Steven Pearl and the Auburn basketball team have been in Greece for most of August, but that doesn't mean the cogs of the transfer portal machine have slowed down.
On Friday, the Tigers got some good news, in the form of a key depth piece, former Utah State guard Kolby King.
NEWS: Utah State transfer guard Kolby King has committed to Auburn, he told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 13, 2026
The 6-1 senior averaged 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this past season.https://t.co/s2ETKDqz9G https://t.co/4K9BdAvn9r pic.twitter.com/YcIq8a68YQ
King comes carrying more off-court intrigue than on-court. On the court, he is not a flashy addition, but he does provide a solid bench presence who has tons of experience. He has played in 127 games in his career, averaging 18.8 minutes per game. His highest scoring mark was with Tulane in 2023, when he averaged 10.4 points per game, but at Butler and Utah State he's taken a bit of a reduced role.
He was part of a Utah State team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, but spent the previous years on Tulane and Butler teams that, like Auburn, were in down spots.
For a team that took such a significant step back, this is not a game-changing commitment by any stretch. King is a solid bench player, but he would not have prevented that dreadful February of a season ago.
Kolby King's eligibility is surprising, and confusing
It is in the courts where much of the conversation has centered regarding King. There is lots of lawyer talk and legalese that flies a bit over the head regarding King's path to eligibility, but here's the simple version:
King was a plaintiff in a July lawsuit, along with 14 others, after the NCAA announced an age-based, five-year eligibility rule change. A judge granted an injuction that allowed all athletes from the class of 2022 to be eligible for the upcoming season.
It is immensely frustrating that, in recent seasons, it has become a requirement for college sports fans to follow convoluted legal proceedings in order to know what the future of their players, their teams, and the sport as a whole holds. It's laudable that players are receiving their fair share and get to be just as mobile as coaches, but the world of NIL and the transfer portal has opened up a Pandora's box of settlements and appeals and injunctions that have, unfortunately, become fundamental and required reading for fans.
Still, this is a positive for Auburn. King brings lots of experience to a roster that is very much in flux.
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