Former High Point guard Duke Miles set to visit Auburn

Auburn basketball is still trying to do work in the transfer portal, as former High Point guard Duke Miles is set to visit the Plains this month.

Auburn basketball is currently trying to fulfill its roster needs for the 2024-25 season, searching for players out of the transfer portal and still on the recruiting trail.

The Tigers have had some success in their efforts so far, and they are looking to continue that with players coming on visits. One of those players is former High Point guard transfer [autotag]Duke Miles[/autotag], who is set to visit the Plains on April 30.

The fifth-year senior is seeking out his third school in his college career after playing for Troy for three years and High Point for one. His 6-3, 182-pound frame has made him a key player across both squads.

Coming out of Montgomery, Alabama, Miles has been in and out of the starting lineup throughout his college career. In his most recent season with the Panthers, he started in 27 out of the 33 games he appeared in and averaged 30.5 minutes per game.

His shooting abilities were highly noticed in the Big South Conference last year. He finished second in the league in scoring average, posting 17.5 points per contest. His 52.8% success rate from the field was ranked at the top of the conference, as well, while also shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.

Miles is a reliable shooter from the free-throw line, something Auburn is always looking for. He shot 80.1% from the charity stripe in the 2023-24 campaign. He made a season-high 10 free throws on Jan. 10 against UNC Asheville.

Miles was recognized for his work last year. He was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team while also receiving Big South First Team All-Conference honors as well. He was even named the 2023-24 Big South Newcomer of the Year.

Should he commit, he would join the likes of new Auburn commit and former Furman guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] as part of a veteran guard transfer class for coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag].

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Former Furman guard JP Pegues visits Auburn

With the frenzy of the transfer portal getting underway, former Furman point guard JP Pegues visited Auburn on Tuesday

The chaos of the transfer portal is starting to get underway in college basketball, with players announcing their exit left and right. [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] have both already announced that they are leaving the program, which means [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] is in search of another guard.

Luckily for Auburn, the news of two of its guards leaving is attracting some attention from top players, including former Furman point guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag]. The Paladin star made a visit to the Plains on Tuesday.

The junior had an impressive campaign this season, averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game during Furman’s 17-16 record in the 2023-24 year. His stats led him to be named to the first-team All-Southern Conference squad.

He already took a visit to South Carolina last weekend before making his trip to Auburn. After a visit that he feels went well, he looks to make one final visit to Florida on April 12 before making a decision.

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Former Furman guard headed to Florida for official visit

This former Furman guard could be a good replacement for the departed Zyon Pullin.

The NCAA transfer portal has been a boon for Todd Golden and the Florida basketball program over the past couple of years as the Gators seek to return to the promised land experienced during Billy Donovan’s tenure.

The team has some openings on its roster after the departure of players like graduate students Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel. As such, the de facto collegiate free agency system once again offers a solution to Golden’s lineup issues.

Former Furman point guard [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] has emerged as a potential replacement for Pullin among the transfer ranks. The ballhandler is set to visit the University of Florida on April 12, according to 247Sports.

JP Pegues’ stats

The 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound junior was a first-team All-SoCon honoree in 2023-24, averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 42% overall and 36.2% from three-point range.

During his sophomore season, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game; Pegues averaged 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists during his freshman campaign.

He also ranked among the top 6.5% of Division I players in assist rate and averaged 4.6 fouls drawn per 40 minutes last season. Those fouls helped feed his 87% mark from the free-throw line, which landed him at No. 68 nationally.

Transfer portal rankings

Pegues is rated at four stars as a transfer portal prospect by 247Sports, coming in at No. 31 overall nationally while also ranked sixth at the point guard position. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, landing at No. 63 overall at his position in 2021.

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Nebraska targeting transfer portal guard

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have targeted a first-team all-conference guard in the transfer portal.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have targeted a first-team all-conference guard in the transfer portal. Furman transfer JP Pegues has also heard from Oklahoma, Clemson, Seton Hall, Davidson, Miami, and more.

Pegues averaged 18.4 points per game and 4.8 assists. For the second year in a row, he was first-team All-SoCon.

