Auburn lands talented center from JUCO ranks
It is too early to say if Auburn will return to the Final Four next season, but Bruce Pearl and his coaching staff are working diligently to boost its chances. One day after adding former Mississippi State forward Keyshawn Murphy from the transfer portal, Auburn lands the commitment of one of the top JUCO defenders in Emeka Opurum.
Advertisement
"I want to thank God for this opportunity and his direction this past year which helped me grow on and off the court," Opurum shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account. "Thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers and teachers at Butler College and in Nigeria! I would like to announce my commitment to Auburn University!"
Opurum announced his commitment to Auburn two days after visiting the Plains. Opurum was named the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year following a stellar freshman season at Butler Community College in Kansas that saw him record 8.1 rebounds and block 2.6 shots per game. The 7-0 center is also a solid scoring threat. Last season, he scored 9.4 points and connected on 67% of his shot attempts. He reached double figures in points 13 times last season and recorded double-digit rebounds 10 times.
Auburn's frontcourt is reloaded with top transfer talent. Outside of Murpy and Opurum, UCF forward Keyshawn Hall announced his intent to transfer to Auburn. Bruce Pearl will also add true freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams, the No. 10 forward from the 2025 recruiting cycle, to next year's squad.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn lands commitment from Emeka Opurum
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Watch Michigan State football WR Rodney Bullard talk transition from D2 to Big Ten
Michigan State football is in the middle of camp, preparing itself for the 2025 season, looking to have a big bounce back year for Jonathan Smith in year two of his tenure at Michigan State. On Monday, Smith spoke to the media, along with Courtney Hawkins and Nick Marsh, but to round out the media availability was veteran wide receiver Rodney Bullard. Bullard, a transfer from Valdosta State, is in his first year with the Spartans program. While Bullard has been standing out in camp, he made it a point that he is hungry to prove himself at the top level of college football, coming from the division two level. Courtesy of Spartan Mag on Youtube, watch Bullard's full media session: Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
ESPN's Football Power Index gives Spartans slim chances of reaching bowl
The computers and numbers behind ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) are not high on the Spartans reaching a bowl game this season. While the Spartans' win total over/under is set at 5.5 (with some sports book juicing it to the over), the FPI rating system is giving Michigan State a less than 50-50 chance of reaching a bowl game this fall. According to a post from The Big Ten Huddle, the Spartans are given only a 31% chance to reach six wins to become bowl eligible. Among Big Ten teams, only Northwestern and Purdue have lower odds from FPI to reach a bowl game this season. Northwestern comes in at 27.8%, while Purdue is listed at a near impossible 1.8%. Michigan State is the only team from the Big Ten to not reach the postseason at least once in the last three years. The Spartans finished last season with a 5-7 record in year one under head coach Jonathan Smith, and are expecting a better record this upcoming season. The Spartans officially kick off the 2025 season on August 29 against Western Michigan. Kickoff from Spartan Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with the game set to be televised on FS1. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Auburn claims 4 additional 'national championships' on its football resume
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn is claiming four additional football national titles and will call itself a nine-time champion moving forward. The Tigers, for decades, boasted titles in 1957 and 2010. They also claimed the 1913, 1983 and 1993 seasons as meeting national championship qualifications. Now, though, athletic director John Cohen is adding titles from 1910, 1914, 1958 and 2004 to the program's resume. It's laudable by some and laughable by others. 'For too long, Auburn has chosen a humble approach to our program's storied history — choosing to recognize only Associated Press national championships,' Cohen told On3 for a story announcing the decision Tuesday. 'Starting this fall, we have made the decision to honor the accomplishments of our deserving student-athletes, coaches and teams from Auburn's proud history. 'Our visible national championship recognitions now align with the well-established standard used by the NCAA's official record book and our peers across the nation.' The Associated Press, which began handing out its annual national championship trophy in 1936, credits Auburn with two titles: 1957 and 2010. Banners recognizing those seasons hang inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The other titles Auburn is claiming have varying degrees of validity. For example, the Bowl Championship Series existed in 2004, and the Tigers failed to make the title game. They finished 12-0 and third in the rankings behind undefeated USC and undefeated Oklahoma. Auburn finished second in the AP and the coaches' polls after the Trojans handled the Sooners in the title game. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
