Overview
- Auburn defeated South Alabama 78-67 at Neville Arena and will face Seattle in the next round later this week.
- Head coach Steven Pearl said Murphy decided not to play and emphasized the program will focus on the players who are participating.
- Initial reporting indicated Murphy did not attend Monday’s practice and did not inform the staff, and he was the only player to miss the session.
- Auburn was left out of the NCAA Tournament and accepted a top seed in the NIT to continue postseason play.
- Murphy, a Mississippi State transfer, started most of the season for Auburn and averaged 10.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.0 block, with coverage noting the opt-out could hurt his fringe NBA draft outlook.