Basketball News: 5-12-2026
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Dudley Dent
May 12, 2026, 8:05:23 AM (2 days ago) May 12
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Auburn Basketball News: 5-12-2026
3 biggest Auburn worries still facing Steven Pearl this offseason:
https://flywareagle.com/3-biggest-auburn-worries-still-facing-steven-pearl-this-offseason-01kr9v4g6m6x
Will Keyshawn Hall become Auburn's next NBA draft pick?:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/keyshawn-hall-nba-draft-2026-auburn-basketball-284943924/
***************************
3 biggest Auburn worries still facing Steven Pearl this offseason
By Brian Stultz
Fly War Eagle
For Steven Pearl, this offseason will help him prepare for his second season as a head coach, but the first in which he wasn’t suddenly thrown into the job.
It was a wild October for Auburn basketball when Bruce Pearl suddenly resigned, leaving the keys to his son and putting the Tigers in a weird place where they had an immediate first-year head coach.
Still, despite missing the NCAA Tournament, Auburn did win the NIT, something fans would have clamored for before the elder Pearl arrived in 2014. But what issues could Steven Pearl face this offseason and into the 2026-27 season? Here are three main ones.
Will Tahaad Pettiford become the leader Auburn needs?
The rising junior has all the talent in the world and was considered a possible first-round pick following his freshman season, in which he came off the bench. There were times last season that he looked checked out, especially when it came to turning the ball over in silly moments.
The transition from going from the young buck to the only player on the roster who helped Auburn make the 2025 Final Four had to be difficult, as Pettiford was asked to step up in more ways than his play. He still had a good season, averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 assists, but he also averaged 2.2 turnovers per game. At times, it seemed he wasn’t playing to his full potential, and in a couple of instances, he was reprimanded for violating team rules.
For Auburn to reach its potential in 2026-27, Pettiford must step up in several ways.
Will the added height help on the inside?
Going into last season and throughout it, the scouting report on Auburn was that they could be handled inside, as the enforcers from the 2024-25 team were gone, and the Tigers now lacked size. That proved true against many teams, but Pearl went out of his way to hopefully solve that with the additions of 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye and 6-foot-10 Owen Freeman.
Adding the height is one thing. Those players being productive inside is another.
Does Pearl know who he is as a head coach?
To his credit, Pearl never made excuses for the situation he was put in after his father, Bruce, suddenly resigned at the start of fall practice. He likely knew it was coming, but that doesn’t mean he knew who he was as a head coach once the time arrived. Now, with a season and a full offseason under his belt, and the ability to build the roster to his style, Pearl should be able to coach this team better.
**********************
Will Keyshawn Hall become Auburn's next NBA draft pick?
By Nathan King
Auburn's top scorer from last season will get an opportunity to raise his draft stock this week.
Keyshawn Hall, like his up-and-down team at Auburn, had a polarizing campaign in his final college season, but there's no doubt about his offensive skill set heading into this year's NBA Draft process. And it's Hall's scoring prowess as a 6-foot-7 wing/forward that's made him an intriguing prospect entering this week's combine.
Hall was one of 73 players invited to the NBA Draft Combine, which gets under way Tuesday in Chicago. Hall did not have to earn a spot through the G League Elite Camp, instead being immediately placed on the NBA's list of potential prospects. As Hall gets set to go through advanced testing and scouting this week, he's most commonly projected as a mid-to-late pick in the second round.
Hall spent only one season at Auburn, averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game on 45% shooting overall and 39% from 3-point range. If selected, Hall will give Auburn a draft pick for the second straight year (Johni Broome in last year's second round) after the program went a couple years without one, following the historic first round in 2022 that saw Jabari Smith become Auburn's highest pick ever at No. 3 overall, and Walker Kessler follow at No. 22.
Hall's defense came into question throughout Auburn's 2025-26 season, including remarks by head coach Steven Pearl that his "best players need to defend better," but the former UNLV, George Mason and UCF transfer was consistently able to score and get to the foul line. He was the SEC's fifth-leading scorer last season and ranked No. 8 in all of college basketball in overall free-throw attempts.
When Auburn missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, Pearl said Hall was vocal about wanting to continue playing in the NIT. Hall went on to average 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists over the five games Auburn won to capture its first NIT title in program history.
"Keyshawn Hall is a guy that better get looked at in the second round of the NBA Draft this year," Pearl said during Auburn's NIT run. "If I'm an agent and I have a really good player — I'm not putting a player in a workout with that guy. I'm just not."
As the NBA Combine gets set to ramp up this week, here's a look at where Hall lands in various mock drafts. Some higher-profile outlets like ESPN and NBA.com currently do not have Hall drafted as one of the 60 selections. The draft is set for June 23-24.
