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Dismissed Maryland center finds a new school

Bruce Pearl

Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl speaks at the university Tuesday, March 18, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

AP

Earlier this summer 7-foot-1 center Trayvon Reed joined the Maryland program as part of a talented freshman class expected to help the Terrapins end their NCAA tournament drought. However Reed wasn’t in College Park long, as an arrest on charges including shoplifting and resisting arrest led to Mark Turgeon deciding that the program would be better off without the center.

Thursday afternoon it was reported by Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com that Reed, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, has found a new school. Reed will be an Auburn Tiger, becoming the latest talented prospect to commit to Bruce Pearl’s program. However Reed won’t be on campus immediately, as according to multiply outlets he’ll be attending Elev-8 Prep in Florida in order to shore up his academics and become eligible in December.

Not being able to join the Auburn program immediately isn’t optimal, but it was possible that Reed wouldn’t have been able to take the floor immediately for health reasons. In mid-June Reed suffered a fractured right ankle, and at the time the injury was expected to sideline him anywhere from eight to twelve weeks.

If Reed can take care of business academically he’d give the Tigers added front court depth just ahead of the start of SEC play. Bruce Pearl’s staff did a good job of adding pieces to the program while the head coach was serving the remainder of his three-year show cause penalty. Among the additions were junior college power forward Cinmeon Bowers and 6-foot-10 freshman power forward Jack Purchase, and they join four holdovers who weren’t all that productive in 2013-14.

As for what Auburn could be in 2015-16, the Tigers won’t lack for depth or talent with Bowers and Reed back, Marshall transfer guard Kareem Canty eligible and a 2015 recruiting class that’s already off to a good start. Last weekend Auburn reeled in junior college guard T.J. Dunans and forwards Danjel Purifoy and Horace Spencer, with the latter making his decision after attending the program’s elite camp on Sunday (Pearl’s penalty expired at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning).

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