Auburn to host JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit
Auburn to host JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit Could Auburn fill the void at center with the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year?
Auburn needs to fill the voids left behind by several playmakers from its Final Four squad, and one of the top junior college athletes could be a potential suitor to hold down the center position.
According to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover, Auburn will host Butler Community College center Emeka Opurum for a visit beginning Monday. Opurum, a 7-0 center originally from Nigeria, is a prime candidate to fill the space left behind by outgoing senior Dylan Cardwell.
As a freshman at Butler during the 2024-25 season, Opurum averaged 22 minutes per game while starting 25 of 33 games played. During his time on the floor, he scored 9.4 points, hauled in 8.1 rebounds, and blocked 2.6 shots per game. Opurum was also a sharpshooter by connecting on 67% of his shots from the field.
He recorded 10 games of double-digit rebounds and 13 games of double-digit point totals. His best game of the season came against Cowley College on March 5, when he scored 18 points and hauled in 19 rebounds. He followed up his strong performance three days later against Pratt College when he scored 20 points and secured seven rebounds.
Auburn will look to replace over half its roster due to the graduation of key stars, including Dylan Cardwell, Johni Broome, and Denver Jones, and the transfer of Jahki Howard. Auburn has earned the commitment of former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall, but is looking to add several more solid athletes like Opurum to fuel their dreams of returning to the Final Four next season.
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