VCU Guard Samir Doughty transferring to Auburn

[Charhair 345]

https://www.fanragsports.com/news/vcu-transfer-samir-doughty-committed-auburn/amp/

By Jon Rothstein

1 min ago

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard Samir Doughty (2) takes a shot during a college basketball game between the Virginia Commonwealth Rams and the George Washington Colonials on February 08, 2017, at Charles E. Smith Center in Washington D.C. (Photo by Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire)

     

Former VCU Rams talent Samir Doughty has committed to play for the Auburn Tigers. Per NCAA transfer rules, the Philadelphia product will have to sit the upcoming campaign before being eligible to play in the 2018-19 college basketball season.

As a freshman last season, he averaged 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-4 guard also shot 41 percent from the floor and 28 percent from beyond the arc.

Earlier in the offseason, the Rams hired Mike Rhoades to replace Will Wade as the program’s head coach.

Where does VCU go from here?

Rhoades spent the past three seasons as the head coach of the Rice Owls. The team made a dramatic improvement last year after only winning a total of 24 games in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The Rams have not missed the NCAA Tournament since the 2009-10 college basketball season. The team has won 25 or more games in each of those seasons.

As for the Tigers, Auburn will be entering the fourth year of the Bruce Pearl era. During Pearl’s third season with the Tigers, the program saw its best win total (18) since the 2008-09 college basketball season. It wasn’t good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn lost six of its last eight games to finish off its season.

Jon Rothstein has been a college basketball insider for CBS Sports since 2010 and is the lead college basketball columnist for the FanRag Sports Network. He is also the host of the College Hoops Today Podcast via Compass Media Networks, which is available via iTunes. Rothstein is also a regular in-studio correspondent for both WFAN and CBS Sports Radio. He currently lives in Manhattan.

[AU64 10,122]

Maybe I just missed the posts....but i never saw this coming .  BP not planning on running short of guards in years to come.

[augolf1716 21,109]

looks that way

[CameronCrazy 1,059]

And we still only have one player over 6'8... and that one player will be leaving after next year!

[Mikey 16,579]

We'll be installing the super-secret 5-guard offense. The smaller high schools use it when they don't have a player over 5' 11".

[PUB78 1,358]

1 hour ago, CameronCrazy said:

And we still only have one player over 6'8... and that one player will be leaving after next year!

Woefully short of big men on this team. No pun intended!

[AU64 10,122]

17 minutes ago, Mikey said:

We'll be installing the super-secret 5-guard offense. The smaller high schools use it when they don't have a player over 5' 11".

Time to dust off the old "shuffle" that Joel Eaves ran  back in the day....It would be new and revolutionary....again.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

I am hoping he is one heck of a defender as 40% shooting and 28% from 3 point range is not exactly lighting it up especially at a position where we already seem to have a lot of quality players. I have been and still am a big BP fan but I have to admit this doesn't make much sense to me unless BP thinks we will be loosing some players at this position after next year.

[Charhair 345]

16 hours ago, CameronCrazy said:

And we still only have one player over 6'8... and that one player will be leaving after next year!

I see what you're saying. But I would also consider Spencer a big body in the college game, even though he's only 6'8. 

And while it's looking like Wiley is gone after this season, he could come back. Plus we've got EJ Montgomery committed who is an inch or two under being a 7 footer right now. 

And although we don't have a thread for him yet, we've offered a top 5 (nearly 7 foot) center from the 2019 class as wel.

 

[Altima 200]

good pick up... need bigs tho!

[cole256 17,051]

Unless this guy is an uber defender....no

[gravejd 3,270]

7 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Unless this guy is an uber defender....no

Yeah kind of a head scratcher....but coaches must see something there they can work with

[cole256 17,051]

It scares me as if they don't believe they are going to get quality guards coming in

[augolf1716 21,109]

AUBURN, Ala. – Samir Doughty, a 6-foot-4, 187-pound guard from Philadelphia, Pa., and VCU, has signed a financial aid agreement to attend Auburn University, head coach Bruce Pearl announced Tuesday. 

Doughty, who will have two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting this upcoming season, played in 35 games, starting 15, averaging 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.1 minutes per game as a redshirt freshman for VCU, which lost to Saint Mary’s in the NCAA Tournament first round. 

“Samir brings experience, versatility and the ability to make his teammates better as a play maker and slasher,” said Pearl. “Samir can play several positions on the floor. Like a lot of Philly guards, he's got swag to his game and will enjoy the fast tempo of Auburn Basketball.” 

Doughty shot 40.9 percent from the floor, 28.4 percent from 3-point range and 76.6 percent from the foul line as he was the Rams’ fourth-leading scorer. He averaged the most points by a VCU freshman since Shawn Hampton in 1998-99. 

