'Thrilled to be here': Auburn attracts ESPN College GameDay

'Thrilled to be here': Auburn attracts ESPN College GameDay'Thrilled to be here': Auburn attracts ESPN College GameDay
Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – A veteran of 11 NBA seasons, ESPN's LaPhonso Ellis knows a pro when he sees one. In Auburn freshman Isaac Okoro, Ellis recognizes a future NBA player.

"Some guys, when they're out there, they just make the game look easy, and he's one of those guys," said Ellis, the No. 5 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. "His ability to start and stop, change speeds, change directions, is really impressive, especially when you consider the fact that he's a freshman."

Auburn's second leading scorer, Okoro averages 13 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

"He's got a more mature body," Ellis said. "Watching him closely, he seems to me to not take any plays off on the defensive end. That's really impressive for a freshman."

ESPN's LaPhonso Ellis visits with Auburn's Bruce Pearl Friday at Auburn Arena

Ellis and his ESPN teammates will get a close-up look at Okoro and the Tigers when College GameDay broadcasts from Auburn Arena for the first time on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT before No. 17 Auburn hosts No. 13 Kentucky at 5 p.m.

"We're thrilled to be here," said Jay Bilas, who will team with play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman on the game broadcast after his GameDay stint. "We go to where we think the best games, the best atmospheres are each week. It's going to be a great atmosphere, not only for the show but it'll be a great atmosphere for the game so I'm looking forward to seeing it up close."

Bilas worked with Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl at ESPN before Pearl came to Auburn in 2014.

"I remember talking to him about it, that he was going to do a great job here," Bilas said. "That's just sort of what he does. He did it at Tennessee and here. I'm not surprised, just really impressed, with the way he goes about it. He's a great basketball coach."

'I'm not surprised, just really impressed': ESPN's Jay Bilas on Auburn coach Bruce Pearl

Bilas cited effort as a hallmark of Pearl's teams. Fellow College GameDay analyst Seth Greenberg touted the Tigers' toughness.

"Bruce's teams all have a certain DNA, a certain toughness, a certain sticktoitiveness," Greenberg said. "They have a toughness about them. They've got a resiliency about them. I think the Ole Miss game is a perfect example of that.

"This team clearly understands how they win. They win with toughness, they win with physicality, they win with attacking you, playing downhill, and then getting to the glass. When they're making shots, then they're really good.

"You want to be a team that's hard to play against. Auburn is a team that's hard to play against. The DNA of their team, in terms of their toughness, is similar, but their identity is very different than it was a year ago."

'They win with toughness'': ESPN's Seth Greenberg visits with Bruce Pearl

College GameDay anchor Rece Davis, who covered the 1990s Auburn teams of coaches Tommy Joe Eagles and Cliff Ellis as a sportscaster in Columbus, Georgia before moving to ESPN, will welcome viewers to the Plains Saturday morning, another indication of how far Auburn's program has come under Pearl.

"He's not only a terrific coach. He's a master salesman for his program," Davis said. "You can't be a great salesman for a program if you're not an outstanding coach. That, at its core, is what draws people. You have to win and play an entertaining brand of basketball. They do both things."

ESPN College GameDay broadcasts from Auburn Arena Saturday from 10-11 a.m. CT

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer