Auburn University may not be known for their basketball program, but 2016 Tiger commit, Mustapha Heron is ready to change that. “They are kind of an unknown program in the SEC right now, but I’m trying to go in there and help change some things around.” Said the 6’4” shooting guard. Heron, who is ranked by ESPN as being the #25 ranked prospect in the Class of 2017, has all the skills to take Auburn to the top of the SEC and with his Freshman year on the way, he has his expectations set. “I want to win an SEC championship and hopefully make it to the final four.” He explained.

 

For Heron, basketball runs in his blood. His father, Byron Heron, played his collegiate ball at Central Connecticut State University and by the age of two, Mustapha already had a basketball in his hands. It is evident that Heron’s family has played a vital role in his development as a player, as he says, “They’re just always there supporting me or telling me to be patient with it. The main thing that I was focused on was getting better as a player, so my family helped make that a lot easier.”

Although he chose Auburn in the end, there were many twists and turns in his recruiting process. In April of 2015, Heron decided to de-commit from Pittsburgh after committing back in January. Choosing a school is a decision that many high schoolers have to make, but not many had as tough a choice as Heron. “I had offers from a lot of schools,” He said. “Almost all of them.”

 

Now that he has the recruiting process out of the way, Heron is ready to just focus on his game. As a shooting guard, Heron excels at attacking the basket and creating for his teammates, but that hasn’t stopped him from looking to take his game to new heights. “I want to improve my shooting and I’ll do that by continuing to get a lot of shots up. If I keep shooting the ball, then I’ll be able to improve.”

With an improved jump shot, Heron’s game will be nearly impossible to stop. Heron’s aggressive style of play has prompted scouts to draw comparisons between him and NBA superstar, James Harden, but he stays unfazed by the comparison, instead he uses it as motivation to keep improving. “The way I handle  the pressure is by just staying in the gym and continuing to get better.” Heron stated. “As you continue to get better, it takes a lot of the pressure off of you.”

 

One way that Heron works to get better is by working with his AAU team, New York Rens. With the Rens, Heron has the opportunity to play with fellow Five-Star prospect, Rawle Alkins. This past summer, the duo set the world of high school basketball by storm, proving to be one of the most electric twosomes in all of the EYBL. “Playing with the Rens helped me improve my game because they put me around other good players. I was also able to showcase what I am able to do by being put in a position to be a leader. It helped in pretty much every aspect of my game.” Said the New York Ren Alumni.

Now, as Mustapha Heron nears the end of his high school career, he is sure to makes waves at Auburn next year. With an uncompromising attitude and a tremendous work ethic, Heron is undeniably a player to look out for in the Class of 2016 and as a freshman in college next season. If one thing’s for sure, Mustapha Heron is looking into the "Eye of the Tiger"