June 15, 2018
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Two months ago, four Auburn players declared early for the NBA draft. It was a major accomplishment for a basketball program that is coming off a season in which it won its first SEC championship since 1999. It was also a sign of what Bruce Pearl has been able to build in the four years he's been head coach.
For fans, though, there was concern. As impressive as this past season was, there was hope that Tigers could reach greater heights the following season -- if everybody came back.
Last week, Bryce Brown -- one of the players who declared early -- was sitting in the team's film room and when asked about motivation, he pointed to a white board where Pearl had written down the final score from Auburn's loss to Clemson in the NCAA Tournament.
Call it unfinished business. Call it a chip on the shoulder. But the fact is that three of the four players who declared -- Brown, Jared Harper and Austin Wiley -- all decided to come back to Auburn because they know what this team is capable of this coming season. Last year's SEC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance? That was only the beginning.
"We all talked about it," Brown said. "We all kind of knew what we could be. We're all coming back for one goal, and that's to win a national championship. I feel like that's a very realistic goal for us, and that's what we're aiming for."
There's a reason Pearl encourages his players to test the NBA waters. Not only does it show the strides the program is making, but between the combine and various team workouts, it gives the players an idea of where they're at and what they need to work on to reach the next level.
Wiley was the only one of the four Auburn players to receive an invite to combine because though he had to sit out all of last season, there aren't many players in college basketball with as much potential and upside as the 6-foot-11, 260-pound rising junior.
Translation: @__Austinwiley50 is a physical specimen. 💪👀#WarEagle | #AUNextLevel pic.twitter.com/pDPNRmGd2t
-- Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) May 19, 2018
But as well as Wiley tested, he still thought he needed another year of development.
"I really enjoyed the combine," he said. "It just showed me where I need to be, where I can improve myself. I didn't get the results I wanted, but it showed where I need to be by next year and how to succeed at the next level."
Though Brown and Harper didn't get invited to the combine, the two guards did take part in a workout with the Atlanta Hawks -- the hometown team for the Georgia natives. Both players impressed in the workout and tested off the charts in terms of lateral quickness and the vertical jump. However, just like Wiley, there are still areas where they can improve.
"It was just a great opportunity," Brown said. "I did really well. I shot the ball well, played good combo guard. I just did things that could help at the next level. I got good feedback, and that's really what I wanted to do -- just to come back to Auburn being a better basketball player."
"It was a great experience just being able to work out for a team," added Harper. "And it being the Hawks, being one of the teams I would like to play with just for being my hometown (team) and always seeing the Hawks play -- that was just a good experience."
The trio now knows what it will take to play at the next level. They know what they have to work on this coming season. And they are better basketball players for having gone through the process. But all three are now back on campus working out with their Auburn teammates, and everybody has the same goal in mind.
Win a championship.
"I feel like we can be just as special, if not more special (than last year's team)," Wiley said. "Everybody is locked in. Everybody knows what it takes to win. We're not going to go in this year thinking we're defending a championship. We're just going in like last year as an underdog, have that mindset and just go try to win one."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf