"Our Time" Articles Written by Players (Merged)

[akillshot 294]

AuburnTigers.com is doing a series of articles where each of the 5 seniors tell their story in their own words. Two have been published so far. First up is:

 

Our Time: Why basketball is only the beginning to who I am

By Anfernee McLemore

12/17/2019 9:00:00 AM

Every basketball team I’ve ever been on, there are the superstars and then there are the other guys – the guys willing to support the players that are going to make those big shots.  

The superstars are important. I played with T.J. Dunans my freshman year. Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and even Chuma Okeke to an extent handled that role the last two years. You need those players. But what makes a successful team is having those other guys that are willing to put themselves out of the limelight so the whole team can be in the limelight.  

That’s who I am. That’s who I’ve always strived to be. I want to be the guy who helped his team win rings and who was there to help other players achieve their goals.  

Obviously, basketball was a platform for me to achieve my dreams of going to college and getting my degree. But basketball won’t last forever. If it doesn’t take me to professional work, I still have that degree I can fall back on. I just want to be remembered as the guy that won three championships in four years at Auburn and was part of a legacy team that will stand as the benchmark as other great teams come and go at this university.  

It’s funny. When I first got to Auburn, I was like any other player in the country. It was all things basketball. I had a laser focus on trying to play professionally. I still did well in the classroom. Growing up as a military kid, grades were always important to me. But my future was on the court.  

That all changed my sophomore year when we were playing on the road at South Carolina. I went to grab a rebound, and the next thing I knew my season was over.  

The injury was crushing, especially knowing that I was leading the SEC in shot blocks at that point. But it also sort of pivoted my career. It opened my eyes that basketball might not be the only future that I have or that might be in store for me.  

I turned my attention toward the classroom where I focused on graduating early and getting the most of my scholarship educationally. In case I didn’t decide to play professionally, I would have something to fall back on. Not even something to fall back on. Something to strive toward to where I could take a position utilizing my degree or utilizing my talents on the basketball court and be equally as happy. I don’t think I would’ve seen it that way before the injury.  

Over the summer, that dream became a reality. I walked across the stage at graduation with my whole family in attendance. I still carry my pocket-size degree in my wallet everywhere I go just because I’m so proud of it. But I didn’t feel like I was done at Auburn. Graduating was more like just another step on the ladder. With one degree in hand, I was eager to earn a second one.

So next August, I will graduate with a master’s degree in finance from Auburn.  

The thing about Auburn is wherever I go, it will always be a place I can call home. It’s a place that has shown me love unconditionally, win or lose.

Like with school, I don’t feel like I’m done with basketball either. It was hard coming back from injury. There was the mental hurdle of gaining confidence and realizing that my legs were going to be back under me when I jumped. It definitely affected my timing as far as shot blocking and things like that. It took a while to get over that.  

It wasn’t until SEC play the next year that I truly started feeling confident again. And still I had that hesitation until we got to the NCAA Tournament. That’s when I put everything behind me and said OK, we’re going to win. I’m going to play. If I get hurt, at least it will be in a big tournament game. I ended up having one of my best runs as a basketball player in the tournament where I was playing my most dominant basketball.  

It was also a dream come true to be able to make it to Minneapolis and experience everything that goes with the Final Four. Seeing my face on the side of a hotel, that’s not something I ever imagined would happen to me. It was amazing to see.  

But now coming into this season, coming off that Final Four run, my mindset hasn’t changed. Every year for the last three years, I had a reason to be an underdog. I had a chip on my shoulder. This being my last season, I have to come in with that chip still on my shoulder.  

Yes, we had a lot of great players last year. Most of those players are gone now. We have to prove we can win without those players. We have a lot of talent on the team right now, and we just want to show that we can still win. We’ve got a great coach leading us into the games, and we can still continue to make history for Auburn.  

I just want to do my part to help the team. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.  

After this season, I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe there’s a future in basketball. Maybe there’s not. What I do know is that I just had a baby, and I will work hard every day to be a good father to Maverick. I’m getting married in August and when I do, I will strive to be a good husband. And no matter what comes next with my career, I will keep pushing.

