Auburn basketball loses Nimari Burnett to rival Alabama

It’s not a great feeling when your team misses out on a valuable player, but it’s even worse when said player goes to your rival, and that’s what happened today for Auburn basketball. Though the Tigers made former 5-star prospect Nimari Burnett’s final six, the Texas Tech transfer will make his new home in Tuscaloosa.

After playing just 12 games for the Red Raiders, Burnett informed the school he’d be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal back in January. According to The Athletic, Burnett recorded the fifth-most steals in the Big-12 conference at 17 and averaged 5.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in his 12 games. Curiously, despite being the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with Texas Tech, Burnett never started a game and played only six minutes in his final matchup with the Red Raiders.

Burnett was a big target for the Tigers out of high school, but it wasn’t enough for the guard to choose to continue his playing career on the Plains. He told Zags Blog he committed to the Crimson Tide based his relationship with head coach Nate Oats and the team’s style of play:

"“I chose Alabama because it prepares me for ultimately the level I want to play at. The main reason is because the playing style fits who I am as a player on both ends of the floor and I’ve had a great relationship with Coach Oats and staff since they started to recruit me.”"

Bruce Pearl currently has two signees on the roster for the 2021-22 season as well as transfer Zep Jasper from the College of Charleston, and UNC transfer Walker Kessler is predicted to land in Auburn once he makes his decision.

Also on the radar are Furman transfer Noah Gurley, who is set to make his decision this Sunday, April 11, and Missouri transfer Xavier Pinson, who has yet to set an announcement date. Gurley named Auburn basketball in his top eight, while Pinson named the Tigers in his top four.

Though it would be much cooler if Burnett was trading out his Texas Tech red for orange and blue instead of more red, it will be up to Bruce Pearl and the Tigers in the 2021 season to prove Burnett should have chosen the Plains.