Tag: Jahki Howard

Two Auburn players not traveling to Houston after plane incident

Auburn’s flight to Houston was forced to retreat Friday following a “horseplaying” incident.

A supposed “horseplay” incident that later turned into an altercation during Auburn basketball’s flight to Houston on Friday night has resulted in two players being left behind for the Tigers game vs. No. 4 Houston.

According to Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live, freshman forward [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] and transfer forward [autotag]Ja’Heim Hudson[/autotag] were involved in an altercation during Auburn’s flight to Houston on Friday, which led to the plane being diverted back to Auburn University’s airport.

According to Hokanson’s sources, the incident began as “horseplay” before turning into an altercation that included personal words being exchanged, which made the pilots and flight attendant uncomfortable. However, the two were separated before the altercation escalated.

The duo combined to score nine points in Auburn’s win over Vermont on Wednesday. Howard scored seven points and pulled down four rebounds while Hudson recorded two assists and two points.

The No. 11 Tigers will look to earn its first upset of the season when it faces No. 4 Houston at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at 8:30 p.m. CT.

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Jersey numbers revealed for Auburn basketball’s 2024-25 additions

Check out which jersey number Auburn’s new roster additions will be wearing next season.

Next season, Auburn will be flaunting a new-look roster following the departures of players such as [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], [autotag]KD Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag]. Several key players including [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] return while [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] and [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] join the program.

Auburn basketball recently revealed the jersey numbers for several incoming players and a number change for a returning contributor. Guard Denver Jones will switch numbers from No. 12 to No. 2 this season, taking over the number previously worn by Auburn’s all-time winningest player, Jaylin Williams. During his first season on the Plains, Jones started in 33 games while averaging 9.1 points per game and recording 25 steals in 35 games.

Auburn’s lone transfer to this point, All-SoCon guard JP Pegues, will wear No. 1, taking the place of former guard and Alabama transfer Aden Holloway. The Nashville native earned all SoCon honors by scoring 18.4 points and recording 4.8 assists per game as a junior at Furman.

Next is Auburn’s top signee, Tahaad Pettiford. Pettiford signed with Auburn as a five-star composite guard from Jersey City, New Jersey. He is the nation’s No. 2 point guard from the 2025 cycle and was the No. 3 player from New Jersey. He will wear No. 0, previously worn by KD Johnson.

The final notable jersey number reveal is for [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag], the four-star forward who joined Pettiford in signing with Auburn as part of the 2024 class. Howard will wear No. 3 this season, previously worn by [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], who transferred to Michigan during the offseason.

Outside of Auburn’s known departures, Matt Cohen of AL.com reports that former walk-on Carter Sobera will not return to the team for the 2024-25 season. Sobera is known for being awarded a scholarship last season. His Auburn career ends with 0.1 points, 0.4 rebounds, and a 33% field goal percentage over three seasons.

The 2024-25 roster update has not been finalized as Auburn is still welcoming potential transfers for visits including former Texas forward Dillon Mitchell.

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Samford transfer Achor Achor schedules official visit to Auburn

The forward earned All-SoCon honors after scoring 16.1 points and securing 6.1 rebounds per game.

Auburn basketball made a splash by landing All-SoCon guard JP Pegues from the transfer portal to fill its need for a guard. [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and his staff are now trying to add the SoCon’s top forward.

The Samford Bulldogs enjoyed a special 2023-24 season with a perfect 18-0 home record, a SoCon championship, and a first-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament that resulted in a controversial loss to Kansas.

Forward [autotag]Achor Achor[/autotag] was a key reason for the Bulldogs’ success last season by leading the team with 16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His season performance landed him on the All-SoCon team alongside Auburn transfer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag]. Following the season, Achor entered the transfer portal and has garnered interest from several schools including Auburn. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Achor will be on campus this week for an official visit.

Auburn continues its hunt to find a suitable replacement for [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] after striking out on two targets last week. Former Clemson forward [autotag]RJ Godfrey[/autotag] was supposed to visit last week but canceled in favor of committing to Georgia. Montgomery native [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag] did show up for an official visit to Auburn last week, but the former High Point product ultimately chose Oklahoma over the Tigers.

Achor would be a solid addition to Auburn’s rotation due to his experience and size. His 6-9 stature, mixing in his knowledge with players such as [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Moore[/autotag] will aid the development of newcomers [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] and [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag].

As a transfer, Achor is ranked as a four-star forward by 247Sports and is the No. 36 overall power forward in the transfer portal.

Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford, Jahki Howard both climb in final 247Sports ranking

Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard both made slight moves up in the final 247Sports ranking for the 2024 recruiting class.

The 2024 recruiting cycle for basketball is all but complete and 247Sports did a final update to their rankings on Monday. The update was good for both of Auburn’s signees, who each saw their rankings increase.

Point guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] headlines the class and is now one of the highest-rated signees in program history. He made a slight move up, going from the No. 25 overall player to No. 22. Committing to Auburn in February of 2023, he is also the No. 1 point guard in the country and the No. 3 player from New Jersey.

[autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] is Auburn’s other signee and the small forward is now the No. 69 player in the country. An exceptional athlete, Howard was a late addition to Auburn’s class after officially visiting in November and signing with the Tigers later that month.

The duo gives [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn the No. 27 ranked class in the country but that is only because of its size. Their average rating of 98.11 is the 10th best in the country and is exactly how Pearl wants to build his rosters.

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Five-star SG Meleek Thomas has ‘great experience’ visiting Auburn

Auburn is firmly in the mix for five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas.

