Auburn announced Thursday morning that it will hold basketball players Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley out of games indefinitely in an attempt to "avoid any potential eligibility issues." It's a decision tied to the ongoing FBI investigation that resulted in the September arrest of associate head coach Chuck Person.
"Because this is related to an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time," read a statement from the school.
The federal complaint released Sept. 26 alleges that Person gave a total of $18,500 to the parents of two previously unidentified players to help influence them to eventually secure the services of a financial advisor who had compensated Person, the former NBA standout who allegedly accepted a total of $91,500 in bribes. Auburn has suspended Person without pay. He is facing six charges -- among them bribery, conspiracy and fraud. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week.
Purifoy (11.5 points per game) and Wiley (8.8 points per game) were two of Auburn's top four scorers last season. Their absence will undeniably lower the ceiling on what's possible for a team that was already picked to finish ninth in the SEC in what will be Bruce Pearl's fourth season at the school.
Auburn plays Barry on Thursday night in an exhibition.
