Auburn Basketball

Auburn announced Thursday that men's basketball players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy are out indefinitely due to their alleged connection to suspended assistant coach Chuck Person. 

In a statement, Auburn said the following regarding the status of Wiley and Purifoy, according to James Crepea of AL.com: "To avoid any potential eligibility issues, Auburn Athletics has decided to hold men's basketball players Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy out indefinitely. Because this is related to an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."

Person is currently suspended after he was one of 10 people arrested in connection with an FBI investigation into bribery in college basketball.

Per Crepea, the complaint stated that Person received $91,500 in bribes and that he gave $11,000 to the mother of "Player-1" and $7,500 to the mother of "Player-2."

Both Wiley and Purifoy are sophomores who were key in the Tigers' improvement from 11-20 in 2015-16 to 18-14 last season under head coach Bruce Pearl.

Wiley is a 6'11" center who averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his freshman campaign.

The 6'7" Purifoy was second on the team with 11.5 points per game last season, and he added 4.7 rebounds per contest as well.

Per Michael Niziolek of 247Sports, Wiley was a 5-star prospect who ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2016 class, while Purifoy was a 4-star recruit who was the No. 65 player in 2015 before red-shirting as a freshman.

If the absence of Wiley and Purifoy lasts into the regular season, the likes of Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer will be among those expected to step up in the frontcourt.

Auburn's season will begin on Nov. 10 when it faces Norfolk State.

E.J. Montgomery, one of the top power forwards in the 2018 college basketball recruiting class, decommitted from Auburn on Wednesday following an FBI investigation that led to the arrest of Tigers assistant Chuck Person as part of an alleged "widespread college basketball scheme."

The prospect's father, E.J. Montgomery Sr., confirmed his son's decision to Evan Daniels of Scout, but didn't reference the corruption scandal.

"We are going to open E.J.'s recruitment back up," the elder Montgomery said. "He hasn't really gone through the process of being recruited and he wants to experience that."

He added: "We are just going to open it up and see who comes and kind of go from there."

Montgomery is a 4-star recruit who's rated as the No. 25 overall prospect in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports. He's also listed as the seventh-best power forward in the group.

In January 2016, the 6'10'', 200-pound rising star named some of the schools which had shown interest during an interview with Corey Evans of HoopSeen.

"Right now, I have three offers from Auburn, UCLA, and Miami," Montgomery said. "North Carolina is also starting to show interest in me."

While he ultimately chose the Tigers, it will be interesting to see whether the Bruins, Hurricanes and Tar Heels restart their efforts to land him following his decision to decommit.

247Sports noted Baylor, Florida State and NC State were among the other programs to make a scholarship offer to the forward.

Although Montgomery's father didn't directly mention the corruption scandal as reasoning to reconsider the options, the situation is likely to have a trickle-down effect on the recruiting process throughout college basketball, especially for the schools involved in the FBI probe.

The Wheeler High School (Marietta, Georgia) standout should generate ample interest as a top-25 recruit with the ability to play either forward spot thanks to his frame, athleticism and ability to stretch the floor with mid-range and perimeter shooting.

BR Video

For more Auburn basketball news and analysis, visit AUTigers.com.

BR Video

For more Auburn basketball news and analysis, visit AUTigers.com.

The Auburn Tigers men's basketball team has stumbled to a 9-14 overall record and 3-8 mark in the SEC this season and will apparently be without its leading scorer for the rest of the way.

Junior guard Kareem Canty took to Instagram to announce his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the upcoming NBA draft:

Wesley Sinor of AL.com confirmed the news: “It appears Kareem Canty has played his last game as an Auburn Tiger.”

Canty also sent out a series of tweets regarding his decision [sic]:

Most importantly I wanna say thank you auburn university for the best years off my life I'm forever grateful auburn man forever. Playing for the best coach in the land coach Pearl was very exciting but I decided to enter the NBA draft and forgo my senior season. Again thank you guys for so much forever war eagle !!!! Again Ive decided to enter because of personal reasons ....forever grateful !!

Canty started his collegiate career at Marshall in 2013-14 but transferred to Auburn and sat out for the 2014-15 campaign.

The guard didn't play in the last two games for the Tigers because of a suspension, which makes the timing of his decision noteworthy. Jay G. Tate of Rivals.com reported the following before Auburn’s loss to Georgia on Saturday:

The mercurial junior got into a verbal altercation Thursday afternoon with a member of the coaching staff and was asked to leave the practice area. Coach Bruce Pearl later elected to remove Canty from the lineup altogether for today's game in Athens, though the suspension could be extended.

"His effort and attitude have been extremely inconsistent, which led to actions and behavior that are unacceptable," Pearl said in a release. "He will step away from the team for a while and may return later in the season. He is suspended indefinitely."

This is a difficult blow in a disappointing season for head coach Bruce Pearl and the Tigers. Canty led the team with 18.3 points per game and served as a consistent threat from three-point range (36.1 percent). He also led Auburn with 5.3 assists per game, and the offense frequently ran through his hands with the game on the line.

