Key Highlights
- Auburn is expected to be without starting center KeShawn Murphy against Wofford on Tuesday night.
- Murphy has been dealing with an ankle injury that he aggravated in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman.
- No. 22 Auburn Tigers will likely play a mix of Mek Oporum, Sebastian Williams-Adams, Keyshawn Hall, and Filip Jovic at the center position.
- The game between Auburn and Wofford is set for Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Neville Arena.
Auburn Tigers Struggle to Stay Healthy as KeShawn Murphy Out Again
No. 22 Auburn Tigers are set to face the Wofford Terriers on Tuesday night, but they will likely be without their starting center, KeShawn Murphy. Murphy has been dealing with an ankle injury that he aggravated during the season opener against Bethune-Cookman.
Season-Long Injuries Plague Auburn
Auburn is no stranger to dealing with injuries this season. Murphy was already playing without a starting big man in their recent win over Merrimack, and now his absence looms again as the team faces Wofford at Neville Arena.
Coach’s Approach to Center Play
Steven Pearl, the head coach of Auburn, expressed hope that they won’t have to use Murphy against Wofford. “Murph is progressing from his ankle injury,” said Pearl. “He will play in an emergency situation, if we need him to, against Wofford. But he’s still coming back from that injury, so we don’t want to rush him back.”
Pearl added, “We’re gonna try and not play Murph unless there’s another injury or foul trouble.” The coach also highlighted the contributions of other players such as Mek Oporum, who is expected to take on a significant role at the center position. At 7-0, Oporum has the length necessary to match up with bigger teams but continues to struggle with physicality.
Preparation and Confidence
Pearl highlighted that Mek showed promise in his performance against Merrimack, particularly when facing a smaller lineup. “Mek was really good in the Merrimack game,” said Pearl. “For Mek, not every team is gonna be 6-7 and under at every position and play a zone. I thought Mek was a beneficiary of them playing in zone. We had guys that caught it at the high post.
But, credit to Mek: He was at the right place. They threw it to the rim, and he finished. He got a couple of nice blocked shots on the back line right there.”
Pearl emphasized the importance of confidence for Oporum’s growth. “For him, I talked about it last week, it’s all about his confidence,” said Pearl. “If Mek can be confident, he can do a lot of good things.
Each week in practice, he continues to work, continues to grind, continues to try to get better. As the game continues to slow down for him, as he continues to grow in his confidence, he’ll continue to be effective when he’s out there.”
The game against Wofford can be seen on SEC Network+ at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. Auburn faces Houston on Sunday and will need Murphy healthy for the remainder of this season.
