Auburn basketball is going from a gauntlet of a 2024-25 season to a carousel of a 2025 offseason.
The Tigers saw a historic campaign come to a close Saturday, falling 79-73 to Florida in the Final Four, capping a season with a program-record 32 wins and second-straight SEC championship. Now, their prize is playing catch-up. They'll have to start an undertaking, rebuilding a roster that had 10 seniors on it more than a week after the transfer portal opened.
"The part that's really ... unfortunate is we're getting penalized for winning, because there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it: We're way behind in the portal right now," Auburn associate head coach Steven Pearl said after Saturday's loss.
As Auburn begins its roster rebuild, here is a look at three of its biggest needs.
Auburn basketball must find Johni Broome's replacement
There's some uncertainty about which seniors from this team are staying or going, but Broome isn't one of them. Both him and Dylan Cardwell are out of eligibility, and now, Auburn faces a deficit at center it hasn't seen in years.
While Auburn doesn't have the personnel, it has the recruiting pitch. Between the success of Broome and former National Defensive Player of the Year Walker Kessler before him, the Tigers' coaching staff should have its pick of the litter in the transfer portal.
Auburn basketball needs to add defense in back court
