Daeshun Ruffin became the first player to commit to Auburn’s 2021 recruiting class on Monday.
Ruffin, a 5’10 point guard from Callaway, Mississippi, has emerged as one of the best at his position in the entire class.
He became a household name for high school basketball fans this AAU season, especially after he erupted for 51 points against the NY Renaissance in an EYBL matchup in Dallas.
https://twitter.com/DaeshunRuffin/status/1135585169371533313
His playmaking ability has earned him high rankings from the three major recruiting services:
- ESPN – No. 26 overall, No. 4 PG
- 247 composite: No. 74 overall, No. 7 PG
- Rivals: No. 64 overall
If Ruffin continues to play like he has been lately, expect him to rise up the rankings before he spends any time in college.
50 Ball!?!?! Daeshun Ruffin scores 51 points at 8AM ? @DaeshunRuffin pic.twitter.com/BLQxutpQXn
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) May 26, 2019
Auburn fans should be familiar with Ruffin’s style of play, because it’s hard to watch Ruffin play and not think of Jared Harper, even though the young guard still has plenty of time to grow.
Based on what’s proven thus far in his career, Ruffin will bring an immediate offensive presence to the Tigers once he arrives in 2021.
This year, he was named the Nike EYBL underclassman of the session in Atlanta for averaging 27.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 40.5 percent 3-point shooting.
He stepped it up during the EYBL’s Dallas session, averaging 30.4 points, 6.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds on 44 percent 3-point shooting.
Ruffin is a smaller point guard, but he can still do just about everything that the taller guards in his class can do.
https://twitter.com/aubawn/status/1135608492402925569?s=21
Here are the full highlights from the matchup against James Wiseman.
Ruffin is a good shooter and playmaker based on his stats, but he also has the ability to finish in traffic.
Daeshun Ruffin has CRAZY hang time ?? @NikeEYB @DaeshunRuffin pic.twitter.com/zaa1rSFltQ
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) May 25, 2019
He’s can also make plays on defense and not just when it comes to getting steals. In Dallas, Ruffin averaged 2.4 steals per game and averaged 2.0 steals per game in the Atlanta session.
Throughout this year’s entire EYBL, Ruffin averaged 25.8 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting and 41.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He added 5.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game to those averages.
Simply put, Ruffin hasn’t just been a flash in the pan this AAU season.
In January, he set the Grind Session event record by scoring 42 points in a single game against Trinity International.
As a sophomore at Callaway last season, he averaged 26.4 points, 3.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 47 percent from field goal range and 40 percent from 3-point land.
As a freshman, Ruffin averaged 19.6 points, 5.8 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.7 rebounds per game. He shot 49 percent from the field that year, but only 31 percent from three.
https://twitter.com/videoboostt/status/1135597233611710464?s=21
If Auburn gets Sharife Cooper, the Tigers could have a lot of point guards rostered by the time Ruffin gets to campus.
Cooper seems to be a one-and-done player, which would make the situation easier to deal with.
If not, and Auburn has Tyrell Jones, Cooper and Ruffin at the same time, it seems logical that Bruce Pearl would play them together, or at least play two at a time.
Auburn ran lineups with J’Von McCormick and Jared Harper on the floor together frequently last season, and lineups with future guards could look similar.
Cooper, Ruffin and Jones can all score, and none will have a problem scoring against bigger defenders.
The Tigers should be able to make up for the lack of size on the defensive end thanks to the players the guards will be surrounded by. Javon Franklin, Babatunde Akingbola, Jaylin Williams, Isaac Okoro and others, have all been regarded as versatile defenders and good rebounders.
Auburn has now received two commitments in the last week, much in part due to the massive recruiting weekend Pearl and company just held.
The team hasn’t received a commitment from the class of 2020 yet, even though Pearl has emphasized the class’s importance, but the Ruffin and Franklin commitments suggest that the recruiting weekend went well.
Ruffin will serve as a great centerpiece to Auburn’s 2021 class, and the staff will have plenty of time to build around him.