A look at Auburn’s revamped frontcourt

Heading into the offseason, Steven Pearl and his staff knew they couldn’t make the same mistake twice. 

When Pearl’s team took the floor on its first day of practice in September, it had two players who stood at least 6-foot-10 in Emeka Opurum and KeShawn Murphy.

Murphy, brought in from Mississippi State, was someone Auburn had high hopes for. Paired with a couple of other traditional big men, he helped form a solid frontcourt on paper.

However, the lone 7-footer on the roster, Opurum, had no Division I experience after playing his freshman season at Butler Community College and was viewed by critics as very slim, listed at 205 pounds.

As if there were not already concerns regarding Auburn's size heading into the season, things got a lot worse for Pearl in his first season at the helm. On Dec. 13, 2025, it was announced that Opurum would miss the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed medical condition, leaving the Tigers’ very thin in the paint.

After finishing the regular season 2-8, getting outscored in the paint 370-338 over those 10 games and missing the NCAA Tournament, Pearl knew he needed to revamp his roster.

Two days before taking on Illinois State in the NIT semifinals, Auburn signed 7-foot French center Narcisse Ngoy to join its program.

Ngoy played his basketball this season for Poitiers Basket 86 in the French Elite 2 League. As of April 17, the Paris native is averaging 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He also averages 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 68.6% from the field. The Frenchman will have to adjust to the physicality of the SEC, but he is not unfamiliar with it, having played against grown men professionally throughout his career. He will bring two seasons of eligibility to the Plains.

“We’re excited to welcome Narcisse Ngoy to our program. He’s a high-upside young man who brings toughness, physicality and a team-first mindset to everything he does,” Pearl said. “Narcisse has a strong feel for the game on both ends of the floor. His instincts, ability to catch and finish around the basket, rim protection, and willingness to embrace contact will make him an immediate impact while filling a huge need for our team.”

“What stands out the most is his commitment to winning. He’s not focused on individual numbers—he takes pride in doing the hard, physical work that helps his team succeed. He competes at a high level, processes the game well, and understands how to play within a system.”  

It should come as no surprise that Auburn’s first transfer portal addition was a 7-footer, as the orange and blue signed Santa Clara center Bukky Oboye for the 2026-27 season on April 17. The big man played an instrumental role for the Broncos last season, starting 34 games and averaging 7.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game en route to the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1996.

“He’s one of the most physically gifted prospects you’ll find — an elite runner and leaper with rare size who impacts the game at the rim on both ends of the floor at such a high level,” Pearl said. “He’s shown improvements every single day, and the more he plays the better he becomes. If Bukky stays on the path he’s been on, he has a chance to be a very special player on the Plains.”

The Houston native had the chance to showcase his talents on a national stage in March Madness, sending Enterprise Center into a frenzy when he caught an alley-oop from Christian Hammond to give Santa Clara an early second-half lead against Kentucky. The redshirt sophomore finished the back-and-forth contest with six points and two rebounds.

His best statistical game came in November against Nevada, when he posted 22 points and seven blocks in 19 minutes of action. In Auburn’s NIT matchup with the Wolf Pack, it posted just three blocks as a team.

Today, Pearl added two more players to his frontcourt, signing Creighton forward Owen Freeman and Troy forward Thomas Dowd.

Freeman averaged five points and four rebounds per game last season, marking the second addition for Auburn via the transfer portal.

The rising senior is coming off a rough campaign for the Bluejays, in which he was plagued by injuries and started only nine games, averaging just 11.9 minutes per game. This comes after being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2024 after posting 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for Iowa. Signing the Moline, Illinois, native is a low-risk, high-reward move for Pearl, who is betting on Freeman’s talent returning after a healthy offseason.

Dowd is coming off a career year, in which he posted 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, both career highs. He was named the 2026 Sun Belt Tournament MVP and All-Sun Belt First Team, leading Troy to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. 

Following the duo of additions, Monday's frenzy of moves continued as forward Sebastian Williams-Adams entered the transfer portal in a shocking turn of events, he announced on Instagram. 10 days after announcing his return to the Plains, he had a change of heart. Auburn is losing a key piece, as the freshman played approximately 1,040 minutes, the third most by a true freshman in school history.

Auburn’s quintet of big men for next season is complete with Opurum, who is expected to return from his medical condition. If Opurum can bulk up in the offseason and continue to adjust to the Division I level, it would create a strong five-man frontcourt for Pearl.

It has been only 15 days since Auburn captured its first NIT championship against Tulsa, and Pearl has already revamped his front line, pairing Ngoy, Oboye, Freeman and Dowd with Opurum, hoping his squad will be more physical down low next season and return as one of the premier teams in the country.