Purifoy and Wiley out indefinitly

[Godfather]

The outlook for Auburn's 2017-18 season took a potentially perilous blow on Thursday with news that the team would be sitting star players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy indefinitely amid eligibility concerns stemming from the FBI's corruption investigation involving suspended associate head coach Chuck Person.

With the Tigers set for an exhibition against Division II program Barry on Thursday night at 7, and the regular-season opener against Norfolk State slated for next Friday, things have drastically changed for Auburn. The Tigers entered Bruce Pearl's fourth season with NCAA Tournament aspirations, but that goal now appears incredibly unlikely if neither Wiley nor Purifoy are cleared to play this season.

In losing Wiley, the team's starting center and a product of Spain Park, and Bibb County product Purifoy, the starting small forward and one of its best shooters, Auburn faces a future without two of its most talented players and pro prospects.

Purifoy and Wiley are suspected to be the two players referenced in a federal indictment against Person, who is facing six federal charges after allegedly accepting $91,500 in bribes over a 10-month span in an attempt to steer the two players toward a crooked financial adviser, Marty Blazer, upon their eventual decision to turn pro. The mother of "Player-1" is alleged to have accepted $11,000 from Person, while the mother of "Player-2" is alleged to have accepted 7,500 from Person and another $5,000 from Person's accomplice, Rashaan Michel.

Wiley and Purifoy's uncertain eligibility leaves Auburn without two of its top-four scorers from a year ago. Purifoy was second on the team last season, averaging 11.5 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting and 36.9 percent from beyond the arc, while Wiley, who joined the team Dec. 16, 2016 after qualifying early, was fourth with 8.8 points per contest on 58.4 percent shooting in 18 minutes per game. The two also tied for second on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.7 boards per game apiece.

The decision to sit the 6-foot-11 Wiley and 6-foot-7 Purifoy damages Auburn's prospects for the season, but the Tigers will not be devoid of talent on the roster thanks to Pearl's endeavors on the recruiting trail.


They still return sophomore Mustapha Heron, the program's first ever five-star signee, who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, as well as returning juniors Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer, and returning sophomores Anfernee McLemore and Jared Harper. Auburn also welcomes to the fold two four-star freshmen in forward Chuma Okeke and point guard Davion Mitchell, as well as junior college swingman transfer Malik Dunbar and former Presbyterian transfer Desean Murray.

Okeke, the 2017 Georgia Mr. Basketball, was a finalist for a spot on the Team US Under-19 World Cup team that Wiley played for this summer, while Mitchell has stood out this preseason as an exceptional defender on-ball defender. Dunbar was listed as one of the top 10 impact JUCO transfers in the nation by FanRag Sports, which also listed Murray as one of the top 20 under-the-radar transfers in the country.

Pearl has said throughout the preseason, prior to the news of Wiley and Purifoy sitting out indefinitely, that he expected to use a 10-man rotation this season. Without those two, Auburn can still deploy a nine-man rotation that should be respectable in the SEC, though lacking in size beyond Spencer and Okeke, both of whom are 6-foot-8.


Depth will not be a huge concern for Auburn -- with Pearl confident there is no drop-off between the starters and the bench -- though size and, to an extent, elite talent, will be an issue without the availability of Purifoy, whom Pearl described as the team's best pro prospect two years ago, and Wiley, a potential first-round NBA Draft pick.

Pearl will still have options with his lineups, but down two projected starters, the Tigers will likely field a starting five that consists of Harper, Heron and Dunbar or Murray in the backcourt, with McLemore and Spencer holding things down in the frontcourt.

[Snaggletiger]

 

[GH2001]

How do you do misssus Why-LEEEE!

[wesfau2]

Oh noes!

We suck again.

[chinook]

Oh noes!

We continue to suck again.

edited for accuracy.

[CCTAU]

Nice things = not us...

[Snaggletiger]

Oh go ahead and play them until and if the NCAA rules them ineligible. We aren't making the NIT or Dothan Progress Downtown Christmas tournament without them anyway.  What's the worst that could happen?  We make the tourney, Cinderella story it all the way to the Elite 8.  Great season. They rule them ineligible and now there's an asterisk in the record books. 

[Buzz Killington]

Worked for Chris Porter, so why not?

[CCTAU]

Oh go ahead and play them until and if the NCAA rules them ineligible. We aren't making the NIT or Dothan Progress Downtown Christmas tournament without them anyway.  What's the worst that could happen?  We make the tourney, Cinderella story it all the way to the Elite 8.  Great season. They rule them ineligible and now there's an asterisk in the record books.

I thought about that. Its not like the players got any money or knew money changed hands!

Players are not responsible for their parents!

PLAY'EM!

