No. 22 Auburn will likely be without its starting big man, KeShawn Murphy, again when the Tigers face Wofford on Tuesday night at Neville Arena.
Murphy, a 6–foot–10 forward who transferred from Mississippi State, has been sidelined by injuries to start the season. A preseason knee issue flared up during an exhibition game against Oklahoma State, and he hurt his ankle in Auburn’s opener against Bethune-Cookman.
Against the Wildcats, Murphy put up 17 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes on the floor.
“Murph is progressing from his ankle injury," Steven Pearl said. "He will play in an emergency situation, if we need him to, against Wofford. But we don’t want to rush him back... We’re going to try not to play Murph.”
Even with limited minutes so far, Murphy remains an essential piece for Auburn. His size and experience give the Tigers a much-needed presence inside, especially with a daunting matchup looming against No.1 Houston on Sunday. Keeping Murphy healthy and ready will be crucial for Auburn as it faces one of the nation’s top teams in the Cougars.
In the meantime, Auburn will lean on a heavy frontcourt rotation, with Keyshawn Hall and Sebastian Williams-Adams leading the way. Both have provided a strong offensive presence, contributing scoring and rebounding consistently in the paint. Emeka Oporum will look to solidify himself at the 5-spot after a breakout performance against Merrimack, scoring 11 points on perfect shooting with four rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes. Filip Jovic will also fill the void, giving Auburn additional size and interior depth.
The Tigers and Terriers tip off on Tuesday night in Neville Arena at 7 p.m. CT.