Auburn Men's Basketball 2017-18 Appreciation Thread

[AUDynasty 585]

This is a thread to express our appreciation and gratitude for an incredible season that saw us win the SEC conference and 26 games to go with it. 

It has been a treat to watch our boys ball out. Losing McLemore was a testament how every player is a critical part to this team.

Happy Birthday, Bruce Pearl! I know the outcome is not what we all want it to be, but we know you are the right guy at the helm. We'll only get better.

WAR DAMN EAGLE!

[around4ever 4,139]

It was so much fun getting back into Auburn basketball.  I started school at Auburn in 1975.  I enjoyed going to basketball games then and for years afterwards.  I really got sick of the lackluster teams that we put on the floor in many recent years.  I really appreciated this team and staff for overcoming adversity and putting in effort over and above anything we have seen in years.  Congrats on a great season even if it didn't end like we wanted.  I am proud of you guys and proud to say IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!!!  

[SCTiger2011 1,277]

Got ranked, stayed ranked, over performed to the point of WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP (an accomplishment nobody had anywhere near their radar for 2018), stumbled but fought like hell for the past month to achieve something that hasn't been seen on the Plains since 2003...I'm disappointed tonight, but it will quickly be replaced by pride and optimism for the future come tomorrow morning.  WDE

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

[CR 2,442]

A great season that unfortunately ended with a resounding thud. Still amazing how Bruce turned the worst basketball program in the SEC(thanks Barbee) into the regular season champion. Thanks for making AU basketball relevant and exciting again.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Words really can't express what this year meant. Growing up, I was a fan of Auburn football (ever since I was 7) and not much else. Went to Auburn in 2010 before I had to drop out due to health issues with my family and that's when I started to get into more than just football. Went to softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football games and cheered. Bruce Pearl got hired and I got even more into basketball to the point to where I became more excited for basketball than I did football (crazy, I know) .

Watching this group of young men do what they did this season was absolutely phenomenal. I don't care if they just lost by 31, the fact that they were even in this game at all is mind-blowing to anyone who has actually been following basketball for the last couple of years. Every last player on this team should be applauded for the grit, determination, heart, and moxy that they played with all season. A few losses doesn't diminish what they accomplished, considering that they short-handed and were one of the smallest teams in basketball.

Brown, Harper, Heron, Murray, Spencer, Mclemore, Mitchell, Dunbar, and Okeke. They all stepped up their game and played out of their minds for the entire season, leading the SEC the entire way. I couldn't be more proud of them all. Pearl did a fantastic job of coaching and should have won SEC COTY and I hope that he will be with us for a long time because I've never enjoyed basketball as much as I did this year.

[gr82be 14,423]

This basketball season was just the cure for the way the football season ended. Coach Pearl and the team exceeded all expectations for me. The season ended with no glass slipper as such but let's get behind the baseball team. They're picking up the slack now and deserve our support. Thanks Auburn for entertaining us. It's great to be an Auburn Tiger. 

[CameronCrazy 1,059]

War Eagle, Auburn Men’s Basketball Team! This has been an incredible season that I hope will be a building block for many more successful years under Bruce Pearl. I know the final game was disappointing. But, you achieved more than anyone thought was possible after losing 2 of our best players and losing the exhibition game before the season even started. Let that last game be a motivation to come back even stronger next year!

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

War Eagle! Basketball is FUN again!! 

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

[im4aual 487]

Thanks to Bruce and his team for a great season.  The best is yet to come.  War Eagle!!

[AuMarine 1,372]

Thanks to CBP for making us relevant again. Enjoyed this season and looking forward to next year. WDE!!

[ArgoEagle 1,775]

Thank you Bruce! You brought a dead program back to life, and have conducted yourself as a true Auburn Man.

Thank you players for giving us your all and proving the sports analysts wrong.

[Tiger 8,820]

This season was special. I've been gushing all season about this team so I'll keep this one short. What these guys accomplished considering the circumstances is one of the most impressive coaching jobs I've ever seen. Oh and we were the 2nd youngest roster in the nation.

Next year we can be a real force. 

This season meant a lot to me as basketball has been my favorite sport for my entire life, and to finally see Auburn with a top coach makes me giddy. And to see guys like Horace and Bryce who have seen it all get an SEC championship and a NCAA Tourney game win, while still having another year of eligibility, makes me so happy for them. Watching this program grow each game over the past 4 years has been a hell of an experience and I really think we're just getting started. We are seeing tangible progress.

We went from a team that was full of freshman who would get up 15 on somebody and lose the lead and lose the game last year to a team that would not get discouraged when a team gets a big run going and has enough guts to make the comeback and win the game. 

Now lets take our tough tournament lessons and make a deep run next year!

[mustache eagle 2,397]

22 minutes ago, Tiger said:

This season was special. I've been gushing all season about this team so I'll keep this one short. What these guys accomplished considering the circumstances is one of the most impressive coaching jobs I've ever seen. Oh and we were the 2nd youngest roster in the nation.

Next year we can be a real force. 

