Auburn basketball signed nine new players on its roster after an historic 2024 season, coming off the Tigers second ever Final Four appearance.

Keyshawn Hall was Auburn’s first portal commitment, announcing his pledge during the NCAA tournament. He averaged 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for UCF last season, leading the Big 12 in scoring.

“The dedication and love they showed me during the recruiting process put them No. 1,” Hall said to Joe Tipton of On3. “Auburn was my first call, and it felt like home.”

Hall explained how his second option would have been the university of Kansas. Despite the Jayhawks being his dream school, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl found a way to lure him in.

“Kansas was my dream school growing up for me,” Hall added. “I had to understand I could not go off of kiddie feelings and be real with myself.”

“Coach Pearl showed me how I’ll fit in the Tigers offensive and defensive playstyle, and it will benefit my game the most.”

KeShawn Murphy comes to Auburn after spending three seasons at Mississippi State, returning to his home state.

The Birmingham native averaged 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Bulldogs last season. Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 230 pounds, he’s the early favorite to start for the Tigers down low.

“I was already familiar with Auburn’s facilities, coaches and offense,” Murphy said. “Auburn was comfortable for me. I knew where I wanted to be before I hit the portal and this was an easy decision.”

Looking at the success of last year’s team both Hall and Murphy have championship aspirations with the Tigers this fall.

As two of the biggest acquisitions in the portal for Auburn, Pearl will be leaning on them the most and is confident in the skills this new look roster possesses.

“We will absolutely be the hardest team going into next year to predict what kind of year we have,” Pearl said. “It will have to be a team that gets better throughout the season because they are brand spankin’ new.”

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].