McLemore commits to Auburn
By Robert Alfonso Jr.
Sometime after a Tuesday night phone call Anfernee McLemore decided to shut down his recruiting process.
After spending a few minutes talking to the individual on the other end, McLemore informed that person he was committing to Auburn.
Who was the person on the other line? Well, it was Tigers coach Bruce Pearl. The Auburn coach was just assuring the power forward he was high on the priority list and that was enough for McLemore to hear.
“Coach Pearl is a very dynamic person with character,” he said. “While visiting the campus, I got the opportunity to watch a practice firsthand and I saw how involved he was with the flow of everything. I really can see that he cares about the development of his players.”
The 6-foot-7, 205-ponder selected the Tigers over Brown, Charleston, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Tulsa, Wofford, Yale, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Rice and Rhode Island.
McLemore played for the Atlanta Celtics this summer during the Adidas Uprising series. He averaged 5.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds a game during the Gauntlet. In the summer championship, the Sylvester, GA native averaged 7.1 points and five rebounds a game. During his junior year at Worth County, McLemore averaged 19 points, 11.8 rebounds and 6.4 blocks a game.
Another set of numbers that impressed the college programs recruiting him was McLemore’s 4.0 GPA. He was looking for balance off and on the court while seeking the opportunity to play closer to home.
“I liked that Auburn had high level academics and basketball with the fact of it being very close to home,” he said.
McLemore’s commitment gives Auburn its second one in the class of 2016. The other is Georgia native Jared Harper.
About the Author
Alfonso
Robert Alfonso Jr. is a graduate of Mount Sait Mary College. He has more than 20 years of journalism experience. Alfonso has helped build a basketball web brand in Georgia and has covered high school through college sports for publications in New York, North Carolina, and Georgia. His mission has always been to uplift the athletes who play sports providing them the exposure needed in this new media platform.