Five-star shooting guard [autotag]Meleek Thomas[/autotag], one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class, made his first visit to the Plains this weekend and it made quite an impression on him.

“This visit went very well,” he told On3’s Jeffrey Lee. “It was everything I expected it to be and more. I wanted to get on campus and get a feel for everything, the team, the coaches, the atmosphere, the area … everything I could potentially be in. And it was a great experience.”

Thomas was able to watch Auburn beat LSU for their ninth-straight win and got to see what the atmosphere is like inside Neville Arena.

“The atmosphere was live,” he said. “The fans were together. They were all loud and had high energy. It was a great crowd.”

Thomas is the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 shooting guard in the On3 Industry ranking. The Pittsburgh native is also the No. 1 player from Pennsylvania.

While it was his first visit to Auburn, Thomas has heard plenty about the Tigers from his AAU teammates and Auburn signees [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] and [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag].

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Five-star combo guard Dylan Harper announces commitment

The five-star guard picked Rutgers over Auburn, Duke, Kansas and Indiana.

Auburn was one of the finalists for five-star combo guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] but the Tigers were not the pick when he announced his commitment on Wednesday, instead the New Jersey native will be staying home and playing for Rutgers.

Harper was one of [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn’s top targets ever since they extended him a scholarship offer on June 16, 2023. He is the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 combo guard in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 1 player from New Jersey.

While missing out on Harper stings, Auburn still has a very impressive recruiting class. The Tigers have already signed five-star point guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] and four-star shooting guard [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag].

The duo gives Auburn the No. 25 recruiting class in the country but their average rating of 98.01 is the 10th best in the nation.

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Four-star forward Jahkai Howard officially signs with Auburn

The “best dunker in high school basketball” is officially an Auburn Tiger.

Auburn basketball has wrapped up the signing process for the 2024 cycle, as four-star forward [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] has officially signed with [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and the Tigers.

“Jahki is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2024 class,” Pearl said of Howard. “We’ve been watching and recruiting him since his freshman year – seeing so much growth, maturity, and commitment to becoming great. His basketball IQ, his athleticism, and his motor make him a great fit for our program.”

Howard was a late addition to the signing class. Auburn earned the signature of guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] on Nov. 8, with Howard verbally committing to Pearl and the Tigers on the same day. His signature gives Auburn the No. 25 class for the 2024 cycle, the highest for Auburn since 2021 which was No. 16.

Howard attends Overtime Elite in Atlanta and played alongside Pettiford for New Heights Lightning on the EYBL circuit. He is the No. 20 small forward for the 2024 class according to 247Sports, and the No. 85 overall recruit for the class.

Enjoy a peak at Howard’s highlight tape while you celebrate the signing of Auburn basketball’s latest edition.

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Four-star SF Jahki Howard commits to Auburn

He is one of the top athletes in the class and is teammates with Tahaad Pettiford.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn basketball took care of business Wednesday, not only did the Tigers sign five-star point guard Tahaad Pettiford, but they also landed a commitment from four-star small forward [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag]. 

Howard is originally from Boston but currently lives in Atlanta and plays for Overtime Elite. He picked the Tigers over Georgia Tech, Arizona State and Arkansas. 

He is the No. 76 overall player and the No. 19 small forward in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 8 player from Georgia.

Howard is an elite athlete who projects as a three at Auburn but can also slide over to the four due to his size (6-foot-6, 175 pounds). He is already a great finisher but his best basketball is ahead of him as continues to refine his game and improve as a shooter 

His commitment gives Auburn the No. 24 class in the country but the average player rating of 98.01 is the 10th best in the country.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzZOSABp_DH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Auburn is ‘one of the standouts’ for 4-star SF Jahki Howard

He is teammates and friends with five-star Auburn commit Tahaad Pettiford.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn are looking to fill out the Tigers 2024 recruiting class and one of their top targets is four-star small forward [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag], the interest is mutual as he officially visited the Plains over the weekend.

Currently living in Atlanta, Howard is originally from Boston and connected with Pearl over their shared roots, he revealed to Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente

“I’d probably just say BP. Bruce Pearl, he’s a different kind,” Howard said. “I didn’t know he’s from Boston, that’s where I’m originally from and just the way he talks to people and the way he cares about people, I really love it. I love this team, I love how it looks already in practice. I’ve enjoyed watching them practice. Coaching staff is good, so I just like it so far.”

Howard is the No. 71 overall player and No. 17 small forward in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-6, 175-pounder is also the No. 7 player from Georgia.

While he doesn’t have a leader, Auburn, UConn, Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Arizona State are all in pursuit of the talented forward.

“No I wouldn’t say that but I’d say for sure that Auburn is one of the standouts because of the family standpoint,” Howard said. “They treat this like family, they treat everybody team-wise like family. I see all the players enjoy it, they’re always playing around, they’re all cool with each other.”

Auburn’s lone commit in the 2024 cycle is five-star point guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag], who just so happens to be a teammate and friend of Howard.

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Four-star power forward Jahki Howard sets official visit to Auburn

Auburn is looking to land yet another top recruit from Atlanta.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn basketball are set to have another top target on the Plains this weekend. Four-star power forward [autotag]Jahki Howard[/autotag] is set to officially visit Auburn this weekend, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

Howard is from Boston but currently attends Overtime Elite in Atlanta, putting him right in Auburn’s backyard.

He is the No. 78 overall player and No. 28 small forward in the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 9 player from Georgia.

Checking in at 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds, he is a great athlete who is still growing as a basketball player. His impressive length makes him a disruptive defender. Offensively he is working to improve as a shooter but excels at cutting to the basket and finishing at the rim.

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