," Wiley said on Instagram. "I'm happy to be back. It's time to get to work."
“I’m really excited to have a chance to coach Austin again this season,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “He has a chance to be one of the most dominant big men in college basketball this season. He’s such a great kid and a hard worker. All of his dreams for greatness at Auburn and beyond are still alive and well. I also want to thank the Auburn Family for their patience and the support of Austin and his family during this past season.”
The decision comes after an offseason full of turnover for the Tigers, with backup point guard Davion Mitchell and starting power forward Desean Murray transferring to Baylor and Western Kentucky, respectively, and Wiley, Mustapha Heron, Bryce Brown and Jared Harper declaring for the NBA Draft.
Wiley and fellow investigation piece Danjel Purifoy were held out last season in hopes of protecting eligibility, but Wiley was ruled eligible for the 2018-19 season during the year. Purifoy was reinstated in the offseason, and the forward must serve a suspension at the start of next year equal to 30 percent of Auburn's regular season schedule.
As a freshman in the 2016-17 season, the Hoover, Alabama, product averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The void left by his absence the following season was filled by rising junior Anfernee McLemore, who took over the starting center role.
Despite McLemore's defensive efficiency (led SEC in blocks until injury), Auburn missed the physicality and size of Wiley down low, consistently being dominated by teams with superior length.
Even with the suspected departures of Wiley, Heron and possibly Purifoy, Auburn was viewed as a contender for the SEC crown next season after its first NCAA Tournament run since 2003 ended in the Round of 32. Now, with Wiley and Purifoy's likely reinsertion into the starting lineup, the Tigers have the depth and experience to be considered a national threat.
Draft entrants have until tomorrow to withdraw their names from the NBA pool. Harper and Brown are likely returnees, as the pair would be hard-pressed to find their names on draft boards. The withdrawal deadline is June 11.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
