Auburn has seen most of its rotation from last season’s Final Four run depart, and that currently includes freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford, who declared for the NBA Draft but has kept his college eligibility intact. Pettiford’s dynamic playing style could easily catch the attention of NBA scouts, but head coach Bruce Pearl seems optimistic that the guard will return for a second year as he continues to pursue another front-court player in the transfer portal.
According to AuburnUndercover, Louisville forward James Scott is scheduled to visit Auburn. The 6-foot-11 big man averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds last season for the Cardinals and would mark Auburn’s fourth front-court transfer addition this offseason.
Louisville transfer James Scott set to visit Auburn
With Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell exhausting their eligibility, Bruce Pearl had to reload both forward positions. He’s already added size with KeShawn Murphy from Ole Miss, Division II transfer Elyjah Freeman, and UCF’s Keyshawn Hall, who could become Auburn’s top offensive option despite being the shortest of the three at 6-foot-7. In the backcourt, Pearl’s only transfer so far is Kevin Overton, a 6-foot-5 off-ball guard from Texas Tech.
It’s clear Pearl is prioritizing size across the board, especially after seeing the challenges undersized guard JP Pegues faced last season. Still, the Tigers lack a true ball handler—something they won’t get from Louisville transfer target James Scott, who is more of a traditional interior finisher. Scott scored nearly 87% of his points in the paint and posted a 75.9% effective field goal percentage, which ranked in the 99th percentile. Defensively, he was just as impactful, with opponents shooting only 34.2% at the rim when he was on the court compared to 44.1% when he was off.
While Scott would add value on both ends, Auburn’s offense still lacks a clear playmaker. Hall can create his own shot but had only a 15% assist rate at UCF—still better than Overton’s 6.8%. Despite losing Broome, Cardwell, Miles Kelly, and Denver Jones, Pearl has yet to bring in a true point guard, focusing instead on frontcourt talent. This suggests he either believes strongly in four-star freshman Kaden Magwood or expects Tahaad Pettiford to return from the NBA Draft.
Pettiford, a score-first guard, showed significant development throughout his freshman year. If he withdraws from the draft and returns to a roster with a potentially dominant frontcourt—possibly including Scott—Auburn could be poised for another Final Four run. Without him, however, Pearl may find himself with a team missing a crucial piece.
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