What Auburn basketball is getting in French 7-footer Narcisse Ngoy

Here's our full scouting report on Auburn's newest European import — a rim-dominant, two-way big man with truly elite physical tools.

(LNB)

AUBURN — Although the transfer portal in college basketball didn’t open until after the Final Four this year, that didn’t stop Auburn from adding a player in the middle of another postseason run.

On March 31 — a few days before Auburn would beat Illinois State and Tulsa to claim the NIT championship in Indianapolis — the program announced the signing of French big man Narcisse Ngoy.

“He’s a high-upside young man who brings toughness, physicality, and a team-first mindset to everything he does,” Steven Pearl said in a statement. “Narcisse has a strong feel for the game on both ends of the floor. His instincts, ability to catch and finish around the basket, rim protection, and willingness to embrace contact will make him an immediate impact while filling a huge need for our team.”

Right after the win over Tulsa, Pearl said he thought Ngoy “is going to be a great start” in addressing Auburn’s roster gaps — “especially in rim protection.”

During a season in which Auburn fell short of its standard of making the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers’ defense slipped significantly. After finishing in the top 10 of KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings in three of the previous four seasons, Auburn dropped to No. 109 in its first year under Pearl.

While the Tigers’ struggles defending the 3-point line were well documented, an equally important issue showed up inside the arc.

Auburn allowed opponents to shoot 52.8% on 2-point attempts, ranking No. 229 nationally. The program had not finished outside the top 50 in that category in the previous four seasons — including a No. 1 ranking just two years prior.

Meanwhile, the block rate fell to 11.6%. Even though that was good enough to finish No. 64 nationally, it was the team’s lowest mark in that category since 2015-16 —Bruce Pearl’s second season.

Auburn felt the departures of defensive anchor Dylan Cardwell and National Player of the Year Johni Broome on the interior. KeShawn Murphy, while productive, did not provide the same level of rim protection, and JUCO transfer Emeka Opurum appeared in just six games due to a health issue.

The result was a clear drop-off in Auburn’s ability to protect the paint.

The early stages of Auburn’s roster reload under Pearl and new general manager Brian Kloman have been more about retention than acquisition. While Auburn lost promising young players Elyjah Freeman and Filip Jović to the portal, it brought back its top three possible returners in minutes: star point guard Tahaad Pettiford, veteran sharpshooter Kevin Overton and versatile forward Sebastian Williams-Adams.

For now, Ngoy stands as the lone addition to Auburn’s roster. That is certain to change in the near future, and the Tigers will most likely add another center into the mix soon.

But as Auburn’s board of transfer targets begins to take shape following three key retentions, let’s take a closer look at what the Tigers are getting in the player they secured before the season even ended.

“What stands out the most is his commitment to winning,” Pearl said last month. “He’s not focused on individual numbers — he takes pride in doing the hard, physical work that helps his team succeed. He competes at a high level, processes the game well, and understands how to play within a system.”

Here is our full scouting report on Ngoy, the French center who has a chance to make a real impact in addressing some of Auburn’s biggest needs this offseason.

We’ll take a look at some of his film from the French second division, break down his strengths and identify key areas of development as he transitions to SEC competition.