Auburn HC Steven Pearl unsure why KeShawn Murphy opted out of playing in NIT

Auburn’s KeShawn Murphy opted out of playing for the Tigers in the NIT. Head coach Steven Pearl isn’t sure why.

Ahead of Auburn’s opener in the NIT on Tuesday night, Justin Hokanson of AuburnSports reported that Murphy did not practice on Monday and elected to remove himself from the Tigers’ roster going into the postseason. Murphy reportedly did not tell anyone on the coaching staff of his decision, and no reason for that decision was provided by Pearl following his team’s first-round victory.

“Murph has decided not to play in these games, and I’m not sure why,” Pearl said after Auburn’s 78-67 win over South Alabama. “But, listen, we love Murph and have a lot of love for everything he’s done for us and his commitments to this program. Wish him well. Want him to still finish up academically. But I got nothing but love for Murph.”

Murphy, a 6-foot-10 senior forward who spent his first three seasons at Mississippi State before transferring to Auburn, started in 29 of 31 games this season for the Tigers. The Alabama native averaged 10.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per outing on 56 percent shooting.

The Big Blue Nation might remember Murphy for his performance against Kentucky during the regular season. Auburn beat the Wildcats at home on Feb. 21 after a controversial finish (which featured an… interesting… postgame press conference from Mark Pope) behind a career-high 25 points from Murphy.

SITTING OUT: Coach Pearl confirms he is not sure why Auburn's KeShawn Murphy has decided not to play with his team in the NIT

"Murph has decided not to play in these games, and I'm not sure why. We love Murph and have a lot of love for everything he's done for us and his… pic.twitter.com/n8aKqLXQJr

— The Barn (@TheBarn_Auburn) March 18, 2026

Murphy was the only Auburn player who did not report to practice on Monday. A day prior, the Tigers learned they did not receive a bid in the NCAA Tournament during the Selection Show. Auburn was viewed as one of the first few teams outside the field of 68. The program accepted an invitation to the NIT as a one-seed the following night.

Despite trailing by six at halftime, Auburn outscored South Alabama by 17 in the second-half to advance to round two of the NIT. Keyshawn Hall and Kevin Overton both dropped 21 points for the Tigers. With Murphy out of the picture, that freed up extra playing time for freshman guard Kaden Magwood, a Louisville native who hadn’t played in a game since Jan. 6. Magwood went for 14 points and three assists in 17 minutes on Tuesday night.

It has been anything but an ideal debut season for Steven Pearl. What a shame…