Auburn senior Allen Flanigan returned to practice Wednesday following a two-week absence.

Flanigan had been away from the team since the start of preseason practices two weeks ago while dealing with what coach Bruce Pearl called a personal family matter. Flanigan’s return came as Auburn hosted its annual pro day at Neville Arena, and with just less than four weeks until the Tigers open their season against George Mason on Nov. 7.

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A 6-foot-6 wing, Flanigan has played in 80 games for Auburn over the last three seasons, averaging 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for his career. He experienced a breakout sophomore season in 2020-21, when he averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while starting all 27 games for the Tigers.

Flanigan was prepared to build off that as a junior, but he sustained a preseason Achilles injury that sidelined him for three months. Upon his return in late-December, he struggled to regain his form while appearing in 22 games, with 20 starts, but averaging just 6.3 points on 39.5 percent shooting and a paltry 20.5 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game for an Auburn team that climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in program history, went wire-to-wire to win the SEC regular-season title and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Flanigan tested the NBA Draft waters in the offseason but ultimately decided to return to the Plains for his senior season. Pearl noted at the start of preseason practices that Flanigan is “physically almost back to 100 percent” where he was before the partially torn Achilles.

“He’s physically much better,” Pearl said. “…I think that’s where you’re going to have to evaluate him. When your strength is your size, your athleticism, the physical-ness of his game — and then when you take some of that away, he can’t be the same player until he gets all that back, and I think he’s much closer to, or actually right where he was before his injury.”

While Flanigan returned in time for pro day, Auburn was without two key players during its annual showcase for NBA scouts. Senior guard Zep Jasper was out while dealing with a stomach virus, according to Pearl, while freshman guard Chance Westry remained sidelined following a knee scope he underwent last week in Pensacola, Fla. Westry is expected to miss two to three more weeks before he returns.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.