So Peyton Marshall committed today, which clearly was a bit of a surprise to ME.
Peyton is an interesting case. He’s from the greater Atlanta area, he LOVES Auburn, he’s big and long, provides a consistent defensive presence and he’s shown an ability to dominate games on the scoring end. He‘s an excellent prospect. There’s a reason Rivals has him at No. 46 overall for the Class of 2024 — and he keeps rising.
It’s a no-brainer for Auburn to take this kid, right?
Well, Marshall has been all-Auburn for a while now. The hold-up, if you can say that about a 2024 kid who commits in December of 2022, has been the way he plays … and if that’s in concert with what Bruce Pearl wants from his centers.
THE PROS:
• Marshall is massive. It’s not enough to say he’s 6-foot-10 and 305 pounds. He’s a powerful, thick dude.
• Marshall used to be more massive — he claims to have been 350 at one point — and it’s impressive that he lost all that weight.
• Marshall is a calm, rational, intelligent, friendly young man thriving in a world of gregarious, selfish, fussy players. (As a famous college coach once told me: “I can’t have 13 assholes on my roster; I need some good kids, too.”)
• Marshall has some idea of defensive timing; he gets to blocks through smarts/savvy moreso than sheer size.
• Marshall is skilled for his age and he’s only getting better from here.
THE CONS:
• Marshall is massive. Pearl centers typically are more bouncy, transition-y, bendy. He doesn’t fit that mold right now.
• Marshall has done a nice job losing weight and adding explosiveness, but the scale may be a persistent enemy for him.
• Marshall typically isn’t an assertive basketball player. He‘s often passive, in fact.
******
This young man, as a player, elicited some disparate opinions from folks in and around the Auburn program. Though everyone agrees this young man never will be a minus in a locker-room setting (will be like Al Flanagan from a personality standpoint), opinions on his ability to THRIVE at Auburn have been mixed to some degree. Some saw Marshall as an absolute stud. Some saw him as a merely good player with potential.
He has continued to shed pounds — he’s lost more weight since attending Auburn’s team camp in June — and that has allowed him to play with more athleticism. Marshall clearly showed enough during the past six months to turn some doubters into enthusiastic believers. And now he’s on track to become an Auburn Tigers some 16 months from now. It’ll be a 16-month period where BP and the staff will look for continued improvement in terms of skill, aggression and physical composition.
I think it’s a risk worth taking. When Marshall is good, he’s really dang good. His humble attitude and authentic personality make me think he’s more likely to reach his athletic potential versus a kid who already thinks he’s a made man.
Peyton is an interesting case. He’s from the greater Atlanta area, he LOVES Auburn, he’s big and long, provides a consistent defensive presence and he’s shown an ability to dominate games on the scoring end. He‘s an excellent prospect. There’s a reason Rivals has him at No. 46 overall for the Class of 2024 — and he keeps rising.
It’s a no-brainer for Auburn to take this kid, right?
Well, Marshall has been all-Auburn for a while now. The hold-up, if you can say that about a 2024 kid who commits in December of 2022, has been the way he plays … and if that’s in concert with what Bruce Pearl wants from his centers.
THE PROS:
• Marshall is massive. It’s not enough to say he’s 6-foot-10 and 305 pounds. He’s a powerful, thick dude.
• Marshall used to be more massive — he claims to have been 350 at one point — and it’s impressive that he lost all that weight.
• Marshall is a calm, rational, intelligent, friendly young man thriving in a world of gregarious, selfish, fussy players. (As a famous college coach once told me: “I can’t have 13 assholes on my roster; I need some good kids, too.”)
• Marshall has some idea of defensive timing; he gets to blocks through smarts/savvy moreso than sheer size.
• Marshall is skilled for his age and he’s only getting better from here.
THE CONS:
• Marshall is massive. Pearl centers typically are more bouncy, transition-y, bendy. He doesn’t fit that mold right now.
• Marshall has done a nice job losing weight and adding explosiveness, but the scale may be a persistent enemy for him.
• Marshall typically isn’t an assertive basketball player. He‘s often passive, in fact.
******
This young man, as a player, elicited some disparate opinions from folks in and around the Auburn program. Though everyone agrees this young man never will be a minus in a locker-room setting (will be like Al Flanagan from a personality standpoint), opinions on his ability to THRIVE at Auburn have been mixed to some degree. Some saw Marshall as an absolute stud. Some saw him as a merely good player with potential.
He has continued to shed pounds — he’s lost more weight since attending Auburn’s team camp in June — and that has allowed him to play with more athleticism. Marshall clearly showed enough during the past six months to turn some doubters into enthusiastic believers. And now he’s on track to become an Auburn Tigers some 16 months from now. It’ll be a 16-month period where BP and the staff will look for continued improvement in terms of skill, aggression and physical composition.
I think it’s a risk worth taking. When Marshall is good, he’s really dang good. His humble attitude and authentic personality make me think he’s more likely to reach his athletic potential versus a kid who already thinks he’s a made man.
