Dec. 16, 2016
Austin Wiley shows his stuff in Auburn practice on Friday
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Austin Wiley grew up destined to be an Auburn basketball player. Friday, he officially became one.
The freshman 6-foot-11 five-star prospect passed all his qualifying hurdles Friday and practiced with Auburn as an early enrollee. Coach Bruce Pearl said Wiley will play against Mercer on Sunday.
Wiley is from an Auburn basketball family. His mother is former Auburn All-American and SEC player of the year Vickie Orr; and his father, Aubrey Wiley, led the Tigers and the SEC in rebounding in 1993-94.
Now it's Austin Wiley's turn.
"It feels great. I feel really blessed right now," Wiley said in a statement. "My hard work and dedication has paid off. Thanks to my parents and the coaches. I feel great. I grew up around here listening to stories my mom and dad would tell me about the Auburn family. This is a blessing, and it seems like everything works out for the best. It feels like destiny."
Pearl said in a statement he was "extremely excited to announce that Austin Wiley has been deemed a qualifier by the NCAA and has been admitted and enrolled in Auburn University. He will compete for Auburn starting against Mercer on Sunday. We look forward to having Austin be a part of and play for the Auburn Tigers just as his parents did.
"I want to thank the SEC, NCAA, President Gogue, Jay Jacobs and all of those in the Auburn administration for all of their due diligence."
Wiley signed with Auburn in November after transferring from Spain Park in Hoover and playing at Conrad Basketball Academy in Orlando. He graduated from Calusa Prep in Miami.
He averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds a game his last season at Spain Park.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine
📽 | An #Auburn legacy, @__Austinwiley50 says playing for the Tigers "feels like destiny."#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/3gZMfPUrR6
-- Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 16, 2016