With such massive roster turnover and the loss of every key player from the 2024-25 Final Four team except Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn had many questions heading into the basketball season. Those questions intensified after Bruce Pearl suddenly resigned, leaving his son, Steven, in charge of the program.
Among those questions was a crucial one: who would replace all the scoring that was left by all of those talented players?
While he can’t do it alone, Keyshawn Hall has definitely done his part in helping the Tigers recover from a tough start to SEC play and is now fighting to be among the conference’s elite teams. At no time was his presence more key than in Saturday’s win at Florida, Auburn’s first win in Gainesville since 1996, when Hall went off in the first half, scoring the Tigers’ first 10 points on his way to a 24-point game, 22 of which came in the first 20 minutes.
Everyone knew Hall could score. He averaged 18.8 points per game last season at UCF, but he’s taken his game to another level this season, putting up 20.3 points per game, helping lead the Tigers on the offensive side of the floor. He has a mixture of Miles Kelly’s three-point shot and Chad Baker-Mazara’s ability to get to the rim.
Keyshawn Hall massive for Auburn's offense
He’s also made some fans over at ESPN, who, in their ranking of the top 50 players in college basketball at the midpoint of the season, have Hall at No. 13.
“If Yaxel Lendeborg has been the best transfer in the country, Hall isn't too far behind. At his fourth school in four years, Hall is having the best and most efficient season of his career. He was averaging 20.3 points and 7.6 rebounds entering the week, shooting better than 41% from 3. And he has had some of his best games in Auburn's biggest wins: 32 points vs. Arkansas, 24 vs. Florida, 28 vs. NC State, 20 vs. St. John's.”
If Auburn wants to make some noise come March, Hall will be the key for Pearl’s squad.