Auburn basketball: The 5 most underrated players of the Bruce Pearl era

Mustapha Heron was a legitimate star at Auburn. The problem is, he often wasn’t seen in that light, especially from non-Auburn fans. A five-star recruit out of Connecticut, Heron was a massive get for Bruce Pearl and his staff.

And Heron lived up to his five-star status pretty much right away as he was arguably the team’s best player as a true freshman. After putting up 15.2 points and 6.1 rebounds as a freshman, Heron put up similar stats in his second season.

That season, Heron also helped lead the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.

However, after two very solid seasons, the 6-foot-5 wing made the decision to transfer to St. Johns to be closer to his family where he recently finished his collegiate career.

As a freshman, Heron scored in double digits in every game but one and was a consistent star on both sides of the floor. Despite that, Heron was often undervalued by SEC media and was overshadowed by Bryce Brown and Jared Harper.