March Madness has reached its most exciting stage. The first matchup of the Final Four took place earlier this evening, with the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers battling it out against the No. 1 ranked Florida Gators. After a competitive back-and-forth in what was a very close game, the Gators etched out the Tigers 79-73 and earned a trip to the National Championship. It was a sad loss for Auburn fans, specifically their old alum, NBA legend Charles Barkley.
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The Tigers began the first half as sharp as possible. They turned the ball over only twice and held an 8-point lead at the break, thanks to inspired play by forward Chad Baker-Mazara. The second half was a different story. Auburn gave up the lead after turning the ball over 12 times.
At one point, they cut the lead to 69-68 but then had a three-minute stretch where they went scoreless. The turnovers and the cold streak were just not enough to catch up with the Gators, who were led by Walter Clayton Jr’s 34 points.
Barkley spoke about Auburn’s loss on the March Madness broadcast shortly after the game ended. “Our guys played valiantly; it was a heck of a game,” the Hall of Famer stated. “I’m so proud of our team, Coach Pearl, and those kids.”
While holding his head up high, Chuck later admitted that the loss was a bit of a letdown, considering how well the Tigers had done in the tourney thus far.
🚨 Charles Barkley Reflects on The Auburn Loss. The SEC is on Notice!
Auburn almost does it! In an epic showdown, Auburn Tigers after being up over the Florida Gators at the half fall just short in a close one.
Charles Barkley said he was proud of the Tigers see his thoughts… pic.twitter.com/7fu1UxirUY
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“Yeah, I’m disappointed, but Florida was the better team.” Barkley then went on to commend Clayton for his miraculous performance, even calling him the “real deal.” That doesn’t mean he didn’t also show love to his Auburn boys for their hard work in this tourney. A clip of Barkley embracing Johni Broome, who dropped 15 points in the loss, has since surfaced online.
Charles Barkley says one of his proudest accomplishments is putting Auburn’s basketball team on the map
Chuck may have never won a ring in the NBA, but he’s still considered an all-time great. But the 11-time All-Star actually holds more pride in an accomplishment he had in college than any of his NBA achievements.
“When I went to Auburn in 81 they sucked at basketball,” Barkley stated during a recent interview with Jim Rome. “Getting to March Madness for the first time for Auburn was one of my greatest accomplishments because nobody cared about basketball when I got to Auburn,” he stated with pride.
Barkley is referring to the Tigers’ 1984 campaign, the same season he was named SEC Player of the Year. NBA fans will remember his tremendous 1993 MVP season, but the amount of incredible play he delivered for the Tigers changed the school’s culture forever.
