AUBURN — Auburn basketball got the party started in the transfer portal Friday, securing a commitment from former Furman point guard JP Pegues. Pegues is set to replace Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson — the PG tandem that split time nearly evenly at the position last season.

But the acquisition of Pegues won't be the only move; coach Bruce Pearl has already said as much: "This is a great first step in rebuilding our roster," Pearl said to cap his statement Friday evening.

The Tigers could have as many as 11 players currently on scholarship. Holloway, Donaldson and veteran guard KD Johnson hit the portal after the end of the season, while Jaylin Williams and Lior Berman ran out of eligibility. If everyone else on scholarship returned — players who have yet to make announcements such as Johni Broome and Carter Sobera — Auburn would have 11 of its 13 spots filled after adding Pegues and incoming freshmen Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard.

If someone such as Sobera, formerly a walk-on who was put on scholarship midway through last season, doesn't come back, there could be three slots available.

Regardless of how the numbers shake out, here's a look at some needs the Tigers need to address:

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Auburn basketball needs a backup forward

After five years with the team and a program-record 141 games played, Williams will no longer be on the roster. Replacing him is tough, especially after he earned All-SEC honors as part of the second team, but reserve power forward Chaney Johnson is poised to step up into his role next season.

Johnson averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists over the final nine games of the campaign. He shot 55.8% from the field and made 50% of his 3-pointers on 1.1 attempts per game over this stretch.

The question now, though: Who will slide in behind him? Johnson himself came from Division II Alabama-Huntsville last offseason. Perhaps a player of a similar caliber could do the same.

A reserve point guard may be hard to find

Speaking of lower-level players looking to move up, the Tigers may need to hit a place such as junior college to find their backup to Pegues. Pegues averaged 34.1 minutes per game last season. He's going to play a lot, so convincing another high-caliber transfer to come in to spell Pegues will be next to impossible.

Which is why a JUCO standout could make sense. Pegues only has one year of eligibility remaining, so whoever comes in can back him up for a season before potentially playing into a bigger role once he's gone.

A big man, but only if Johni Broome leaves

Auburn doesn't want to have to go out and get another center.

Backup big man Dylan Cardwell already announced his plans to return to the Tigers for a fifth season. Attention now shifts to Johni Broome, who was a consensus All-American while averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 24.8 minutes last season.

Losing Broome would sting, and it would significantly temper Auburn's expectations for next season. Should he opt to turn professional and declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, though, the Tigers would be in a unique position. Between Broome and former North Carolina big man Walker Kessler, there may not be another program with a better track record in developing transfer centers as of late.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball: What Tigers still need from transfer portal