Auburn Basketball: ESPN ranks Tigers #9 in 2021 recruiting ranks

Auburn Basketball was ranked as the #9th best recruiting class of 2021 by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Adam Finkelstein.

Trey Alexander is the primary reason, but Auburn basketball was ranked as the 9th best recruiting class of 2021 by a panel of experts at ESPN:

"Auburn has no seniors and only two upperclassmen on this year’s roster, so the 2021 recruiting class was always going to be more about quality than quantity. The Tigers couldn’t have gotten off to a better start than a commitment from Jabari Smith, the fifth-ranked prospect in the ESPN 100 and highest-rated recruit to commit to the program since at least 2007, when ESPN’s recruiting database began.He’s arguably the most fundamentally sound frontcourt player in the class, extremely versatile and able to impact the game on both ends. Four-star guard Trey Alexander gives them a big combo guard who is capable of contributing on a deep roster immediately as a freshman, but also has lots of potential to grow into more of an offensive focal point a couple of years down the road."

If the two-man combo of Alexander and Jabari Smith can pan out, the Tigers may be able to finally break through the glass ceiling for their first basketball title in school history. Isaac Okoro set a sky-high standard for the Tigers in recent history, and no one should expect another prospect of his caliber for quite some time.

That said, it is clear that ESPN believes in the young athletic duo of Jabari Smith and Trey Alexander. With Bruce Pearl finding his rhythm as the leader of the Tigers lockerroom in recent years, coaching his team to the second round of the NCAA tournament two of the last three seasons, 2021 could be a continuation of the progress shown in 2018-19.

Mr. Smith, Mr. Alexander. The keys are yours.