• Yahoo! Sports: Round 2, No. 51 overall to Wizards
• NBA Draft Room: Round 2, No. 41 overall to Wizards
• Bleacher Report: Round 2, No. 47 overall to Suns
• NBADraftNet: Round 2, No. 40 overall to Celtics
• Hoops HQ: Round 2, No. 53 overall to Rockets
3 biggest Auburn worries still facing Steven Pearl this offseason:
https://flywareagle.com/3-biggest-auburn-worries-still-facing-steven-pearl-this-offseason-01kr9v4g6m6x
Will Keyshawn Hall become Auburn's next NBA draft pick?:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/keyshawn-hall-nba-draft-2026-auburn-basketball-284943924/
***************************
3 biggest Auburn worries still facing Steven Pearl this offseason
By Brian Stultz
Fly War Eagle
For Steven Pearl, this offseason will help him prepare for his second season as a head coach, but the first in which he wasn’t suddenly thrown into the job.
It was a wild October for Auburn basketball when Bruce Pearl suddenly resigned, leaving the keys to his son and putting the Tigers in a weird place where they had an immediate first-year head coach.
Still, despite missing the NCAA Tournament, Auburn did win the NIT, something fans would have clamored for before the elder Pearl arrived in 2014. But what issues could Steven Pearl face this offseason and into the 2026-27 season? Here are three main ones.
Will Tahaad Pettiford become the leader Auburn needs?
The rising junior has all the talent in the world and was considered a possible first-round pick following his freshman season, in which he came off the bench. There were times last season that he looked checked out, especially when it came to turning the ball over in silly moments.
The transition from going from the young buck to the only player on the roster who helped Auburn make the 2025 Final Four had to be difficult, as Pettiford was asked to step up in more ways than his play. He still had a good season, averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 assists, but he also averaged 2.2 turnovers per game. At times, it seemed he wasn’t playing to his full potential, and in a couple of instances, he was reprimanded for violating team rules.
For Auburn to reach its potential in 2026-27, Pettiford must step up in several ways.
Will the added height help on the inside?
Going into last season and throughout it, the scouting report on Auburn was that they could be handled inside, as the enforcers from the 2024-25 team were gone, and the Tigers now lacked size. That proved true against many teams, but Pearl went out of his way to hopefully solve that with the additions of 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye and 6-foot-10 Owen Freeman.
Adding the height is one thing. Those players being productive inside is another.
Does Pearl know who he is as a head coach?
To his credit, Pearl never made excuses for the situation he was put in after his father, Bruce, suddenly resigned at the start of fall practice. He likely knew it was coming, but that doesn’t mean he knew who he was as a head coach once the time arrived. Now, with a season and a full offseason under his belt, and the ability to build the roster to his style, Pearl should be able to coach this team better.
**********************
Will Keyshawn Hall become Auburn's next NBA draft pick?
By Nathan King
Auburn's top scorer from last season will get an opportunity to raise his draft stock this week.
Keyshawn Hall, like his up-and-down team at Auburn, had a polarizing campaign in his final college season, but there's no doubt about his offensive skill set heading into this year's NBA Draft process. And it's Hall's scoring prowess as a 6-foot-7 wing/forward that's made him an intriguing prospect entering this week's combine.
Hall was one of 73 players invited to the NBA Draft Combine, which gets under way Tuesday in Chicago. Hall did not have to earn a spot through the G League Elite Camp, instead being immediately placed on the NBA's list of potential prospects. As Hall gets set to go through advanced testing and scouting this week, he's most commonly projected as a mid-to-late pick in the second round.
Hall spent only one season at Auburn, averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game on 45% shooting overall and 39% from 3-point range. If selected, Hall will give Auburn a draft pick for the second straight year (Johni Broome in last year's second round) after the program went a couple years without one, following the historic first round in 2022 that saw Jabari Smith become Auburn's highest pick ever at No. 3 overall, and Walker Kessler follow at No. 22.
Hall's defense came into question throughout Auburn's 2025-26 season, including remarks by head coach Steven Pearl that his "best players need to defend better," but the former UNLV, George Mason and UCF transfer was consistently able to score and get to the foul line. He was the SEC's fifth-leading scorer last season and ranked No. 8 in all of college basketball in overall free-throw attempts.
When Auburn missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, Pearl said Hall was vocal about wanting to continue playing in the NIT. Hall went on to average 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists over the five games Auburn won to capture its first NIT title in program history.
"Keyshawn Hall is a guy that better get looked at in the second round of the NBA Draft this year," Pearl said during Auburn's NIT run. "If I'm an agent and I have a really good player — I'm not putting a player in a workout with that guy. I'm just not."
As the NBA Combine gets set to ramp up this week, here's a look at where Hall lands in various mock drafts. Some higher-profile outlets like ESPN and NBA.com currently do not have Hall drafted as one of the 60 selections. The draft is set for June 23-24.
• Yahoo! Sports: Round 2, No. 51 overall to Wizards
• NBA Draft Room: Round 2, No. 41 overall to Wizards
• Bleacher Report: Round 2, No. 47 overall to Suns
• NBADraftNet: Round 2, No. 40 overall to Celtics
• Hoops HQ: Round 2, No. 53 overall to Rockets
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