Tag: jt thor auburn

Sharife Cooper moves up in latest Bleacher Report NBA mock draft

Former Auburn stars Sharife Cooper and JT Thor are expected to go in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft.

[mm-video type=video id=01f8br6em3g622z6x9yw playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f8br6em3g622z6x9yw/01f8br6em3g622z6x9yw-a827bc82b12dc4aba5dd54c6cc1edd12.jpg]

The 2021 NBA draft is just more than a month away and two former Auburn stars are waiting to find out where they will be starting their professional careers.

In the latest mock draft by Bleacher Report, both Sharife Cooper and JT are predicted as first-round picks with the former moving up a few spots from the last.

Cooper, who played just 12 games last season as a freshman due to eligibility and injury issues, is slotted at the No. 19 spot and going to the New York Knicks who made the playoffs for the first time since 2013 this past season. Former Auburn point guard Jared Harper was on the Knicks’ roster for a part of this season after making waves in the G League.

As for Thor, the freshman is predicted to go just five spots later with the No. 24 pick to the Houston Rockets who own the pick via the Milwaukee Bucks.

If both Cooper and Thor are selected in the first 32 picks, it will be the first time that two Auburn players have been selected in the first round of a NBA draft in program history.

The draft begins on Thursday, July 29.

Auburn forward J.T. Thor testing NBA draft waters

Auburn freshman forward JT Thor has announced that he will enter his name into the NBA Draft but not hire an agent.

Auburn forward J.T. Thor might be Auburn’s next one-and-done.

On Tuesday, the freshman from Anchorage, Alaska announced that he is going to test his stock in the 2021 NBA Draft but is not signing with an agent, leaving the possibility open for his return to the Tigers for the 2021-22 season.

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Coach Pearl and the entire coaching staff here at Auburn for accepting me with open arms both on and off the court,” Thor said. “Being here has taught me to value hard work and doing things the right way, the Auburn way. I’d also like to thank my teammates for an amazing season. We had our ups and downs, but through it all, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be entering the 2021 NBA Draft with the option to return to school. Playing in the NBA has always been my dream and I feel that my time is now. My dream has never been so close, and I look forward to this next chapter with confidence and determination.”

 

As a freshman during the 2020-21 season, Thor averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. A 4-star out of Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia, he was ranked the No. 8 power forward in the 2020 signing class.

“JT has a great future ahead of him,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “He’s a hard worker, he’s got great versatility and he showed the potential he has on both ends of the floor this past season. We’re going to support him as he goes through this process and receives valuable feedback. We’re going to work really hard to see that he gets the best opportunity, whether that is keeping his name in the draft or coming back to Auburn.”

Everything J.T. Thor said following Auburn’s loss to Kentucky

J.T. Thor had his best game as an Auburn Tiger on Saturday but wasn’t able to pull off the win against Kentucky.

On difference between last few games and this one…

“I think just trying to let the game come to me and to not put pressure on myself to make plays. Just let the game come to me and if you’re open, shoot it, and don’t care about the makes or misses.”

On the game as a whole…

“I felt like in the beginning of the game we played tight defense, but at the start of the second half we got sloppy. I feel like it’s been something we need to get tight on in the last couple of games and start the second half stronger.”

On if he lost any confidence over the last few games…

“I didn’t lose any confidence. I was just coming in like it’s whatever. If you put pressure on yourself, you’re probably not going to play good. I was just like let me relax and let the game come to me.”

On the defense in the second half…

“I just know that they were making shots. They just found the rim and kept making it. I felt like we could have been more tight, but it is what it is.”