Is this the greatest team in Auburn History...in any sport?

[Turd Ferguson 38]

This team is crazy to watch.  I've been to every home game this season.  For much of each game, it looks like we slop around and turn ourselves over too easily.  Then, you look up, and we are winning by 10-15 points.  It's not always graceful, not always pretty, but almost always a winning recipe.

We just haven't had a team like this at Auburn...ever.  A team that doesn't live or die by any one element of the game.  

Some nights it is our three-point shooting carries us (albeit rarely), when other nights it is our low turnover ratio, or a single player effort, or an all out block party.  This team can beat anyone soundly in a myriad of different ways.  

The strength of this team is undoubtedly our defense.  It is the reason why we have only lost three games, of which the worst defeat was by one point at the end of regulation.  No one else in the country comes close to making this claim.  We are probably only carrying one Double OT loss to UCONN if not for crazy environments like Arkansas two weeks ago and Florida last week. 

When the defense is the strength of the team, like ours, games can tend to look sloppy at times, but man, its an awesome feeling to walk into any arena on any given night and know that our team should win.  It's been a long time since I ever felt that way about any Auburn team in any sport.  

I believe that we will win the SEC Regular Season Championship outright, and the Tournament Championship.  We are probably only carrying one Double OT loss to UCONN if not for crazy environments like Arkansas two weeks ago and Florida last week.  

This team should decimate all at a neutral site, all things considered.  And once we get into March Madness, I can only hope we get some Big10, ACC officials that allow big men to play big boy basketball and not call meaningless ticky-tack fouls in the paint.  

This team is awfully reminiscent of 1988-1989 Georgetown with Mount Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning, but with better offense and surrounding talent.

This is the best team in the history of Auburn Tiger Basketball, and anything outside of a Final Four birth would be disappointing at this point.  

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,700]

The 2013 football team had like a top 5 SOS and played a FSU team that was the best offense ever statistically (at that point) and had 40+ NFL players iirc. Also 2 of the best games ever, and multiple other stellar SEC games. Not to mention the football teams with actual national titles or the WBB teams that went to like 3 final fours in a 4 year span. Hell the swimming team won like 10 nattys between both genders in a ~7 year span? 

I really think they’d need to get some rings and have some postseason success before this discussion could be had

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

This team could potentially go down as one of the best defensive teams ever. They showed a stat line reflecting blocks, steals, and points allowed per game. The only other team with similar stats ever in D-1 history was a Georgetown team from the 80s. 

[Turd Ferguson 38]

24 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

The 2013 football team had like a top 5 SOS and played a FSU team that was the best offense ever statistically (at that point) and had 40+ NFL players iirc. Also 2 of the best games ever, and multiple other stellar SEC games. Not to mention the football teams with actual national titles or the WBB teams that went to like 3 final fours in a 4 year span. Hell the swimming team won like 10 nattys between both genders in a ~7 year span? 

I really think they’d need to get some rings and have some postseason success before this discussion could be had

Ahhh, but you are having it.  Granted, I did not consider Swimming or Equestrian for that matter, and the 2013 football team was definitely magical.  All that being considered, this basketball team has the potential to trump them all. Not saying they have yet. As you said, they haven't won anything yet.  I am just posing the question - a question that will certainly be answered on the court in the next 30-40 days.

[81spacetiger 157]

The Auburn swimming team has this locked up by a LARGE marge.  We won 8 National Championships over a 13 year span (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,700]

1 hour ago, Turd Ferguson said:

Ahhh, but you are having it.  Granted, I did not consider Swimming or Equestrian for that matter, and the 2013 football team was definitely magical.  All that being considered, this basketball team has the potential to trump them all. Not saying they have yet. As you said, they haven't won anything yet.  I am just posing the question - a question that will certainly be answered on the court in the next 30-40 days.

I think relative to expectations, in my lifetime, they’ve overachieved more than any team other than 2013 FB. Although the 2017 basketball team was even more of an afterthought and they had a fantastic season until Mac got hurt 

[Cardin Drake 1,851]

Gotta see what they do in post season before we make any real claims about greatness. Right now, it's all great potential.

[JTFazz 386]

With a little improved play in the back court and perimeter, it certainly would rank right up there. All the other pieces are there. And I agree with @ShocksMyBrain that this defense is world class.

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

To answer the OP, no.  It is a fun team, and could possibly become the best AU basketball team ever, but we’ve had some pretty incredible teams in other sports over the years!!!    Gotta cut the nets in April to be in that conversation.   

[SumterAubie 3,031]

This team hasn't even won the conference yet. Let's tap the brakes here.

[aubaseball 2,646]

I’ll answer.   No.   I would say not even the best basketball team.   With a healthy chuma, auburn wins the National championship.   The way that auburn is playing right now, I would be happy with making it to the sweet sixteen.   

