Bruce Pearl won’t be waiting until next season for his top 2017 recruit to make an impact.
Austin Wiley, a top-20 prospect in his class, has enrolled at Auburn and will be immediately eligible, the school announced Friday.
“I am extremely excited to announce that Austin Wiley has been deemed a qualifier by the NCAA and has been admitted and enrolled in Auburn University,” Pearl said in a statement. “He will compete for Auburn starting against Mercer on Sunday. We look forward to having Austin be a part of and play for the Auburn Tigers just as his parents did.”
Wiley, a 6-foot-11, 255-pound forward, is the son of a pair of former Auburn basketball players. His mother was an All-American and his father led the SEC in rebounding in 1994.
“It feels great. I feel really blessed right now,” Wiley said in a statement. “My hard work and dedication has paid off. Thanks to my parents and the coaches. I feel great. I grew up around here listening to stories my mom and dad would tell me about the Auburn family. This is a blessing, and it seems like everything works out for the best. It feels like destiny.”
The Tigers are currently 9-2, and, following Sunday’s game against Mercer, have contests against Oklahoma and Connecticut before starting conference play.