The Auburn basketball program received great news on Thursday ahead of the 2026-27 season. French center Narcisse Ngoy was cleared by the NCAA and will be able to play for the Tigers, head coach Steven Pearl told Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer.
Ngoy will have two years of eligibility at Auburn. The seven-footer was named the MVP of the French League 2 last year after averaging 9.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game for Poitiers. He was also the Defensive Player of the Year and 2025-26 Most Improved Player.
He was actually taken by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft, who then traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he decided to spend the coming season with the Tigers. The Clippers own his rights
moving forward.
Ngoy is now able to play in Auburn's exhibition against the FSU Seminoles on Wednesday, Oct. 14. It will be his first time competeting for the Tigers after he spent the summer practicing with the team. The game will take place at the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama. The game is set to start at 7 p.m. CT and will be streamed on YouTube.
It wasn't all good news for Auburn on Thursday, Pearl also announced that they are still working to get Mantas Rubštaviciuš cleared to play.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: NCAA grants Auburn center immediate eligibility