The thing about Auburn is wherever I go, it will always be a place I can call home. It’s a place that has shown me love unconditionally, win or lose. From the season that we had my freshman year to now, the love has always been the same. When I went down with my injury, I got countless amounts of letters sent to me – from social media to actual physical mail. I will forever be grateful, forever be indebted to that kind of support that we have.  

Now let’s go make history … again. 

[akillshot 294]

Javon McCormick:

 

Our Time: Why giving up on my dreams was never an option

By J'Von McCormick

1/6/2020 5:00:00 PM

I love the game of basketball.  

The game doesn’t owe me anything. But I owe it everything. It kept me out of trouble growing up. It’s taken me to new places, introduced me to new people, including some of my closest friends now, and it’s helped me become a better man. But more than anything, basketball has taught me to never give up on my dreams.  

On my left forearm, there’s a tattoo. It’s younger me sitting on a basketball in front of my house looking up at the goal. It’s on the street in New Orleans where I grew up, the same street that was really bad with gang violence. Not everybody made it out. Some of my friends were in gangs. But me looking up at that basketball goal symbolizes me looking up at my dream.  

Back then, that dream was to play Division I basketball.  

We eventually moved from New Orleans to Texas when I was in high school. My family wanted me and my brothers to get away from the violence and play sports because they knew how much we loved it and they knew the God-gifted abilities we had.  

Here’s the thing. I’ve been short or small my whole life, so people have always counted me out. It didn’t help that when I moved to Texas, I was playing around guys like De’Aaron Fox and Carsen Edwards who are both in the NBA now. They were the highly-recruited guys who got the big offers, and I always got overlooked.  

I had some small D-I offers coming out of high school, but I wanted the chance to play at a high-major program. So I felt like I had to take the junior college path and start from the bottom.  

I knew coming in that JUCO was going to be tough. Some guys that I knew went JUCO and they said basically if you make it out of there, you’ll be good. So my mindset was I’m going to stick through it. I know it’s going to be hard. I know I’m going to want to quit or I’m going to want to give up. I just have to stick through it. So that’s what I did.  

After playing two years, the hard work paid off. I was already receiving interest from Virginia Tech and Wichita State when Auburn called and offered a scholarship.  

We took a visit. I came here and saw the facilities. The coaches went over the plan with me. I knew that Jared (Harper) and Bryce (Brown) were both coming back, but I liked that they were the main founders of this team. I didn’t mind coming off the bench.  

I could have gone to Virginia Tech or Wichita State and been the guy, but I knew coming out of high school I was always the guy and that didn’t really work out for me. So instead I chose to come to Auburn knowing I wasn’t going to be the guy.  

Little did I know then that we would go to the Final Four my first year here. It’s crazy how I came to Auburn and then we went to the Final Four and won the SEC championship. During that run, it just felt like we were going to win every game. We grew together as a team. We became closer as friends, family, all of that. 

I'll never forget that run and that team. It was just amazing.  

This year has been amazing, too. For us seniors, it just shows that you have to be patient and stay ready, stay right and just keep working. Those guys before us put in a lot of work, too, so it’s good that they’re succeeding right now. We just had to wait our turn. Now that our turn is here, we can showcase what we’ve been working for our whole life.  

This team is not all that different than last year’s team. There’s still one goal. It’s not like one person has their own goal. Everybody is bought into the system, everybody is focused and knowing that if we win as a team, everybody is going to eat.  

Looking back at who I was to who I am now, I’m a different person. I’m less emotional on the court, more relaxed. That comes from experience. Off the court, I would say I’ve matured more as a person, especially coming from different situations like playing in JUCO. I really had to humble myself.  

I still look down at my forearm from time to time as a reminder. It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come, and it’s all proof that you should never give up on your dreams.  

My dream now is to graduate, play professional basketball and show kids that taking the JUCO path is not always a bad idea. You just have to fight through it, overcome your obstacles. 

Anyone can play D-1. You just have to be focused.  

[BJCrawford 1,568]

Love these!! Thx for posting.

[tdburger 37]

Thanks for posting these!

[abw0004 10,110]

Our Time: How I stayed ready for when my number was called

By Danjel Purifoy

3/5/2020 3:00:00 PM

In the “Our Time” series, the five Auburn seniors will tell their stories in their own words. 

Stay right and stay ready.  

