Auburn men's basketball announced its first transfer portal acquisition early Friday morning, picking up former Santa Clara center Bukky Oboye.
Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, the towering big man from Houston, Texas, spent three years with the Broncos. After redshirting his first year, Oboye saw limited minutes the following season, appearing in 25 games.
Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Oboye saw his playing time increase drastically, starting at center in 34 games for the Broncos. He made the most of his increased role, averaging 7.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in about 18 minutes per contest.
Santa Clara found significant success with Oboye as the new face of the frontcourt. The Broncos posted a 26-9 record, advancing to the WCC Championship before ultimately falling to Gonzaga. The season earned the program its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996 as a No. 10 seed, where it lost an overtime heartbreaker to No. 7-seeded Kentucky in the first round.
Oboye was an extremely efficient scorer all season long, shooting 66.7% from the field on roughly five attempts per game. The big man recorded double figures in 11 games for the Broncos. His most impressive performance came early in the season against Nevada, when he recorded 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting while also tallying seven blocks.
This signing marks the Tigers’ second addition of a player 7 feet or taller, joining French signee Narcisse Ngoy earlier in the month. With the expected return of 7-foot Emeka Opurum from a health complication, Auburn’s added size is a welcomed development after having just one rotational player 6 feet 10 inches or taller last season.
When asked about the imposing big man, head coach Steven Pearl highlighted Oboye’s athleticism for his size.
“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. “If Bukky stays on the path he’s been on, he has a chance to be a very special player on the Plains.”
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
