Auburn head basketball coach Tony Barbee received a bit of good news this morning when point guard Tahj Shamsid-Deen committed to play for the Tigers. Shamsid-Deen, who measures out at 5'10, 165 pounds, is a member of the 2013 recruiting class. With Auburn as thin as it is at the point guard position, the Decatur, Ga., product could see immediate playing time when he gets to the Plains. Shamsid-Deen sports an impressive offer sheet, which includes Butler, Connecticut, Northwestern, Richmond and UCLA.
Recruiting sites AuburnUndercover.com, AuburnSports.com and AUTigers.com were the first to report the news. Justin Hokanson at AuburnSports has quotes:
"We understand Auburn is still rebuilding and we're turning things around," Vince Shamsid-Deen said. "Tahj won his middle school championship and has won three state titles, so he's never lost, that had to be taken into consideration when coming to Auburn. We trust the coaches as far as putting the right personnel on the floor. Tahj has to work and he'll be on the floor, if he works then he'll have that chance to play."
Shamsid-Deen's commitment to Auburn is a welcome change of luck, which had been nothing but bad since late last season. In early March, Varez Ward was suspended indefinitely due to an FBI investigation into alleged point-shaving. Ward is no long enrolled at Auburn and isn't expected to return. The Tigers lost four players during the offseason. Josh Langford and Cedrick MCAfee were dismissed from the team, and Willy Kouassi and Bernard Morena elected to transfer. A fifth player, Noel Johnson, is currently listed as "suspended indefinitely."
Rivals lists Shamsid-Deen as a three-star, and Scout ranks him as a two-star. Those may not be the highest accolades, but considering his offer sheet and Auburn's recent off-court struggles, Shamsid-Deen's commitment is welcome news.