Mississippi State transfer forward KeShawn Murphy commits to Auburn

Mississippi State transfer forward KeShawn Murphy committed to Auburn, per On3’s Joe Tipton. He led the Bulldogs in rebounds and blocks per game before entering the transfer portal.

Murphy spent three years in Starkville and took a leap forward during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 11.7 points while leading Mississippi State with 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He also shot 56.6% from the field.

As a sophomore in 2024, Murphy averaged just 4.7 points and didn’t make a start in 21 appearances. He then took on a larger role off the bench at Mississippi State as a junior and entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

KeShawn Murphy played high school basketball at Birmingham (Ala.) Ramsay before making his way to Mississippi State. Now, he’s heading to Auburn to join a program fresh off a Final Four appearance.

Bruce Pearl and the Tigers are gearing up to lose star big man Johni Broome, who was a finalist for the Wooden Award for National Player of the Year following a standout season. He led the Tigers with 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and his 2.9 assists per game sat just behind Tahaad Pettiford for the team lead.

After the season, Auburn lost forward Jahki Howard to the portal. But as the Tigers got ready for the Final Four game against Florida, they made quite a splash, landing UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall.

Hall signed with Auburn April 2, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. He put together a standout season at UCF, averaging 18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting a little over 42% from the field. He then became the No. 22 overall player and No. 2-ranked small forward to hit the portal so far this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

Auburn made its second Final Four appearance in program history this past season, both of which came under Pearl. The Tigers took on Florida in San Antonio, but eventually fell to the Gators in a 79-73 thriller at The Alamodome, ending the season with a 32-6 overall record.