Canty was instrumental in Auburn's 75-70 upset of Kentucky in January, finishing with 26 points and five made three-pointers. Campus Insiders shared his highlights from the game:

The Tigers lost to Georgia and Tennessee without Canty and managed to score a combined 100 points in the two defeats. Pearl talked about the team’s struggles against the Bulldogs without Canty running the show and some of his reasoning behind the suspension during a radio appearance, per Sinor:

This one is self-inflicted. I apologize to our fans and the Auburn family because it's my job ultimately to put our team together and make sure that we're all healthy and eligible and available and all those different things. ... Kareem has done a lot of very positive things. He's shown at times against the highest competition he can win his matchup. His national numbers are what they are, but inconsistent effort and attitude has led to conduct that is unacceptable – both in the game situations and at practice and just off the court. It got to situation where it warranted suspension.

Sinor highlighted Auburn’s struggles at the point guard spot without Canty. Tahj Shamsid-Deen (shoulder) and T.J. Dunans (knee) have both been out with injuries, and freshman New Williams and walk-on Patrick Keim have filled the void. Pearl has even elected to start the 6’8” Cinmeon Bowers at the position during Canty's suspension.

While it appears to be a lost season for the Tigers, especially without Canty to provide hope for an SEC tournament run, the guard will turn his attention to the NBA. Canty’s name did not appear on a recent 2016 or 2017 mock draft from DraftExpress, which means the guard may face an uphill battle.

Still, he is a solid shooter and natural scorer, which will likely catch the eyes of various teams looking for offense. However, off-court issues are always red flags, and NBA scouts and front offices will likely view the suspension and sudden departure from the team as such.

Perhaps Canty can make a lasting impression in predraft workouts and overcome those concerns, because he won’t be on the court again for the Tigers this season.

Auburn has suspended junior guard Kareem Canty indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team, the school announced Saturday, per WIAT's Chris Renkel. 

"Kareem has had some strong moments for our team this season," head coach Bruce Pearl said in the statement, according to Renkel. "He has demonstrated that at the highest level of competition, he can win his matchup. However, his effort and attitude have been extremely inconsistent, which led to actions that are unacceptable."

Through Saturday, Canty is averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent shooting from three.     

According to the press release, Canty also ranks third in the SEC by dishing out 5.3 assists per game and 13th in the nation with 3.29 three-pointers made a night. 

For a team that had lost four straight with Canty entering Saturday's conference showdown with Georgia, Auburn could be staring at a bleak future without its leading scorer.

Although he's never been particularly efficient, Canty's fearless attitude in isolation situations has made him the team's go-to scorer in bail-out situations. That much was clear when he dropped 26 points in an upset win over a 14th-ranked Kentucky team on Jan. 16. 

Tyler Harris will likely be asked to shoulder a heavier burden and assume the role of primary scorer so long as Canty is away from the team. 

The Auburn Tigers have been fined $100,000 by the SEC due to fans storming the court after Auburn's 75-70 win over the Kentucky Wildcats this past Saturday, per Chip Patterson of CBS Sports.   

The Tigers are a repeat offender in fans storming the area of play after a huge win, which caused the fine. Fans stormed Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2013 after the "Kick Six" in the Iron Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide.    

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement Monday on the incident, per Patterson:  

The Conference has unanimously approved a policy requiring fines be applied when spectators enter the playing court after a game. While understanding the enthusiasm following an exciting victory, fans need to remain in the stands and avoid the safety concerns associated with rushing on to the playing floor. We want to have exciting experiences around SEC games, but also want to maintain a safe environment for student-athletes, coaches, spectators and officials.

Should another court-storming incident take place, the fine will increase to $250,000, according to Patterson.

Auburn hasn't had much to cheer for early on in SEC play. Head coach Bruce Pearl's squad is 8-8 on the year, and before pulling off the upset against Kentucky, the Tigers dropped three straight conference games. Two of those—against the Missouri Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores—came on the road.

The Tigers' win was the biggest in Pearl's two years to date while coaching at Auburn, and he wanted to win this for the university and the students, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com):

I'm happy for our students because I have not been able to provide that return on investment yet. When they see moments like that, they say, 'OK, our basketball program is competing in spite of injuries and challenges.' It took special effort, but I wanted to be able to see that special celebration.

I didn't want to be in the middle of it because I got killed but I wanted to watch it and I wanted to see those guys enjoy themselves.

Court-storming has been an issue raised in the past, mainly for player safety. Even the SEC has enforced fines for programs who allow court-storming, a rule passed by former Commissioner Mike Slive back in March, per ESPN.com's David Ching:

This is designed to be a deterrent. This is designed to try to change the culture about rushing the field, understanding that it's viewed by some as a tradition. But it's a tradition that runs into the question of health and safety of not only the fans themselves but the coaches and players.

Storming the court is a college basketball tradition that is fun for students but does have its hazards. On Dec. 10, a reporter broke his leg after getting caught in the excitement after the Iowa State Cyclones' upset of the rival Iowa Hawkeyes. 

With safety and increasing fines in mind, Auburn would be smart to try to avoid another court-storming in the future.  

Top point guard prospect Davion Mitchell has committed to the Auburn Tigers and coach Bruce Pearl, according to Jeffrey Lee of Rivals.com.