[chityeah]

Oh go ahead and play them until and if the NCAA rules them ineligible. We aren't making the NIT or Dothan Progress Downtown Christmas tournament without them anyway.  What's the worst that could happen?  We make the tourney, Cinderella story it all the way to the Elite 8.  Great season. They rule them ineligible and now there's an asterisk in the record books.

I agree with this.....But then got to thinking. Could Pearls show cause give possible stronger sanctions against AU?

[War Eagle!!!]

pffffffftttttt...this is a non-story...we will be fine without them...

Wait...who is Barry?

[jmar]

pffffffftttttt...this is a non-story...we will be fine without them...

Wait...who is Barry?

They are the Barry Discombobulators.
Re: Pearl's description of our team launching threes without "good looks."

The disturbing part of this is why. Why are you allowing your team to play out of control in it's first exhibition game with no Wiley or Purifoy?
One would think you would cobble a lineup befitting the style of play that works best per your roster.
In other words, play a style that is missing two key components and work within those confines.

But no. I guess it's just easier to let them spas for 40 minutes+OT and blame it on shot select while you exercise no control in allowing your players to run amok like a pickup church league team.

Can Pearl actually coach or is he just a good salesman?

Fuck it!
I'm with Snags on this.
Just play Wiley and Purifoy.
Who gives a shit?   

[AUChizad]

Oh go ahead and play them until and if the NCAA rules them ineligible. We aren't making the NIT or Dothan Progress Downtown Christmas tournament without them anyway.  What's the worst that could happen?  We make the tourney, Cinderella story it all the way to the Elite 8.  Great season. They rule them ineligible and now there's an asterisk in the record books.

I'm being serious here, doesn't precedent show that everything's fine as long as they "pay back" whatever they were given? That seems to be the case with every Bama player that takes cash bribes loans.

My understanding is no money ever changed hands, but was about the promise of future arrangements with an agent.

[Snaggletiger]

We lost the exhibition game to Barry.  I have no idea who Barry is but it sounds like he's pretty good.  He hung 100 on us last night.

[Buzz Killington]

We lost the exhibition game to Barry.  I have no idea who Barry is but it sounds like he's pretty good.  He hung 100 on us last night.

This Barry guy is no Wilt Chamberlain.  How did we let one guy score a hundo?  Surely we could have at least double teamed him.

[Snaggletiger]

This Barry guy is no Wilt Chamberlain.  How did we let one guy score a hundo?  Surely we could have at least double teamed him.

I think they stayed in a zone and Barry got hot from the outside.  Everyone knows Barry's nickname is "Zone-buster".  I guess Pearl just likes playing with fire.

[AUJarhead]

Barry's teammates were like, "Hey, Barry, I'm open, man."

Bruce Pearl's timeouts were like, "hey, guys, we're doing ok, but who's got Barry?"

[Kaos]

I once played on an intramural team with a kid who got kicked off the college roster.  Five white guys who rotated in and out and a 7'2" black kid.  We won the semi-finals 76-30 and he scored 72 points on the offensive end and blocked at least 20 on defense.  Dunk, dunk, behind the head dunk, dunk, one handed slam, dunk, windmill dunk, dunk.  He was pissed that anybody else took a shot.  He never passed the ball.  Ever. All any of us were supposed to do was get it to him on the inbounds and stay out of the way. 

In the finals the team we were playing missed a shot, it went off the rim to the corner where Mike grabbed it.  He passed to me at about mid-court, I went to Landis who was driving the middle and he bounced it back to me in the corner where I hit an uncontested three.  Except for our large ringer.  Trailing the play, he actually tried to block my shot but just didn't get there in time.  And he lost his shit.  I was supposed to have passed it to him, I wasn't supposed to be taking fucking shots.   I looked at Mike, he looked at Landis, and then all five of us white guys walked off the court and left it to him.  All alone.  He almost won. 

I don't think his name was Barry, though.

[wesfau2]

Yahoo article out naming names.  No sacred cows, apparently.

Auburn is mentioned in passing at the end of the article to mention Chuck and the two ineligible players.

https://sports.yahoo.com/exclusive-federal-documents-detail-sweeping-potential-ncaa-violations-involving-high-profile-players-schools-103338484.html

[jmar]

Yahoo article out naming names.  No sacred cows, apparently.

Auburn is mentioned in passing at the end of the article to mention Chuck and the two ineligible players.

https://sports.yahoo.com/exclusive-federal-documents-detail-sweeping-potential-ncaa-violations-involving-high-profile-players-schools-103338484.html

One would think that the numerous bluebloods mentioned could only lessen the severity for other programs given the ugly events that were on the NCAA's plate with other sports prior to any knowledge of this FBI sting.
The governing body lessened the punishment on Penn State thinking it too harsh.
Then there was Baylor.
And now there are the Michigan State atrocities where there is a question of how involved the NCAA will get involved beyond the legal battle and ongoing resignations.