You’ve probably heard that phrase from Coach Pearl. It’s been my motto here at Auburn. It means your time is going to come. Are you going to put in the work to be ready when it does? Everything didn’t go according to plan for me, but I stayed in the gym, stayed in the weight room, just keeping my body right. And when my name was called, I was ready.   

That meant going to practice every day and playing my heart out like it was a game day. When I was sitting out, I still wanted to make my teammates better every time I came to the gym.  

And always in the back of my mind, I knew my time was coming.  

When I did return to the court last year, it took a while to shake the rust off. But Chuma was playing well, and I’m a team guy. I was just lifting him up and having his back. If he didn’t start off as well, I’d come in and do what I had to do, and then turn it back over to him.  

For me, it didn’t start to really click until we played Tennessee in the championship game of the SEC Tournament. I remember hitting a couple big shots, and from that point, I started doing what I needed to do to stay on the court longer. It was a turnaround point for me.  

What I didn’t know then was that my name would be called on two weeks later when Chuma went down. We had other guys on the bench who were talented and capable, but the coaches chose to call on me. I embraced the new role and started working harder because I didn’t want there to be any drop-off. It goes back to staying right and staying ready. I was doing whatever I could do to stay right, stay ready and rise to the challenge.  

As for making it to the Final Four? I’ll be honest, I never thought that would happen. I probably never thought I would make it to a Final Four at all, let alone start in the game.   

I just remember looking to my parents in the stands because they came all way from Alabama. I looked to my mom and I was thinking in my head, “I did it.” This is something I might not ever do again, but at least I got to experience this.  

What a moment.  

We didn’t win the game, but I found perspective later that same month sitting in a hospital room in Virginia for the birth of my daughter, Nyla Cheyenne Purifoy. Talk about something that changes you. It was such a great experience. She came out healthy. Eight pounds. She was a good little healthy baby.  

I see a lot of things differently now, especially because she’s a little girl. It changes a lot. I’m wrapped around her thumb. Even at 10 months old, she seems so grown.   

Just the other day, I got a video where she was watching me play on television, just tuned in watching me every time the camera was on me. It makes me feel good as a dad.  

Coming here as a freshman, I thought I was just going to come in, play and do what I have to do to get by. But now this is my last year. I have to provide and do what I have to do for my family, for my daughter. I’ve got people on my back now. It just makes me look at life a lot differently for the people that are in my corner.  

I’m lucky, though. To be with this team – this team is a brotherhood. We love one another, and we praise each other for the things that we do.  

Before the season, there were a bunch of comments saying that we won’t win without Jared or Bryce or Chuma. We’re 24-6 right now. We already clinched a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament. I don’t really pay attention to it, but it just shows that we can win without those guys. It shows what type of heart we have.  

I don’t know what’s going to happen the rest of this season, but when I look back at my time at Auburn, I want to be that guy that had a story. I’m on track to graduate and when I do, I’ll become the first person in my family to graduate from college. I’m already a part of the winningest senior class in program history. And each and every time I faced adversity, I remained humble and stayed true to the person that I am today.  

I just want to be remembered as the guy that went through a lot of trials and still stood tall.  

My motto might be to stay right and stay ready, but also don’t give up on your goals or your dreams. There are going to be ups and downs. Like Coach Pearl says, adversity doesn’t build character. It reveals it.  

[abw0004 10,110]

Our Time: Why giving up on my dreams was never an option

By J'Von McCormick

1/6/2020 5:00:00 PM

In the “Our Time” series, the five Auburn seniors will tell their stories in their own words. 

I love the game of basketball.  

The game doesn’t owe me anything. But I owe it everything. It kept me out of trouble growing up. It’s taken me to new places, introduced me to new people, including some of my closest friends now, and it’s helped me become a better man. But more than anything, basketball has taught me to never give up on my dreams.  

On my left forearm, there’s a tattoo. It’s younger me sitting on a basketball in front of my house looking up at the goal. It’s on the street in New Orleans where I grew up, the same street that was really bad with gang violence. Not everybody made it out. Some of my friends were in gangs. But me looking up at that basketball goal symbolizes me looking up at my dream.  

Back then, that dream was to play Division I basketball.  

We eventually moved from New Orleans to Texas when I was in high school. My family wanted me and my brothers to get away from the violence and play sports because they knew how much we loved it and they knew the God-gifted abilities we had.  

