Auburn may have fallen short against Houston, but one of their top players could be back in action soon.
Keyshawn Hall exited Sunday’s matchup with 4:14 remaining after landing awkwardly on the foot of Houston’s Joseph Tugler. According to Nathan King of 247Sports, the injury was diagnosed as a “lateral ankle and foot sprain.”
X-rays were negative, and although there’s no firm timetable for his return, the early signs are encouraging.
Hall’s absence creates a significant void in Auburn’s lineup. The UCF transfer has been one of the Tigers’ most impactful additions, averaging 23.3 points per game and already scoring 20 before leaving the Houston game.
“He’s good,” Steven Pearl said. “He’s been in here every day trying to get treatment and trying to get back as quickly as possible.”
Hall arrived at Auburn after a standout season at UCF, where he set the program’s single-season free-throw record (199) and scored 620 points while shooting 42.7%. Teaming up with fellow transfers KeShawn Murphy and Kevin Overton, he’s been a major reason Auburn is viewed as one of the nation’s strongest teams this season.
“I don’t want him to play tomorrow,” Pearl said of Wednesday’s matchup with Jackson State. “I want him to get back to 100% because it’s a long season.”
Freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams is expected to step into Hall’s role until he returns. With Murphy healthy again, Hall’s eventual comeback should have the Tigers at full strength heading into the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
Auburn tips off against Jackson State at 8 p.m. CST on the SEC Network, as Pearl and the Tigers look to build momentum ahead of bigger challenges.