Auburn basketball adds 'last piece' with Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly

AUBURN — Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said it May 20: The Tigers needed to make one final move.

"I think that's the last piece — one more impactful guard," the coach said. "... We really need one more guy that has a chance to compete"

Six days later, it's done.

Auburn landed a commitment Sunday from Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly, the 6-foot-6, 180-pound wing announced via social media. Kelly, a former three-star recruit in the Class of 2021, has spent the last three seasons with the Yellow Jackets.

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Over his last two seasons, Kelly has averaged 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 39% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the 3-point arc. He's also knocked down 79.3% of his free throws in that stretch.

The Tigers run a system in which the small forward is included with the point guard and shooting guard in the back court. Kelly isn't a true PG, but he's got enough versatility to play all three spots: "It really doesn't matter for me which position it's going to be, whether it's a 1/2 or a 2/1, a 2/3, a 3/2 — it doesn't really matter," Pearl added May 20. "But it'll be one more guard. We've tried to be really patient to get the right fit. We're involved with a couple of really good ones."

Kelly is the third portal addition for the Tigers this offseason, joining Furman's JP Pegues and and SMU's Ja'Heim Hudson. Other newcomers include freshmen Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.