The transfer portal has made a significant impact on college basketball this season, with many teams turning to the portal as a way to accelerate their growth and progress.
The Auburn Tigers are one of those teams and have made it to the Final Four in San Antonio as the No. 1 overall seed and champion of the South Region.
The Tigers have a potent and experienced starting lineup, but where did these players come from?
Forward Johni Broome (Senior)
Before he became Auburn's best player, the SEC Player of the Year, and a finalist for the 2024-25 Wooden Award as the nation's top player, Broome spent two seasons at Morehead State -- earning Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year among numerous accolades with the Eagles.
He helped Morehead State reach the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and scored 10 points with nine rebounds in a first-round loss to West Virginia. Broome is in his third season at Auburn and continues to build his resume in the SEC. He ranks 35th in points and sixth in blocked shots in program history.
Guard Miles Kelly (Senior)
A four-star high school recruit, Kelly initially chose to stay home in the Atlanta area and play for Georgia Tech. He played in 95 games for the Yellow Jackets over four seasons, starting 60. He averaged 14.4 points per game as a sophomore, 13.9 as a junior, amassed over 1,000 points total, and is one of Georgia Tech's top-10 three-point shooters.
In his only season at Auburn, Kelly is one of five players on the team averaging in double figures (11.4 ppg). He erupted for 30 points against Kentucky last month and scored 22 on fellow Final Four SEC representative Florida earlier in the season.
Guard Denver Jones (Senior)
Jones has had a slightly different journey than most of the other transfers in the Auburn lineup. He began his career at Garden City Community College in Kansas after being an unranked high school recruit. After scoring 19.1 points per game as a freshman, he transferred to Florida International (FIU), where he spent three seasons and was the program's first all-conference player.
He joined Auburn prior to last season and started 33 games, scoring 9.1 points and entering the program record books as one of its best single-season free-throw shooters. This season, Jones is among the team's top scorers, earned SEC All-Defensive honors, and was instrumental in a Sweet 16 win over Michigan.
Forward Chad Baker-Mazara (Senior)
Baker-Mazara has also had an unusual career path to this point. He's in his second season at Auburn, which is his fourth college team. He began his career at Duquesne, finishing among the Atlantic 10 Conference's best three-point shooters as a freshman. He then transferred to San Diego State, where he was named Mountain West Six Man of the Year.
However, he left the Aztecs program due to an academic issue, according to the San Diego Union Tribune, and continued to pursue his basketball career at Northwest Florida State College in the JUCO ranks. After one season, he joined Auburn and became a crucial part of the Tigers' success, averaging double figures in points in both seasons and earning a place on the All-SEC Third Team this season.
Center Dylan Cardwell (Senior)
The former four-star recruit has spent his entire college career at Auburn, steadily increasing his role and impact each season. He led the team in field goal percentage as a freshman despite only averaging 3.8 points per game and has made a name for himself with his defense.
Cardwell entered the starting lineup this season after four years as a reserve and has remained consistent, shooting 69.6 percent from the floor and scoring around 5 points per game. The stats might not be pretty, but Cardwell is an important player for the Tigers and ranks fifth in career blocked shots for the program.