[81spacetiger 157]

After this season is over we can talk about this team's placement in the history of previous Auburn BB teams.  That said, we should all know this is a special team this year.  This team is capable of wining it all but it does matter on the matchups.   The last time we got to the final four, everything aligned to have us almost get into the CC game.  I too feel if Chuma was playing we would have gotten to the CC game; its to hard to say we would have won it.  But we'd all agree we were HOT and we would have like our chances to win it all.

Hopefully no matter how far we get, we will not point fingers to this or that relative to this team and what we accomplished this season.  I have really enjoyed watching this team play win or loose.  

 

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

20 minutes ago, aubaseball said:

I’ll answer.   No.   I would say not even the best basketball team.   With a healthy chuma, auburn wins the National championship.   The way that auburn is playing right now, I would be happy with making it to the sweet sixteen.   

This times a million . All truth 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,700]

29 minutes ago, 81spacetiger said:

After this season is over we can talk about this team's placement in the history of previous Auburn BB teams.  That said, we should all know this is a special team this year.  This team is capable of wining it all but it does matter on the matchups.   The last time we got to the final four, everything aligned to have us almost get into the CC game.  I too feel if Chuma was playing we would have gotten to the CC game; its to hard to say we would have won it.  But we'd all agree we were HOT and we would have like our chances to win it all.

Hopefully no matter how far we get, we will not point fingers to this or that relative to this team and what we accomplished this season.  I have really enjoyed watching this team play win or loose.  

 

That Auburn team was the hottest in the league but luck went their way. UGA game came to one shot, Florida game came to one shot, NMSU game should’ve been a loss honestly, Kansas had the best center in basketball hurt. Luck becomes less in their favor after that part. This isn’t detracting, just saying that they had some luck. 2022 Auburn has not been creating opportunities where luck can even be a factor. If anything, I feel like we’ve been getting boned the past couple weeks. Hopefully the pendulum swings a bit 

[Mikey 16,671]

"Is this the greatest team in Auburn History...in any sport?"

No. The team as it was playing weeks ago when it beat Alabama twice and Kentucky could have had a claim to being the best basketball team had they been able to maintain that level of play. They haven't maintained. In both of the two most recent losses, they have blown double-digit second half leads. Not only was the 2017 team better, some of Doc Robinson's teams (1996 to '99) would be fully capable of beating this year's team the way they  are currently playing.

[aubiefifty 16,856]

jinxed

[woodford 3,660]

Epic jinx here. Let them win a championship before you start calling them the greatest team ever. 

[tigers23 668]

Absolutely not

[Turd Ferguson 38]

7 hours ago, woodford said:

Epic jinx here. Let them win a championship before you start calling them the greatest team ever. 

Nobody called them anything.  Just posed the question.

[1716AU 731]

Very easy answer to the OP

 

No.  Not even close

[tigeraddikt 1,616]

hehehe this thread OP didn't age well...

[aubaseball 2,646]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:36 PM, Turd Ferguson said:

Nobody called them anything.  Just posed the question.

You posed the question and then preceded with writing that they are the greatest in your post.  

[Turd Ferguson 38]

18 hours ago, aubaseball said:

You posed the question and then preceded with writing that they are the greatest in your post.  

I never said that they were the greatest in any sport, but I did say that IMO, this is the best basketball team we have ever had, and I will stand by that.  Greatest in any sport remains to be seen in March and April.  Most talented basketball team we have ever assembled.  Failing to reach New Orleans will be a real shame.

[Turd Ferguson 38]

On 2/26/2022 at 10:49 PM, Mikey said:

"Is this the greatest team in Auburn History...in any sport?"

No. The team as it was playing weeks ago when it beat Alabama twice and Kentucky could have had a claim to being the best basketball team had they been able to maintain that level of play. They haven't maintained. In both of the two most recent losses, they have blown double-digit second half leads. Not only was the 2017 team better, some of Doc Robinson's teams (1996 to '99) would be fully capable of beating this year's team the way they  are currently playing.

Doc's 1999 team may have had a shot at this team, but even the 1999 team did not have the big/quick guard play that has done harm to this 2021-2022 team.  The 2017 team was not better.  They would have been chewed up in the paint by our current team.   Our 2019 team may have shot this team out of the gym in a home court setting.  

Our current team is just more complete than the other teams we have had.  Just got to get some Wen, Dev and Flan's head back on straight, and we are going to be terribly difficult to beat on a neutral court.

[Viper 3,132]

On 2/26/2022 at 7:02 PM, aubaseball said:

With a healthy chuma, auburn wins the National championship.  

Without question. And it wouldn’t have been close by Elite 8 / Final Four standards. Would have beaten UK, UVA and TT by 7-12 points.