Auburn basketball recruiting: Top 3 high school prospects for Bruce Pearl's team ft. AJ Dybantsa
Bruce Pearl's wizardry was cut short last season, as the Auburn Tigers had to pack for home earlier than anticipated. They gave up a double-digit lead in Spokane to Yale in the first round, but there were plenty of good signs from the Tigers' 2023-24 run.
Consistent improvement of Johni Broom made for one of the best frontcourt duos with Jaylin William. Tre Donaldson and Dylan Cardwell spearheaded to give Auburn the most productive bench in the nation. Nevertheless, as Pearl aims to make a deeper run this season, a handful of fresh faces could give his lineup optimal chances.
Top three High School prospects for Bruce Pearl's Auburn
#1 Tahaad Pettiford - Point Guard
Rated as the top guard by 247Sports Composite in the 2024 class, Tahaad Pettiford is already a part of Bruce Pearl's new roster. The five-foot-11 player is a product of New Jersey's Hudson Catholic Regional High School and a participant in McDonald's All-American Boys Game held early in April.
Pettiford generated 19.1 points, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game during his senior year at Hudson and shot 33.5% from the arc while playing for New Heights Lightning in EYBL. However, despite his ability to orchestrate the offense, Pearl aims to utilize the 5-star freshman as an off-ball scorer.
#2 AJ Dybantsa - Small Forward
The Needham, Massachusetts, native is the top prospect in the coming set of talent pool.
The six-foot-seven star can handle the ball in tricky situations and efficiently take it to the rack. He can create shot opportunities off his athleticism, and his size offers the potential of being a great defender. Moreover, he has already visited the Auburn program and forged a bond with coach Pearl.
Another appealing factor for Bruce Pearl to recruit the athletic wing is that AJ Dybantsa aims to transition into a guard in college. The Tigers have stacked the point role for the current season, behind JP Pegues, Miles Kelly, Denver Jones and Pettiford.
With that, their roster and coaching staff can give Dybansta all the tools necessary to become the first point of the offense as soon as he turns pro.
#3 Caleb Wilson - Power Forward
The six-foot-nine Caleb Wilson is the number one player from Georgia and #4 prospect (according to on3). The wing sees interest from the Blue Devils, Tennessee and other programs due to his versatile defense.
While Kentucky led his recruitment for some time, John Calipari's shift to Arkansas has allowed other institutions to swoop in. Bruce Pearl and Auburn have already offered Wilson and are one of the few institutions heavily pursuing the wing.
“Auburn has a really good Georgia pipeline,” Caleb Wilson said in a recent interview.
“I definitely respect them. They’re becoming a Nike school soon, which is something I like. Coach Bruce Pearl is a good coach, (he) coaches with intensity and I feel like I’ll learn there," he added.
In his sophomore year, Wilson recorded nearly 15 points alongside 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 5.2 blocks. Even though his assists didn't shine like other stats, Wilson has a great feel of the court and a vision to become a passing threat.