He is the third Furman player to enter the transfer portal since the end of the season. Pegues joins Marcus Foster and Carter Whitt in the portal.

For his Furman career, he appeared in 95 games, averaging 11.4 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.

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Furman hero JP Pegues: I’ve watched the game-winning clip ‘at least 50 times’

After 24 hours, Pegues reflected on his game-winning shot to send Furman to its first NCAA Tournament win since 1974.

ORLANDO, Fla. — When JP Pegues sent No. 14 seed Furman to its upset win over No. 4 Virginia on Thursday, it was a moment the sophomore had experienced before and was more than prepared for.

It was March 2020 when Pegues hit a game-winning 3-pointer to send Hillsboro High (Nashville, Tennessee) to the Class AAA state tournament as a junior. The shot was something that even drew Furman head coach Bob Richey to Pegues.

“That’s why we recruited him so hard,” Richey said. “We watched his clutch clips, and I watched him do something very similar (to his shot on Thursday) in a huge state playoff game. When I saw the ball go up, I knew it was going in.”

So did Pegues.

With the Paladins’ season on the line on Thursday, the ball found Pegues in a wild scramble. Without hesitation, Pegues promptly let the ball go and drained the 3-pointer to send Furman to its first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1974.

“It was just a familiar situation,” Pegues said. “I remember that same feeling in high school when I knew the game was on the line and a play had to be made. I just remember me craving, wanting that. Knowing that the season is on the line, how much of a competitor I am and how much I want to win. I just remember in high school, specifically, telling my coach (Rodney Thweatt): ‘Coach, I got this one. I got us.’ That was kind of the same mindset that I had when Garrett (Hien) got that steal yesterday and I knew he was looking for me. As soon as I caught it, I just had the full belief that the shot was going in.”

Pegues and Furman have had about 24 hours to reflect on the moment. The coaching staff and players have heard from friends, family members and Furman alumni since pulling off the upset win. Some former players were even in attendance cheering them on at Amway Center.

While the team now turns its attention to fifth-seeded San Diego State on Saturday (12:10 p.m. EDT, CBS), Pegues can’t help reflecting on that moment and the history he helped make.

“(I’ve watched it) numerous times, like back to back,” Pegues said. “It has been at least 50 times I’ve watched that specific clip. I was just so numb to the fact at first. I couldn’t believe it.”

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Kevin Harlan’s call of Furman’s game-winning shot against Virginia is an instant classic

Kevin Harlan’s call of the Furman game winner against Virginia is INCREDIBLE.

Leave it to Kevin Harlan to give the perfect call for the game-winning shot of a March Madness upset.

As No. 13 seed Furman stunned No. 4 seed Virginia in the opening round of the South Region in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, Harlan couldn’t help but toss out an instantly iconic call of Furman sophomore guard JP Pegues’ incredible 3-pointer.

On the crucial sequence, Furman got a last-second steal, and Pegues was in perfect position to knock down the trey that gave the Paladins a 68-67 win over the Cavaliers.

It’s the kind of bracket-busting upset game that instantly anoints a Cinderella, especially if the team can make it out of the round of 32 this weekend.

Harlan’s call will give you goosebumps.

You can hear the pivotal Furman shot called beautifully by Paladins radio, too.

Harlan also underscored the upset victory with the right amount of gravitas with Furman’s win coming on its first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 43 years.

Furman’s upset victory helped bettors hit the +5.5 spread, the 130.5 over and the +200 moneyline.

Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Pegues didn’t at all seem afraid in what was sure to be the biggest basketball moment of his career so far.

As for the Cavaliers, the loss highlights Virginia head coach Tony Bennett’s struggles in the tournament. Even though Bennett led the Cavs to an NCAA championship in 2019, his team hasn’t fared quite as well in other seasons.

His Virginia teams have especially struggled with underdogs as of late.

No matter what, Pegues’ game-winning bucket and Harlan’s incredible call will mark what will certainly be a “One Shining Moment” highlight this year.

The special moment also demolished most of the 2023 bracket predictions.