Auburn basketball: 5 takeaways from Sharife Cooper and JT Thor’s 2021 NBA Draft

Auburn basketball makes history in 2021…but could make more in 2022

For the first time in over 20 years, there were two Auburn basketball products selected in the NBA Draft. In 2000, Mamadou Ndiaye and Chris Porter were both selected, with Ndiaye going #26 to the Denver Nuggets.

This time around, both Thor and Cooper were selected in the second round, but they arguably have more buzz surrounding them than Ndiaye anyway. The level of competition in the NBA these days dictates that even second-rounders were collegiate stars.

Perhaps next year could see two first-round picks from the Plains for the first time in history, with Jabari Smith, Walker Kessler, and KD Johnson all ranked 4-stars or higher as recruits.

Sharife Cooper and JT Thor might have been better off staying at Auburn

While FWE is happy to see both guys in the NBA now, there’s definitely a thought that waiting one more year could have done Sharife Cooper and JT Thor wonders.

The 2021-22 Auburn basketball team could have been a preseason favorite and possibly first-time National Champions in school history. They still can be–Jabari Smith is that good–but that road would have been far easier with Cooper and Thor in tow.