Here’s the thing. I’ve been short or small my whole life, so people have always counted me out. It didn’t help that when I moved to Texas, I was playing around guys like De’Aaron Fox and Carsen Edwards who are both in the NBA now. They were the highly-recruited guys who got the big offers, and I always got overlooked.  

I had some small D-I offers coming out of high school, but I wanted the chance to play at a high-major program. So I felt like I had to take the junior college path and start from the bottom.  

I knew coming in that JUCO was going to be tough. Some guys that I knew went JUCO and they said basically if you make it out of there, you’ll be good. So my mindset was I’m going to stick through it. I know it’s going to be hard. I know I’m going to want to quit or I’m going to want to give up. I just have to stick through it. So that’s what I did.  

After playing two years, the hard work paid off. I was already receiving interest from Virginia Tech and Wichita State when Auburn called and offered a scholarship.  

We took a visit. I came here and saw the facilities. The coaches went over the plan with me. I knew that Jared (Harper) and Bryce (Brown) were both coming back, but I liked that they were the main founders of this team. I didn’t mind coming off the bench.  

I could have gone to Virginia Tech or Wichita State and been the guy, but I knew coming out of high school I was always the guy and that didn’t really work out for me. So instead I chose to come to Auburn knowing I wasn’t going to be the guy.  

Little did I know then that we would go to the Final Four my first year here. It’s crazy how I came to Auburn and then we went to the Final Four and won the SEC championship. During that run, it just felt like we were going to win every game. We grew together as a team. We became closer as friends, family, all of that. 

I'll never forget that run and that team. It was just amazing.  

This year has been amazing, too. For us seniors, it just shows that you have to be patient and stay ready, stay right and just keep working. Those guys before us put in a lot of work, too, so it’s good that they’re succeeding right now. We just had to wait our turn. Now that our turn is here, we can showcase what we’ve been working for our whole life.  

This team is not all that different than last year’s team. There’s still one goal. It’s not like one person has their own goal. Everybody is bought into the system, everybody is focused and knowing that if we win as a team, everybody is going to eat.  

Looking back at who I was to who I am now, I’m a different person. I’m less emotional on the court, more relaxed. That comes from experience. Off the court, I would say I’ve matured more as a person, especially coming from different situations like playing in JUCO. I really had to humble myself.  

I still look down at my forearm from time to time as a reminder. It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come, and it’s all proof that you should never give up on your dreams.  

My dream now is to graduate, play professional basketball and show kids that taking the JUCO path is not always a bad idea. You just have to fight through it, overcome your obstacles. 

Anyone can play D-1. You just have to be focused.  

[abw0004 10,110]

Our Time: Why basketball is only the beginning to who I am

By Anfernee McLemore

12/17/2019 9:00:00 AM

In the “Our Time” series, the five Auburn seniors will tell their stories in their own words. 

Every basketball team I’ve ever been on, there are the superstars and then there are the other guys – the guys willing to support the players that are going to make those big shots.  

The superstars are important. I played with T.J. Dunans my freshman year. Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and even Chuma Okeke to an extent handled that role the last two years. You need those players. But what makes a successful team is having those other guys that are willing to put themselves out of the limelight so the whole team can be in the limelight.  

That’s who I am. That’s who I’ve always strived to be. I want to be the guy who helped his team win rings and who was there to help other players achieve their goals.  

Obviously, basketball was a platform for me to achieve my dreams of going to college and getting my degree. But basketball won’t last forever. If it doesn’t take me to professional work, I still have that degree I can fall back on. I just want to be remembered as the guy that won three championships in four years at Auburn and was part of a legacy team that will stand as the benchmark as other great teams come and go at this university.  

It’s funny. When I first got to Auburn, I was like any other player in the country. It was all things basketball. I had a laser focus on trying to play professionally. I still did well in the classroom. Growing up as a military kid, grades were always important to me. But my future was on the court.  

That all changed my sophomore year when we were playing on the road at South Carolina. I went to grab a rebound, and the next thing I knew my season was over.  

 

The injury was crushing, especially knowing that I was leading the SEC in shot blocks at that point. But it also sort of pivoted my career. It opened my eyes that basketball might not be the only future that I have or that might be in store for me.  

