When Auburn's basketball takes the court Sunday against Clemson, the team will look a little different than they have early in the season.
Alex Thompson will return to play for the Tigers after taking a semester off of school for personal reasons. Under the basket, Trayvon Reed , a 7-foot-2 transfer, will be making his debut, and should be able to provide a much needed post presence.
Reed will be eligible to practice as early as Saturday.
"I'm very pleased that he has been able to get through this process," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Like myself, he is appreciative and thankful for the opportunity Auburn is going to give him for a second chance.
Pearl said the two additions should be able to make a difference quickly on the thin Auburn roster.
"What have we talked about since we got here? Just continue to get better," Pearl said. "Because of the injuries and being down to eight scholarship players, it made practices tough. I was limited as to how much contact we could have for fear of losing guys in practice."
As far as playing time for Reed, Pearl says he may not see the court right away.
"If he plays, he'll play off the bench," Pearl said. "There's no chance he'd ever start (against Clemson).
Reed will have only one practice and pre-game shoot around under his belt at tip Sunday, and Pearl said that may not be enough for significant playing time.
"You don't want to put those players in a position to fail," Pearl said. "He has to understand how to handle pressure. It would be a lot to ask, so I would not expect to him play a major role in the game Sunday.
Pearl also spoke on Reed's recruitment process.
"He came for several unofficial visits, " Pearl said. "He visited with a number of different people on campus. This was not a decision that I could make by myself.
The first-year head coach compared Reed's recruitment to Auburn to his own.
"The decision to bring me here was probably a decision that was made by a lot of people," Pearl said. "So it's important that I got that input (on Reed)."
"This was my decision," Pearl said. "If things don't work out, it's on me. I don't want to put it on anyone else."
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