Mitchell—the No. 41 recruit for the 2017 class, according to 247Sports—made the announcement Thursday, per Lee, saying: "I love (Auburn). I love the coaching staff. I love everything about it. It's like a family to me.”

The 6'1", 185-pound product of Liberty County, Georgia, fielded offers from 13 schools, per 247 Sports, including Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia and Clemson, among others.

As a sophomore last year, Mitchell averaged 18.8 points, 7.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals in 29 games, according to Lee.

Justin Young of HoopSeen.com noted Mitchell is one of many highly regarded prospects from Georgia in 2017 and that he’ll fit swimmingly in Pearl’s scheme:

Mitchell is a supreme competitor who plays with a hold-no-bargains mentality. His end to end speed is as good as it gets and his progressions as a facilitating guard at the lead spot have continued to improve. While he is more drive first, Mitchell uses his compact body like an SEC-type of running back in keeping his line to the rim before exploding through the body at the rim for highlight finishes.

Pearl also dipped into the Peach State to nab a 4-star point guard for 2016 in signing Jared Harper of Atlanta, who signed in March.

Carter Wilson of HoopSeen.com commended Pearl’s ability to cross into a talent-rich state and bring players back to The Plains:

Mitchell becomes the second commit of Pearl’s 2017 class, joining power forward Austin Wiley. 

Austin Wiley, one of the top power forwards in the Class of 2017, announced Saturday that he plans to play college basketball at Auburn.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN confirmed the coveted recruit's decision. Phillip Marshall of 247Sports reports Wiley is following in the footsteps of his parents, who were both basketball stars with the Tigers, because it's the place that made him most comfortable.

"It's just the place, the atmosphere, the fans, the coaching staff," Wiley said. "Everything seemed perfect. For me, it's the perfect place to play basketball."

The son of Vickie Orr Wiley and Aubrey Wiley also told 247Sports that the vibe he received from Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl played a key role in the choice.

"It's the way he motivates," he said. "Even if you're down, even if you have an off night, it's the way he motivates and his passion for the game. The year before he came, it seemed like it was dead, no life in the building. Then this guy comes. People came to every game, sold out. He has to be special to do that."

Wiley is a 5-star prospect who ranks as a top-25 prospect and the No. 7 power forward in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. The recruiting outlet also notes he received nine offers before making his early decision.

Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports is extremely bullish on the rising star's potential:

One thing that will be intriguing to watch over the next couple of years is his height. Wiley is bit undersized right now, but he's obviously got plenty of time to grow. If he can get to 6'11'' and add some more power to his frame without losing his athleticism, the sky's really the limit.

Although he's committed to Auburn, the recruiting job isn't done for the Tigers. They must continue to make him feel wanted as a key piece of the program's future until he officially signs, which Marshall noted won't be until November 2016.

For now, however, Pearl and Co. can celebrate a terrific addition to the 2017 class.

One of the most explosive and exciting prospects in the class of 2016 is off the market, as wing Mustapha Heron committed to the Auburn Tigers on Sunday.

"I had no idea," Heron told Evan Daniels of Scout.com when asked if he was thinking about committing ahead of his visit to Auburn. "But I got a vibe here that I didn't get at any other schools that I visited. It was a family-oriented thing."

According to 247Sports, the Waterbury, Connecticut, native is a 5-star prospect who rates as the No. 4 small forward and No. 23 overall recruit in the nation.

His recruiting process has been interesting, as he previously committed to the University of Pittsburgh. After surveying his situation, though, Heron ultimately withdrew that commitment in April, per Adam Finkelstein of ESPN Recruiting Nation.

According to Raphielle Johnson of CollegeBasketballTalk, it is believed that Heron had a change of heart due to former Pitt assistant Barry Rohrssen going from the Panthers to Kentucky and now to St. John's. That is significant since Rohrssen and Heron's father played together overseas.

With that in mind, Daniels speculated that Heron might lean heavily toward the Red Storm:

Even as many factors seemed to point in the direction of St. John's, however, New York Rens AAU head coach Andy Borman claimed that Heron and highly recruited teammate Rawle Alkins were considering all options, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv:

Mustapha Heron and Rawle Alkins are wide open. They want to be recruited. They do not have any leaders in the clubhouse at this point in time. Anyone who says these kids are leaning toward a school doesn't know. They want to be recruited.

Regardless of how interested Heron was in keeping his options open, there was no shortage of top schools pursuing him.

At 6'5" with an ability to either run the point or play on the wing, the Sacred Heart High School product is among the most versatile and skilled players in the entire 2016 class.

Perhaps no collegiate sport demands more from young players than basketball. With so many guys dominating as freshmen and becoming one-and-done NBA prospects in recent years, Heron will be expected to contribute significantly from Day 1.

The fact that he's just outside the top 20 recruits in the country suggests that he could be an instant difference-maker, and it is clear that several schools felt that way about him as well.

Heron wavered with regard to his college decision, but one can only assume that he now believes he is in an ideal situation to succeed. If that is indeed the case, he will undoubtedly be among the freshmen to watch during the upcoming season.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.