I turned my attention toward the classroom where I focused on graduating early and getting the most of my scholarship educationally. In case I didn’t decide to play professionally, I would have something to fall back on. Not even something to fall back on. Something to strive toward to where I could take a position utilizing my degree or utilizing my talents on the basketball court and be equally as happy. I don’t think I would’ve seen it that way before the injury.  

Over the summer, that dream became a reality. I walked across the stage at graduation with my whole family in attendance. I still carry my pocket-size degree in my wallet everywhere I go just because I’m so proud of it. But I didn’t feel like I was done at Auburn. Graduating was more like just another step on the ladder. With one degree in hand, I was eager to earn a second one.

So next August, I will graduate with a master’s degree in finance from Auburn.  

The thing about Auburn is wherever I go, it will always be a place I can call home. It’s a place that has shown me love unconditionally, win or lose.

Like with school, I don’t feel like I’m done with basketball either. It was hard coming back from injury. There was the mental hurdle of gaining confidence and realizing that my legs were going to be back under me when I jumped. It definitely affected my timing as far as shot blocking and things like that. It took a while to get over that.  

It wasn’t until SEC play the next year that I truly started feeling confident again. And still I had that hesitation until we got to the NCAA Tournament. That’s when I put everything behind me and said OK, we’re going to win. I’m going to play. If I get hurt, at least it will be in a big tournament game. I ended up having one of my best runs as a basketball player in the tournament where I was playing my most dominant basketball.  

It was also a dream come true to be able to make it to Minneapolis and experience everything that goes with the Final Four. Seeing my face on the side of a hotel, that’s not something I ever imagined would happen to me. It was amazing to see.  

 

But now coming into this season, coming off that Final Four run, my mindset hasn’t changed. Every year for the last three years, I had a reason to be an underdog. I had a chip on my shoulder. This being my last season, I have to come in with that chip still on my shoulder.  

Yes, we had a lot of great players last year. Most of those players are gone now. We have to prove we can win without those players. We have a lot of talent on the team right now, and we just want to show that we can still win. We’ve got a great coach leading us into the games, and we can still continue to make history for Auburn.  

I just want to do my part to help the team. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.  

After this season, I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe there’s a future in basketball. Maybe there’s not. What I do know is that I just had a baby, and I will work hard every day to be a good father to Maverick. I’m getting married in August and when I do, I will strive to be a good husband. And no matter what comes next with my career, I will keep pushing.

The thing about Auburn is wherever I go, it will always be a place I can call home. It’s a place that has shown me love unconditionally, win or lose. From the season that we had my freshman year to now, the love has always been the same. When I went down with my injury, I got countless amounts of letters sent to me – from social media to actual physical mail. I will forever be grateful, forever be indebted to that kind of support that we have.  

Now let’s go make history … again.  

[gravejd 3,270]

These are great to read. So many great stories for all our seniors and how they made it to this point. Proud of all of them for sticking it out and having the great year they are having

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Loved all the stories. We are lucky to have these guys decide to come to Auburn and help this team. Look where we have come with these players over the last 3 years they have helped turn Auburn into a basketball school. 

 

I just edit this as I wanted to add that of the 3 One has graduated and is in graduate school, one has said he will graduate soon and one did not mention that. So worse case is 2 out of three graduated and J'Von may graduate he just did not mention it.  2 out of three is a high graduation rate for any group of students this shows you that Bruce is not only a great coach but he is looking out for these young men and making sure they get that all important Auburn degree which will help them in the future.

[MaineTiger 33]

I haven't felt this attached to a group of players in my time as a fan of AU basketball (this includes last years guys as well). When I was at AU in the late 90's, as good as those teams were, I never felt the same connection as I do with these guys. It's gonna be hard to see these seniors go, but the next group will carry the torch and I can't wait to watch them too!

 

War Damn Eagle

[gr82be 14,423]

Thanks @abw0004 for posting these. Impressive young men, all with great testimony to their collegiate experience. Congratulations to each of them and to Bruce and his staff for the recruiting, coaching and being the influence our players need and desire. They make all of Auburn proud. 

[Rednilla 5,390]

On 3/6/2020 at 11:04 AM, abw0004 said:

"The thing about Auburn is wherever I go, it will always be a place I can call home."

