Auburn transfer portal addition gushes about teammates: ‘Great honor’

Auburn basketball transfer portal addition Denver Jones out of Florida International gushed about his Tigers teammates — calling it a “great honor” to play alongside the returners as well as his fellow transfers.

“It has been a blessing,” Jones told Auburnundercover’s Jason Caldwell about being in Auburn. “When I first got here, me and the guys were just stressing about being in the gym and building our chemistry together. It has been a great honor being around the returning guys and the transfers. I feel like by the time the season gets here our chemistry will be top-tier. The transition has been great. I’m just coming to practice and working hard every day, in the weight room and on the court.”

Jones joins Chaney Johnson out of UAH (Alabama-Huntsville) as Bruce Pearl’s transfer portal gets, with No. 15 2023 high school recruit Aden Holloway and JUCO transfer Addarin Scott being the roster’s other newcomers. The 2022-23 roster is losing NBA-bound Wendell Carter Jr., outbound transfers Allen Flanigan, “Stretch” Akingbola, Yohan Traore, and Chance Westry, and graduate Zep Jasper.

Auburn basketball transfer Denver Jones on Bruce Pearl’s practices

Jones admitted he had never been as tired out as he had been post-Pearl practice on the Plains, but shared that it was something he sees as a positive.

“This is probably as tired as I have ever been,” Jones said. “I was just telling one of our assistant coaches that the practice did it for me. It’s very important. Coaches like to preach ‘practice is going to be harder than the game,’ and it should be. When you get into the game, that’s when everything is going to slow down.”

Judging from Jones’ words, the Huntsville-area product is a good locker room fit for the Tigers. If he can bring over his scoring chops from Conference USA, the on-court fit with Jones should be just as seamless.