Despite having two expected key contributors in forward Danjel Purifoy and center Austin Wiley ruled ineligible for competition in the aftermath of the still-ongoing FBI investigation into corruption and bribes in basketball, Auburn managed to win 26 games and a share of the SEC regular season title.
Tuesday night it was announced that Purifoy has regained his eligibility for the 2018-19 season, with the NCAA ruling that he will have to sit out the first 30 percent of the team’s schedule before returning to action. Wiley will also be eligible to return next season.
“We worked diligently with the NCAA on behalf of both our student-athletes who were ineligible this season,” Auburn president Steven Leath said in a statement. “The process was arduous, but it was important that we do everything we could to put Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley in the best position to resume their Auburn basketball careers. We’re happy for them and their teammates and coaches.”
Last season the 6-foot-7 Purifoy started 25 of the 29 games he played in, averaging 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game. Purifoy, one of Auburn’s top perimeter shooters on a team that finished 18-14, shot nearly 37 percent from three on the season.