The Auburn Tigers will host their annual ‘Tipoff at Toomer’s’ event this evening on the Plains. While the event is mainly in place for fans to wish the team luck ahead of a new season, head coach Bruce Pearl and his staff have their eyes on the recruiting trail as well. 247 Sports has reported that 2025 4-star forward Samis Calderon will take an official visit to the Plains for the festivities on Thursday night.
A native of Espirito Santo, Brazil, Calderon currently plays his basketball for the Cold Hearts of the Overtime Elite league in Altanta, GA. A direct competitor of sorts to the NBA G League, Overtime Elite is a developmental league for young players looking to develop their game. The 19-year-old has averaged a 14.5 points and 11 rebounds this preseason for the Cold Hearts, making him one of the prized prospects currently on the circuit.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward is a consensus top 40 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class and top 20 prospect from the state of Georgia. Along with Auburn, Calderon has received offers from Kansas, Michigan, and Tennessee. He is expected to take official visits to all four schools in the coming weeks, with a visit Michigan scheduled for this weekend, October 20.
With Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell set to leave the Plains after this season, it makes complete sense for Bruce Pearl and the Auburn staff to go after as many talented front court prosepects as possible. We’ll see if the joyfulness of Auburn’s premier preseason basketball event can help sway the 19-year-old to take his talents to the Plains next season.
‘Tipoff at Toomer’s’ is set to begin at 6:30 PM CST on Thursday, October 17. The event is free and open to the public, and can be streamed on ESPN+ with a subscription to the service.
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