Although it was not anticipated that the Auburn Tigers would select a basketball player in the 2026 NBA Draft, the professional league did take notice of a recent addition to the club.
7-foot center Narcisse Ngoy signed with head coach Steven Pearl’s program in March, one of several big guys who were expected to alleviate the height difficulties the club faced previous season alongside Bukky Oboye (Santa Clara transfer) and Owen Freeman (Creighton transfer). Ngoy, who has been playing professionally in France since he was 17, averaged 9.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game last season and was named MVP of the French Elite 2 league.
Ngoy was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night with the 57th overall pick. He did not declare for the draft or go through the draft procedure, but he was automatically eligible owing to his age. Before the upcoming season, he will turn 22. Early on Thursday, he posted a message regarding the draft on his social media accounts.”I appreciate the LA Clippers’ faith in me,” Ngoy wrote on his Instagram account. “I plan to keep my word to Auburn University. Additionally, I am excited to don the Auburn Tigers uniform.
The big man is anticipated to arrive on campus at Auburn next week, according to Auburn Undercover. When Ngoy chooses to become a professional, the Clippers will control his rights in what is known as a “draft-and-stash” pick, which is quite typical for overseas prospects. Until the player is prepared to leave his foreign league and join the NBA, the NBA team will retain their rights.
As of April, the NCAA does not allow a player to opt-in to the professional draft and subsequently be able to play in college, but Ngoy is exempt owing to the fact that he was automatically entered into the draft. Ngoy is the first player selected in a “draft-and-stash” pick to play collegiate hoops.
After playing for the Plains for a year, former Tiger Keyshawn Hall signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Miami Heat on draft night. He will team up with Tre Donaldson, another former Tiger who signed as an undrafted free agent. Donaldson started his basketball career at Auburn before moving to Michigan and then Miami.
After a solid roster overhaul, Auburn basketball is expected to do some damage this season despite the slight NBA scare.
