May 29, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn center Austin Wiley has elected to withdraw his name from the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft and return for his third season on The Plains, Wiley announced Tuesday morning.
"I'd like to thank the Auburn Family for the support, as well as my coaches and teammates for an incredible season," Wiley said. "I'm happy to be back. It's time to get to work."
Wiley received an invite to the 2018 NBA Draft Combine where he worked out and showcased his skills in front of various NBA personnel.
"I'm really excited to have a chance to coach Austin again this season," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "He has a chance to be one of the most dominant big men in college basketball this season. He's such a great kid and a hard worker. All of his dreams for greatness at Auburn and beyond are still alive and well. I also want to thank the Auburn Family for their patience and the support of Austin and his family during this past season."
Wiley showed his dominance on the international level when he was named the team captain of the 2017 USA U19 World Cup team.
While playing in the FIBA World Cup in Cairo, Egypt last summer, Wiley was the only American and one of just seven players to average a double-double in the tournament with 10.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game as the United States took home the bronze medal.
During his freshman campaign, Wiley averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23 games. He joined the Tigers in the middle of the season and was selected as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week Jan. 23 after averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins against Alabama and LSU.
He became the second consensus 5-star signee in program history after finishing his high school career at Calusa Prep. During the summer of 2016, he was a gold medal winner for Team USA in the FIBA Men's U17 World Championship in Zaragoza, Spain.
Auburn captured its third SEC title this past season with an overall mark of 26-8, including 13-5 in league play. The Tigers were also selected for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.