The Auburn Tigers were not necessarily expected to have a basketball player of their own selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, but a recent addition to the team received some attention from the professional league.
7-foot center Narcisse Ngoy signed with head coach Steven Pearl's program in March, one of several big men who were expected to address some height issues the team suffered last season alongside Bukky Oboye (Santa Clara transfer) and Owen Freeman (Creighton transfer). Playing professionally in France since the age of 17, Ngoy was the MVP of the French Elite 2 league last season and averaged 9.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
On Wednesday night, Ngoy was selected as the No. 57 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. He did not declare for the draft or go through the draft process, but he was automatically eligible due to his age. He will be 22 before next season. He made a statement about the draft on his social media channels early Thursday.
"I am thankful for the LA Clippers' confidence in me," Ngoy said on his Instagram story. "I fully intend to honor my commitment to Auburn University. And I am looking forward to wearing the Auburn Tigers jersey."
According to Auburn Undercover, the big man is expected to report to Auburn's campus next week. The Clippers will own Ngoy's rights whenever he decides to turn pro in what is commonly referred to as a "draft-and-stash" pick, which is relatively common with international prospects. The NBA team will hold the player's rights until they are ready to leave their international league and head to the NBA.
As of April, the NCAA does not allow a player to opt-in to the professional draft and then be eligible to play in college, but Ngoy is exempt due to the fact that he was automatically entered into the draft. Ngoy marks the first player to be chosen in a "draft-and-stash" pick who will go on to play college basketball.
Also on draft night, former Tiger Keyshawn Hall signed with the Miami Heat as an undrafted free agent after spending one year on the Plains. He will join up with another former Tiger who signed as an undrafted free agent, Tre Donaldson, who began his career with Auburn basketball before transferring to Michigan and then Miami.
Despite the minor NBA scare, Auburn basketball is set to do some damage this season after a strong rebuild of the roster.
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