AUBURN, Ala. – Steven Pearl and the Auburn men’s basketball program have landed an in-state talent from the transfer portal as Troy forward Thomas Dowd has officially signed with the Tigers.
Dowd joins the Tigers as a senior after appearing in 99 games over the past three seasons with the Trojans. For his career, he has scored 1,010 points and has pulled down 747 rebounds, highlighted by a junior campaign in which he averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
“We are thrilled to welcome Thomas Dowd and his family to the Plains,” Pearl said. “Thomas comes from a large family with strong Auburn ties which makes this an incredible match for us and the Dowd family. One of the things we constantly ask our guys is “are your teammates and our team better when you are on the floor?” For Thomas the answer to that question is unequivocally yes. Thomas impacts winning in all areas of the game which makes him such a strong and valuable addition to our team.”
Dowd had 17 double-doubles last season en route to First Team All-Sun Belt honors. Dowd had a career night in a leading Troy to an upset victory at San Diego State with 25 points and 19 rebounds.
The Dothan, Ala., native led Troy to the Sun Belt Tournament title and garnered SBC Tournament MVP honors while helping the Trojans earn a 13-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-8 forward shot 44 percent from the floor (167-of-379) while making 65 3-pointers and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line (92-of-115).
“Offensively you can put Thomas anywhere on the floor and he’s going to have a positive impact on the game,” said Pearl. “Thomas is a multi-level scorer who can get to the rim and finish through contact and his percentages from 3 don’t do justice for the level of 3-point shooter we see him projecting in our system. He is an underrated passer averaging over two per game because he is always looking to make to right play offensively for his teammates.
"Defensively he is going to fit in with our system seamlessly because of his ability to guard multiple positions at 1-5. His motor, versatility and athleticism has turned him into one of the best shot blocking and offensive and defensive rebounding wings in the country.”
2026-27 Signees:
Narcisse Ngoy – C – 7’0’’ – France
Bukky Oboye – F/C – 7’1’’ – Houston Texas/Santa Clara
Adam Olsen – G/F – 6’8’’ – Surrey, B.C., Canada/South Alabama
Owen Freeman – F – 6’10’’ – Moline, Ill./Iowa/Creighton
Thomas Dowd – F – 6’8’’ – Dothan, Ala./Troy
Caleb Williams – G – 6’5’’ – Tampa, Fla. (incoming freshman)