The two Auburn Tigers who got into a furious brawl in midair on Friday night, forcing the team’s plane to turn back, have been identified. The incident happened on the way to Houston, where the Auburn men’s basketball team was scheduled to play the No. 4-ranked Cougars on Saturday. The plane was forced to return to Alabama just forty-five minutes into the journey after air traffic control communications reported a disturbance involving “a bunch of basketball players.
The athletes implicated in the event have been identified as senior Ja’Heim Hudson and freshman Jahki Howard, according to Jeff Goodman’s findings. While their teammates eventually boarded a second flight to Houston, which landed later that same evening, both sportsmen were left behind in Auburn. As of right moment, it’s unclear how Howard and Hudson will fit into the club going forward. Hudson, a 6-foot-7 senior, scored two points in 15 minutes of action against Vermont in the season opener, while Howard, a highly-regarded four-star recruit, played 20 minutes and scored seven points in the same contest.
Initial reports indicated that three players might have been involved in what was described as a chaotic situation that “nearly escalated into an all-out brawl.” However, later accounts suggested that the confrontation stemmed from “horseplay” between Howard and Hudson, which officials feared could spiral into a physical fight.
Thus far, Auburn officials have refrained from publicly commenting on the mid-air incident, leaving many questions unanswered regarding the precise cause and details of the altercation. The Tigers, who opened their season with a commanding 94-43 victory over Vermont, are currently ranked No. 11 and hold a 1-0 record. In that game, standout performances came from Miles Kelly, who led the team with 21 points, and Denver Jones, who added 16 points.
