In a crushing development for the Auburn Tigers basketball program, head coach Bruce Pearl confirmed that standout guard Denver Jones has suffered a significant injury, dealing a major blow to the team’s offseason outlook and plans for the upcoming season.
Jones, a key returning player expected to play a pivotal role for Auburn in 2025, reportedly sustained a serious lower-body injury during a recent team workout, and early indications suggest he could miss substantial time — potentially even the start of the season. Pearl, addressing reporters with a somber tone, called the injury “deeply unfortunate” and said the program is rallying around Jones as he begins what could be a lengthy recovery process.
“This is really tough — for Denver, for our team, and for everything we were building toward this summer,” Pearl said. “He’s worked as hard as anyone in our program. He’s a competitor, a leader, and this setback hurts.”
Jones, who transferred from FIU and made an immediate impact for the Tigers last season, had been projected to take on an even larger role in Auburn’s backcourt. Known for his scoring ability, athleticism, and relentless defensive effort, Jones was poised to be one of Auburn’s most important two-way players in the upcoming season.
The injury leaves a significant void in the rotation and forces Pearl to re-evaluate his backcourt depth heading into the summer. Auburn may look toward rising underclassmen and potential transfer portal additions to help shoulder the load in Jones’s absence.
Pearl did not give an exact timeline for Jones’s return, stating that the team will wait for further evaluations before determining the next steps.
“This group has been through adversity before,” Pearl added. “We’ll stay together and fight through it, but our hearts are with Denver right now. He means everything to this team.”
As Auburn looks to regroup and adjust its strategy, fans are hopeful that Jones will recover quickly and return to the court stronger than ever.
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