What Auburn basketball is getting in South Alabama forward Adam Olsen
One of the best 3-point shooters in all of college basketball is coming to the Plains, where he'll bring more size and flexibility to the roster.
AUBURN — Before Auburn played South Alabama to start an NIT run that would eventually lead to a championship win in Indianapolis, Steven Pearl said the Jaguars had “two-high major players on their roster.”
That quote came during an answer about Chaze Harris, the 6-foot-6, ball-dominant NAIA transfer point guard who was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. When talking about Harris, Pearl mentioned how he was playing alongside “one of the best shooters in the country” — the other high-major talent for South Alabama.
That player was Adam Olsen.
While Olsen didn’t suit up for South Alabama in that NIT opener, Auburn had him high on the scouting report in the buildup. And, now, Pearl can claim the Canadian deadeye as one of his own players for his second season in charge on the Plains.
Auburn signed Olsen on Tuesday evening, continuing a busy week that has also produced the pickups of Troy forward Thomas Dowd, Iowa-turned-Creighton big Owen Freeman and Eastern Kentucky-turned-Vanderbilt combo guard George Kimble III for next season’s roster.
Pearl and his staff went back to the in-state Sun Belt well to get Olsen, who came to South Alabama last season as an international import from British Columbia. He broke the program’s single-season record for 3-pointers in a season, shooting nearly 40% from downtown on a high volume and taking home All-Sun Belt second-team honors.
He’ll join Dowd in Auburn’s continuing effort to link a proven backcourt duo of Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton with a retooled center position consisting of 7-footers Bukky Oboye and Narcisse Ngoy. Like Dowd, Olsen provides positional versatility for the changing roster and a well-pronounced skillset at this point in his career.
“Adam has a what I’d call a superpower — he’s one of the best 3-point shooters in all of college basketball,” Pearl said in a statement. “If he sees it, he can make it. At 6-foot-8 with a quick, high release, Adam will consistently get clean looks in an offense that has improved both makes and shooting percentages for our players year after year.
“Adam isn’t just one-dimensional. He’s a true three-level scorer who can knock down the mid-range shot and attack downhill, using his body to finish through contact at the rim. His ability to play multiple positions makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”
Continuing this busy roster revamp week, let’s take a closer look at what exactly Auburn is getting in this Canadian sharpshooter. In our latest scouting report, we’ll break down the strengths of Olsen’s game, his numbers, where he could improve and the one big question about his usage in the step up to SEC competition.
VITALS
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-8
Olsen is a modern stretch-forward who can score at all three levels against any type of defender.
Weight: 225
Age: 20
Olsen was born in September 2005. He will turn 21 prior to the season.
Class: Incoming Senior
He enters with just one year of eligibility remaining.
Previously: Freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of British Columbia (Canada), junior season at South Alabama
Olsen developed over two seasons at the University of British Columbia, emerging as one of the top young prospects in Canadian collegiate basketball. He was selected fourth overall in the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League Draft by the Vancouver Bandits.
Olsen signed a developmental player contract with the club to retain his U SPORTS and NCAA eligibility.
He then made the 2,000+ mile jump to NCAA Division I basketball at South Alabama, immediately stepping into a high-volume role and establishing himself as the premier long-distance shooting threat in the Sun Belt.
2025-26 SEASON STATISTICS
31 games — 31 starts
Olsen started every game he played, missing only one regular-season contest and the NIT matchup against Auburn.
35.8 minutes per game
Like rival-turned-teammate Thomas Dowd, Olsen rarely left the floor for his Sun Belt squad — highlighted by a 50-minute, double-overtime marathon at Louisiana-Monroe in which he played the entire game.
Despite missing two games, he still led the Jaguars in total minutes played, logging 60 more than runner-up Chaze Harris, who started all 33 games.
16.7 points per game
Olsen ranked seventh in the conference in scoring and led the league with 15 games of 20+ points.
4.1 rebounds per game
0.9 assists per game
1.0 steals per game
0.1 blocks per game
39.9% FG
He went 55-135 (40.7%) on 2-point attempts this season.
39.5% 3P
Olsen took nearly twice as many shots behind the arc, setting a single-season program record with 102 made triples on 258 tries.
He led the Sun Belt in 3-point accuracy among qualified shooters while also ranking third in attempts and second in makes.
84.3% FT
He went 102-121 from the line, finishing fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage.
Second-Team All-Sun Belt
Olsen’s ultra-rare combination of high-volume shooting and efficiency made him one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the conference.
He also took care of the basketball, ranking second in the Sun Belt in turnover percentage (6.2%).
STANDOUT GAMES
11/15 vs. Coppin State: 25 points | 3 rebounds | 3 assists | 4 steals
9-12 FG | 6-9 3P
12/2 vs. New Mexico State: 21 points | 2 steals
6-10 FG | 3-6 3P | 6-7 FT
12/31 at Louisiana: 26 points | 2 rebounds
7-13 FG | 10-10 FT
1/22 at James Madison: 26 points | 3 rebounds | 3 assists | 2 steals
8-16 FG | 4-10 3P
2/7 vs. Buffalo: 23 points | 3 steals
6-11 FG | 4-7 3P | 7-9 FT
2/14 at Arkansas State: 27 points | 6 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals
7-15 3P
2/25 vs. Louisiana-Monroe: 29 points | 5 rebounds | 2 assists
9-15 FG | 8-13 3P
PLAYER ARCHETYPE
Gravitational Sharpshooter
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Auburn Observer to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.