A new era of player acquisition may be dawning for Auburn basketball, and it took less than a week for Steven Pearl to confirm it following the hiring of new GM Brian Kloman.

With the Auburn Tigers being far from their usual best and getting lambasted by criticism for their sudden fall from grace, the program is now looking for a sudden revival.

“Being ready to attack the portal is paramount”, feels Steven Pearl, while also adding that he has a longstanding relationship with Kloman, who’s also a Tennessee grad.

Kloman, who spent 12 seasons on Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey’s staff, including stints at Winthrop and Charleston, brings with him a special set of skills that only a select few possess. Kloman had completely revamped the Louisville roster during his time, courtesy of the portals, succeeding in securing back-to-back NCAA Tournament spots.

During Kloman’s time with Louisville, his teams consistently finished in the top three to five in the ACC, and that deserves commendation. Kloman’s two seasons at Louisville were particularly noteworthy, highlighted by his achievement of signing a 14-man transfer class before the 2024-25 season.

Finding recruits and hunting them down is a task that Steven Pearl’s ‘old pal’ has mastered. Pearl is sure that Kloman will use his connections to elevate the portal game even further.

While Kloman will look to get the ball rolling behind the scenes, Pearl is now busy preparing his team for the NIT semifinals game against Illinois State, and he has a special person to thank for it.

Pearl Talks About the Special Player Who Made Them Push for NIT Bid

The NCAA Tournament has eluded Auburn this year, but that didn’t stop the Tigers from accepting the invitation to the NIT. While many had their doubts about partaking in the contest, there was one player who was determined, and it was none other than Keyshawn Hall.

“(Keyshawn Hall) was one of the main guys when the season ended that wanted to continue to play basketball and made that very vocal, and I give him a ton of credit for that. This is still something to compete for, and still an opportunity to go out there on national television and show what you’re capable of, and to get some more tape out there,” said Pearl on what made them finally take the plunge.

While many thought that the season was over for the Tigers, Hall was not done playing as he still yearned for a shot at glory. And so far, he is doing everything right. Hall has moved into seventh place on Auburn’s single-season scoring list after scoring 14 points in a 75-69 victory over Nevada last week in the NIT quarterfinals.

Hall’s scoring has been the engine of his impressive season, pushing his total to 659 points. His consistency is undeniable, as he’s now scored in double figures in 32 games and was just one point shy of another double-double against Seattle.

Keyshawn is simply continuing his hot streak this season, and with his 19.4 average, is looking good to ensure that his team gets a championship finish.

“He’s shown all year what he’s capable of. As the year has gone on, teams have done a good job of scouting him and really loading the ball and making him pick the ball up and facilitate, which he’s capable of doing,” Pearl said of his student, praising him for the effort he is putting in.

Ironically, Keyshawn faced disciplinary actions at the hands of Pearl last month for failing to meet team standards despite a proven track record. This made many believe that there would be a possible rift between him and the coach, but now it seems it’s all water under the bridge as they have patched things up.