I think this echoes many of our own sentiments about the Loveliest Village; I'm back in my hometown just north of Montgomery now, but I will forever consider Auburn to be my home.

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

Love these!!!

Thanks for posting!

[abw0004 10,110]

Our Time: Why playing basketball for Auburn meant so much to me

By Austin Wiley

3/20/2020 9:00:00 AM

In the “Our Time” series, the five Auburn seniors will tell their stories in their own words. 

What drives you?  

Everybody is different. For me, I can answer that question with three things: Family, the will to get better and curiosity to see where the game of basketball will take me.  

My family is where basketball started for me. Both of my parents played at Auburn. My dad led the SEC in rebounding his senior year, and my mom was on back-to-back Final Four teams. She later won a bronze medal with Team USA at the Olympics.  

Growing up as a small kid, I really didn’t understand it as much as I do now. It’s just different. I couldn’t fathom how great my mom was. I always thought, “That’s just my mom.” But now growing up and understanding the game more, it’s like “Wow, she really did that.” I grew up with the word of mouth, but seeing and understanding the stats, she was a really special player.  

It’s because of my parents that I grew up pulling for Auburn in a state where it felt like everybody else was an Alabama fan. I rarely remember there being a lot of Auburn fans. It was more like a couple of us in a sea of Alabama folks.  

But that’s what made me want to choose Auburn. Bruce Pearl and I talked about jumpstarting Auburn basketball and creating a turning point. I wanted the program to be the best it’s ever been. I wanted to take it places it has never been before. With me, when I do something new, I want the outcome to be the best possible outcome. I’m always striving for greatness.  

I guess you could say it’s where the will to get better comes from. Even when I fail, I still want to accomplish something great. 

To be a part of Auburn basketball’s run to the Final Four last year meant so much to me. We made history. I try to think back to when I was a kid and how the kids now are looking at it. Before, it was always about football. Now you can be an Auburn football and basketball fan.  

Looking back, I just wish I could’ve been able to contribute more to the team last year. One of the hardest things for me has always been dealing with injuries and not being able to be out there with my team. Injuries are never fun. Sometimes I felt like a liability, like the team couldn’t depend on me because I’m going to be hurt. It was really frustrating.  

Everybody is going to have some doubts in their head, especially coming back from injuries, but it just took a lot of discipline to come back from everything.  

Everything is going to come to an end. For me, it came like this, but I still had a great time at Auburn. It means a lot that I got to play here.

Austin Wiley

This year, I felt like I was finally healthy, and it drove me. Every time I was tired, I thought about the times where I wasn’t able to play. I used that as fuel and motivation. It’s just a blessing that I was able to play and that I was healthy.  

I also felt like I grew up a lot with different things I had to go through. My mental toughness got stronger. Of course, I’m always trying to develop as a player. That’s a given. I try to get better every year. But I feel like I got better spiritually, too, through team chaplain Randy Roberts. He helped me a lot just seeing a bigger picture of things. I give him a lot of credit for that.  

There’s still lot of room to grow, but I feel like I’ve gotten better overall with a lot of different things. And now this year, with it being my last year, I took it on myself to lead the team and do everything I could for us to win, to be that leader I know I could be.  

 

Unfortunately, the season is over for me and my teammates. I never thought in my wildest dreams it would end this way or that the NCAA Tournament could be canceled, but I know the NCAA had the best intentions when they made the decision. This is bigger than basketball.  

Over the last week, even though the season has been over, I caught myself looking back and thinking about the good memories and the great times we had and the history we’ve made here. It gave me perspective. Everything is going to come to an end. For me, it came like this, but I still had a great time at Auburn. It means a lot that I got to play here.  

I hope people will remember me as somebody who gave their best effort every time they went out there and as somebody that represented Auburn the best way they could – both on and off the floor. These fans deserve that. They’ve been loyal and had my back through thick and thin. 

I don’t know where basketball is going to take me. It’s always been a goal of mine to play at the next level, and through everything, I never lost sight of that goal. It would mean the world to me to be able to have the opportunity to play at the next level.  

But if you ask what drives me, it’s simple.  

I look at myself as a basketball player, but I also look at myself as a person who is just trying to make it. I’m trying to create the best possible situation for me and my family.