AUBURN | Whatever it takes.

That’s Austin Wiley’s mindset going into this season after missing 45 of 97 games in two and a half years due to injuries and a suspension. Nagging foot and leg injuries limited the former USA Basketball U19 standout to just 13.0 minutes per game last season.

“I’m just trying to stay completely healthy,” Wiley said. “(Strength) coach (Damon Davis) and (team trainer) Clark (Pearson) have me on a monitor to track my wear and tear this summer. They’re taking good care of me. I’m in great hands.

“I’m taking the right supplements for my bones. I’m stretching. I’m doing all the extra stuff I can just to stay healthy.”

That extra stuff includes wearing a watch that tracks his sleeping habits.

“Your body can’t recover if you don’t get enough rest,” Wiley said. “It tracks my sleep and I aim for seven or eight hours a night. I feel like I didn’t get enough sleep prior to coming to Auburn. That was probably a problem that might have caused my injuries.”

Wiley, who insists he’s 100 percent healthy, has been a full participant in practices this summer. The 6-foot-9 center with an impressive 7-foot-5 wingspan has had his share of powerful dunks and blocked shots, but he’s also working to add more range to his jump shot.

“I’ve been working on my overall game but putting emphasis on my free throw shooting and my jump shot. I’ve been working on that a lot,” Wiley said. “Coach tells me he wants all that this year so I’ve got to do my job and work on it so it can become consistent and help the team.”

Wiley helped Auburn to its first Final Four in school history last season. This season, he’s hoping to lead the team back as one of five seniors.

"The ultimate goal is to get back to the Final Four and make it even farther than we did last year,” he said. “Just have a better year. Even though last year was a great year, one I’ll remember for the rest of my life, I want to keep making history here for my Auburn family, my teammates and my family.”

Wiley is on track to earn a degree in interdisciplinary studies next summer.

** Check out our BUNKER BONUS as Wiley discusses how an impressive group of freshmen have performed this summer along with OBSERVATIONS from Wednesday's practice.