Yep.  Yep.  Crazy aint it!  Yep.

I've got the utmost respect for this team and for Coach Pearl.  The heart these guys displayed for the vast majority of this season has been the kind that makes a University proud.  Well done gentlemen!

[goatgravy7 19]

Very proud to have been able to pull for this team. Thank you x infinity to the Coaches as well as the players. 

[jAUSon 2,836]

Went deep even with half the team sitting out. Fine job, men. War Eagle.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Loved this team loved the effort even when we fell apart at the end the effort was there but we had lost the cohesiveness.  This team over performed it was true team effort. As the year went on the confidence grew. I can't over emphasize how important confidence is in an athlete when you believe you can do wondrous things.

McLemore protecting the rim, rebounding hard cuts to the basket and dunks along with an open 3 once or twice a game.  Bryce brown a shooting machine instant offense tough d on the perimeter, Murray doing all the Dirty work, Spencer playing tough underneath against bigger men taking the charge making his presence felt. Harper the leader on the floor pulling the team together and at times taking on a scores mentality. Mustapha scoring, rebounding defending he did what the team needed for him to do. Okeke played like a old pro at time and like a freshman at times but always played hard and often out of position. Dunbar the enigma energy, toughness, but sometimes out of control. Davion Mitchell who played his best when the team was having troubles at the end. 

This is a team to remember and talk about. Undersized and without key players they won the SEC but at the end we were hurt by injury. First Bryce Brown shoulder and ankle that affected his shooting and defense by the time he got better but not back to 100% he lost some of his confidence. Then McLemore we lost a rim Protector a scorer when needed an extra body so we could play pressing defense to wear teams out. Harper lost options in his offense when Bryce couldn't hit and McLemore wasn't there for a cut to the basket a highlight dunk he started trying to do to much and we never got back into our offensive flow.

Despite the end of the year they never quit trying and they played their hearts out. This is the proudest I have been of a team in any sport in a long time. Next year will be tough even if everybody comes back as many teams won't be surprised by the little team that could. That said if they all come back they will be better than this year and will still beat those teams.

War Eagle and thanks for the memories.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Kudos to Coach Pearl for taking a scrappy bunch of guys and taking them farther than they should have been able to go. 

Things I shouldn't say, or possibly even think, to Chuck Person for single handedly taking away what could have been a HUGE season because he was selfish and stupid.

Hats off to all of the players for fighting through until they just didn't have anything left. Here's to next year.

[AU64 10,122]

A great season and nice to see so much life and energy in the Auburn Arena.     Fun to see our place listed among the "difficult arenas" for visiting teams.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I hope Bruce will be our coach next season.

[drsteve87 91]

What a great season. I attended AU during the Sonny Smith, Charles Barkley, Chick Person era. It was a blast to attend games and watch AU play. This team plays as a unit like the guys did in the 80’s. Fun, unselfish basketball for sure. Thanks Bruce Pearl, Spencer, Brown, Mitchell, Murray, McLemore, Heron, Harper, Okeke, Dunbar for making AU basketball great again!!

[IronMan70 3,277]

Don't be too down about the last game. When you're forced into small ball, like we were, it goes without saying that you have to be able to hit your shots. We had one of those nights where it wasn't going down and our opponent's big men had the advantage on our offensive rebounds. I hope this is the last game we ever see where our big men are sitting on the bench because of injuries or eligibility issues. This team was gritty all year and accomplished amazing things. It was a special Auburn BB team that will be remembered. The defense was greatly improved. Given what BP had to deal with this year, I thought he did one of the most remarkable jobs I have ever seen. 

[Tiger 8,820]

Also, keep in mind that their starting guards are each a year older than our big 3 guards. And it certainly showed on Sunday night. We looked super young, like the moment was too big. Next year we won't though, and this was a great experience for our young team.

[AUBwins 10,075]

On 3/18/2018 at 9:44 PM, tgrogan21 said:

Words really can't express what this year meant. Growing up, I was a fan of Auburn football (ever since I was 7) and not much else. Went to Auburn in 2010 before I had to drop out due to health issues with my family and that's when I started to get into more than just football. Went to softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football games and cheered. Bruce Pearl got hired and I got even more into basketball to the point to where I became more excited for basketball than I did football (crazy, I know) .

Watching this group of young men do what they did this season was absolutely phenomenal. I don't care if they just lost by 31, the fact that they were even in this game at all is mind-blowing to anyone who has actually been following basketball for the last couple of years. Every last player on this team should be applauded for the grit, determination, heart, and moxy that they played with all season. A few losses doesn't diminish what they accomplished, considering that they short-handed and were one of the smallest teams in basketball.

Brown, Harper, Heron, Murray, Spencer, Mclemore, Mitchell, Dunbar, and Okeke. They all stepped up their game and played out of their minds for the entire season, leading the SEC the entire way. I couldn't be more proud of them all. Pearl did a fantastic job of coaching and should have won SEC COTY and I hope that he will be with us for a long time because I've never enjoyed basketball as much as I did this year.

Well said!