“I am just happy to be a part of the Auburn Family,” said Doughty. “It is very friendly-oriented. I am able to play for Coach Pearl. He is one of the best coaches in college basketball right now. He has some very good assistants who can help me get through this process. I am just ready to enjoy the process.” 

He shot 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from 3-point range for the final 21 games of the season since Jan. 4 after opening the year 4-of-26 from behind the arc. 

Doughty had a career-high 23 points with nine assists and seven rebounds at Duquesne and just missed a triple-double with 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds vs. St. Joseph’s. He scored 17 points in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament vs. Richmond and had nine points in the NCAA Tournament vs. Saint Mary’s. 

He averaged 24.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game while shooting 59 percent from 2-point range as a high school senior at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School in Philadelphia, Pa. 

Doughty joins three other incoming Tigers for next season in November signees four-star Davion Mitchell, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Hinesville, Ga., and Liberty County High School; four-star Georgia Mr. Basketball Chuma Okeke, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward from Atlanta, Ga., and Westlake High School; and Malik Dunbar, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound guard/forward from North Augusta, S.C., and the College of Central Florida. 

[Tiger 8,823]

What a name for a high school

[Mikey 16,579]

50 minutes ago, Tiger said:

What a name for a high school

Their cheerleaders face an ongoing challenge!

[Gene Loblaw 636]

I'm gonna bump this bad boy just because this young man is who I'm most excited about seeing this season. So many reports that this child is just a baller and a scorer and has drastically improved his 3 pt shot. Bruce also singled him out a bit when discussing the pro day. 

Gonna make a prediction that this guy is our Donte Divencenzo this year. Comes off the bench and is the primary ball handler/scorer and will have games where he's just too good to take off the court. Probably gonna wind up the #2 primary ball handler behind jared too. Can't see McCormick getting too many minutes just becuase Samir's gonna be too good.

[Tiger 8,823]

16 hours ago, Gene Loblaw said:

I'm gonna bump this bad boy just because this young man is who I'm most excited about seeing this season. So many reports that this child is just a baller and a scorer and has drastically improved his 3 pt shot. Bruce also singled him out a bit when discussing the pro day. 

Gonna make a prediction that this guy is our Donte Divencenzo this year. Comes off the bench and is the primary ball handler/scorer and will have games where he's just too good to take off the court. Probably gonna wind up the #2 primary ball handler behind jared too. Can't see McCormick getting too many minutes just becuase Samir's gonna be too good.

I could live with this 

[cole256 17,051]

I hope he's good, but I find it funny that with all the excitement you know he probably wasn't an all world recruit right? I say that to say really good players exist everywhere

[Tiger 8,823]

On 10/21/2018 at 7:32 AM, cole256 said:

I hope he's good, but I find it funny that with all the excitement you know he probably wasn't an all world recruit right? I say that to say really good players exist everywhere

I say there's reason for optimism. Bruce knows what he needs for his system. We both were down on the Desean Murray transfer but it can't be overstated how important he was for us in winning the SEC championship last year.

I hope he's as good as advertised and feasts on the 2nd units this year. I wonder if we go with a "death lineup" of Harper, Bryce, Samir, Danjel, Anfernee at times to force teams into some mismatches.

[mustache eagle 2,398]

Anfernee is a mismatch for other people’s 5 because of his athleticism and quicks.  Obviously doesn’t have the size but he is tall enough and has the ups ... more importantly he elevates very very quickly which is what makes him such an effective shot blocker.

the fact that he is an adequate 3 point shooter means he has to at least be respected for that.

we will be able to run a very respectable small lineup and a great big lineup up on the floor this year.

[bigbird 60,513]

I think we have enough talent to easily ceate two strong units that would create minimal drop-off and lead to some matchup problems against other teams 2nd units.  

[jared52 4,354]

3 hours ago, bigbird said:

I think we have enough talent to easily ceate two strong units that would create minimal drop-off and lead to some matchup problems against other teams 2nd units.   

That's all I keep thinking. Once we FINALLY get to stop saying, "when Wiley and Purifoy are back", it's going to be a fun team to watch. Lots of depth and lots of opportunities to be a spark.

[mustache eagle 2,398]

Also ... I predict anfernee will get a pile of minutes at the 5 ... because Wiley is going to run the floor better than any big in the sec, will score a bunch in transition and will need the rest.  

[Gene Loblaw 636]

On 10/22/2018 at 12:50 PM, bigbird said:

 

Bruce just said that Samir is good to go for tomorrow. So that's nice