Auburn basketball: Two class of 2022 prospects to keep an eye on

The Auburn basketball roster underwent a major makeover in the offseason. After losing various players to the NBA Draft and the NCAA Transfer Portal, head coach Bruce Pearl worked his magic and put together a formidable team heading into the 2021 season.

Just because the 2021 roster is solidified does not mean that the recruiting process is over for Coach Pearl. Some of the players the Tigers picked up from the transfer portal, like Zep Jasper and Desi Sills, are already upperclassmen and have only two years of eligibility on the Plains. Pearl is already looking ahead to the class of 2022 after picking up signee Jabari Smith in the class of 2021.

According to Tipton Edits via Twitter, Auburn basketball is among the hardest-recruiting programs for two of the top players in the class of 2022. Both 5-star Jarace Walker and 4-star Justice Williams have named Auburn in the top-contending programs at the moment.

Jarace Walker is the No. 1 power forward in the recruiting class of 2022. According to 247Sports, he’s also the No. 2 recruit out of the state of Florida and the seventh-ranked player overall. Recruiting analyst Brendan Jenkins described the IMG Academy star as someone who contributes in major ways on the floor:

"He is a nice vertical athlete who can finish emphatically when given the chance and always looks to assert himself on the glass. When Walker steps on the floor, you can expect to get a contribution from him in a lot of ways. He is one of those guys who gets rebounds, assists, and scores."

One of Auburn’s main competitors for Walker will be the UNC Tar Heels, according to sister FanSided site Keepin’ it Heel. Walker received an offer from the Heels when Roy Williams was still the coach, and the school is among those recruiting him hardest.

The other top-30 player being heavily pursued by Auburn basketball is 4-star shooting guard Justice Williams. Hailing from the same high school as Justin Powell (well, for one of Powell’s high school years) Williams is the No. 3 shooting guard in the class of 2022 and the No. 28 recruit overall.

Auburn basketball has also extended an offer to class of 2022 recruit Jalen Duren, Williams’ teammate at Montverde, and the No. 1 center in the class of 2022. If one of the pair commits to Auburn, following in the footsteps of Powell, the Tigers may be able to land them both.

It will be a while before we get any sort of official commitment from any of these players, but they’re definitely names to keep an eye on as the recruiting cycle of 2021 comes to a close and we look ahead to that of 2022.