Keyshawn Hall, a senior player for Auburn Tigers men’s basketball, is aiming to make his first NCAA Tournament appearance as he closes out his college career. Hall has been a standout performer this season, leading the team in scoring with an average of 20.8 points per game and ranking second in rebounds at seven per game. He also maintains a 40.8 percent shooting rate from beyond the arc and an 86.2 percent free-throw percentage.
“That would mean the world to me,” Hall said regarding reaching the NCAA Tournament. “That’s my dream. That’s the only thing left I want to accomplish in college basketball. A lot of special things happen there, and if we get there, we can do some damage.”
Hall credits his improvement as a shooter to his time at Auburn: “I came here and developed my shooting,” he said. “I keep working and it shows.” Even during games when his shots have not fallen as expected, such as Auburn’s recent narrow win over Kentucky, Hall contributed by collecting nine rebounds and leading with seven assists.
“I just want to win. I don’t care what we have to do, I just want to win,” he said. “That’s the last thing I want to do in college basketball; I want to get to the tournament.”
Throughout the season, Hall has played key roles in important victories for Auburn, including scoring 32 points against Arkansas and contributing significantly in wins over Texas and defending national champion Florida.
“The real thing I’m proud of is we stuck together,” he said about the team’s resilience. “The coaches keep giving positivity. Some good advice I once heard was it’s never too bad and it’s never too good. It’s not as good as it seems and it’s not as bad as it seems.”
Before joining Auburn last summer, Hall played at UNLV during his freshman year, then transferred to George Mason for his sophomore season before moving on to UCF where he led the Big 12 Conference in scoring.
“Everyone shows love to me,” Hall said about his experience at Auburn so far. “Even the rough stretch I was going through, they still embraced me, they’ve been showing love since I first got here.”
Hall follows guidance from head coach Bruce Pearl: “‘If you love Auburn, they’ll love you back,’” Pearl told him during recruitment. “I’ve been trying to love Auburn as much as I can.” He also remembers advice from former Tiger Dylan Cardwell: “‘Try to talk to as many people as you can,’” Cardwell told him. “‘When you see people, give them a hug and take pictures, and it comes back in a long way.’ Everything’s been great so far. It’s all love here.”
Hall describes himself as approachable off the court: “I’m a goofy person. I love when I see fans when I’m out. Don’t be shy, you can talk to me, speak to me, give me hugs, take pictures.”
Reflecting on differences between conferences he’s played in—Big 12 being more physical while SEC plays faster—Hall says adaptability is key: “I feel like my game transfers anywhere,” he said.
Known for putting extra hours into practice at Neville Arena—often working on three-point shots—he averages 33 minutes per game this season.
“I try to stay ready so I never have to get ready,” Hall explained about playing all 40 minutes against Mississippi State without fatigue.
Significantly lighter than during his freshman year at UNLV after losing seventy pounds through daily treadmill runs and dietary changes (“I stopped eating bread [and] sugar… Fasting while running miles while still practicing”), Hall feels prepared physically for demanding play: “Now I feel like I can run all day, especially on the court.”
As postseason approaches with hopes of securing an NCAA Tournament berth for himself—and for Auburn—Hall expressed gratitude toward supporters:
“I care about winning,” he said. “I just want to win for Auburn. It’s a dedicated fanbase. They’ve shown me love so I want to give back to them.”
