Photo courtesy of Auburn Athletics
Austin Wiley
Austin Wiley made his debut at Auburn on Sunday, Dec. 18.
Former Spain Park High School basketball star Austin Wiley was cleared late last week by the NCAA and made his Auburn debut on Sunday.
The 6-foot-11 center and the son of two parents who played basketball at Auburn, Wiley scored nine points and hauled in three rebounds in his collegiate debut, as the Tigers defeated Mercer 76-74 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from T.J. Dunans.
"At first I was nervous but when the game started flowing I started picking it up and I got comfortable out there," Wiley told AuburnTigers.com following the game.
After completing his junior year at Spain Park, Wiley transferred to The Conrad Academy in Orlando, to further focus on basketball. He was able to graduate after the year’s first semester and enroll at Auburn.
"His presence helped us,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “And as he continues to learn what to do, obviously, you can see what a special player he is."
Wiley’s arrival came at just the right time for Auburn, a team undersized as it is but playing without starting forward Horace Spencer for the time being due to suspension.
Last year at Spain Park, Wiley averaged 27.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game and was named the Alabama Sportswriters Association Class 7A Player of the Year.
