Pearl on loss to Yale

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al.com

3 takeaways as Auburn stunned by Yale in March Madness upset

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 6:37 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 6:05 p.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn walks off floor after loss to Yale

Just three minutes into the game after Chad Baker-Mazara was ejected on a flagrant two foul call, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl yelled out about how a whole season of work had just been encapsulated in that play.

And a whole season of work crashed to a skidding and stunning halt Friday afternoon 2,400 miles away from Neville Arena. Auburn fell victim to another Ivy League upset, losing to No. 13 seed Yale 78-76.

Auburn nearly pulled away from Yale with a 12-2 run midway through the second half but Yale clawed back, all the way back. It took the lead with just over a minute to play and hit crucial free throws. Auburn had two different misses on the front ends of 1-and-1s from the free throw line.

It was a day where Auburn could never put away Yale.

And it bit them, ending Auburn’s season.

An SEC tournament championship cascaded into a nightmare in Spokane, Washington. Auburn’s season with 27 wins ended on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are 3 takeaways.

Auburn loses in Round of 64 for the first time, SEC struggles continue

Since the NCAA Tournament was expanded to include a Round of 64 for the first time in 1985, Auburn hasn’t lost in the first round.

Auburn did lose its first NCAA Tournament game as a No. 5 seed in 1984 but is 11-0 since expansion.

It lost for the first time since on Friday in its fall to Yale.

Auburn had only lost to a double-digit seed twice in the NCAA Tournament before: No. 12 Richmond in 1984 and No. 10 Miami in 2022.

Based on seeding alone, this is Auburn’s worst loss in NCAA Tournament history.

The SEC has struggled mightily thus far in the NCAA Tournament. Four SEC teams played on Thursday and only Tennessee won. No. 3 seed Kentucky was upset in a stunner by No. 14 seed Oakland.

The SEC is 1-5 after Auburn and Florida both lost, too.

A beloved team meets an abrupt end

Take a scroll through social media to quickly find out what fans thought about this Auburn team. Many have described it as their favorite Auburn team ever under Pearl. It’s because of the way these teammates danced before games and talked about a genuinely supportive team chemistry. It’s what made the depth of this team work out.

It was a team that was a trendy pick to advance to the Final Four in a brutally difficult East Region.

And it fell out of the NCAA Tournament after 40 minutes.

It’s a harshly abrupt end for Auburn. There are only two guaranteed departures: Jaylin Williams and Lior Berman. There are several other players who took part in Senior Day festivities who now have a decision to make including Broome, Chris Moore, KD Johnson and Dylan Cardwell.

Broome is expected to depart for the NBA.

The transfer portal is also already open. Because it still had March Madness games to play, Auburn had not yet seen any portal entrants. There are reports it has already reached out to several players in the transfer portal already.

Changes are coming.

Chad Baker-Mazara ejected on a flagrant 2 foul

Chad Baker-Mazara was called for a Flagrant 2 foul at the 16:59 to play mark in the first half. Auburn had gotten out to a hot start. Baker-Mazara tossed his elbow toward a Yale player as Auburn ran back down the court.

Officials reviewed the play and determined it warranted a Flagrant 2 foul, which would eject Baker-Mazara from the game.

Yale got right back in the game with a 12-4 spurt after the ejection to take an 18-16 lead. It was a call that began a sense of frustration and allowed Yale to be in the game for, well, the rest of it. It turned what started out as a game where Auburn might run away with it into a nervous one around the Plains.

Baker-Mazara quickly responded on social media after he was tossed. He initially posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing “Lmao yall lame” before deleting the post and then followed up with something a bit more encouraging.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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al.com

Lane Kiffin trolls Auburn after March Madness loss to Yale

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:22 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:22 p.m.

2–3 minutes

Bruce Pearl speaks after Auburn's upset loss to Yale in NCAA Tournament

Lane Kiffin is in March Madness form.

The Ole Miss football coach didn’t miss a chance to throw a soft jab at the Auburn basketball team after it was knocked out by No. 13-seeded Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The former Alabama offensive coordinator simply wished the Tigers “good luck.” He just sent the kind words after the Tigers fell 78-76 to the Ivy League school

John Poulakidas scored 28 points, Samson Aletan made a key block during a wild scramble in the final seconds, and 13th-seeded Yale beat No. 4 seed Auburn.

RELATED: Charles Barkley roasted after Auburn loss

For the second straight year, the Ivy League Tournament champion took down one of the pre-tournament favorites. The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in school history, rallying from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half.

Johni Broome led Auburn with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Auburn rolled through the SEC Tournament last week and became a favored pick as a team that could take down No. 1 overall seed UConn should the pair end up clashing in the Sweet 16.

But the Tigers failed to get out the first round and joined fellow SEC schools South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi State amid the early departures from March Madness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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al.com

Scenes from a somber Auburn locker room after shocking upset to Yale

Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:46 p.m.

5–7 minutes

Hardly half an hour after it had all improbably crashed to an end, after Yale guard August Mahoney climbed on the media table to look out across Spokane Arena and the bracket damage he’d just authored, Tre Donaldson sat back in his Auburn locker room chair.

He leaned back, the two front legs of his chair lifted off the ground. His head rested against the white, cinder block wall. Donaldson is often on his phone in the locker room. On this Friday afternoon, he didn’t touch it. He stared blankly across the locker room he’d only occupy for one game after a stunning 78-76 upset to No. 13-seeded Yale. His face showed no emotion. Just a stunned gaze.

He was one man in a normally buzzing Auburn locker room reduced to silence this afternoon. It was sullen. It was shocked. Forward Johni Broome sat down next to Donaldson. He’d done all he could with 24 points and 13 rebounds. It wasn’t enough.

Forward Jaylin Williams came into the locker room slowly. Saddened. He’s the winningest player in Auburn history.

His career is over.

After the game, he said he texted his mom, “I’m sorry.”

Williams’ mom started a live video on Facebook after the game. She cried.

This No. 4-seeded Auburn team was grappling with a season highlighted by a jubilant Nashville celebration of an SEC title not even a week ago to a stunningly sudden upset loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Spokane, Washington.

Head coach Bruce Pearl called it “one of the most disappointing losses in (his) career.”

Auburn’s season with 27 wins ended with a short stay. It’s Auburn’s first-ever loss in the Round of 64 after winning its previous 11 trips. Based on seeding alone, it’s Auburn’s worst March Madness loss ever. Previously, that had been a loss to No. 12 Richmond in 1984. No. 13 seed Yale in 2024 taking down an SEC-championship-winning team is now the new holder.

The locker rooms are all nearby at Spokane Arena. Auburn’s locker room is right next to Alabama’s. Just down the tunnel is Yale’s. The music from Yale’s celebration blasted through the walls and down the hallways into Auburn’s locker room.

A somber scene now able to hear the joy they’d planned for themselves passed down the tunnel.

“Really just shocked,” center Dylan Cardwell said. “It didn’t feel real, as far as the season ending like that, especially for people like Lior (Berman) and J-Will. We didn’t do them justice.”

After Cardwell spoke, Williams came back to the locker room. Cardwell has a chance to come back. He hasn’t decided yet. Williams can’t. This was it.

Williams said his mom responded to his text and told him not to worry. He said that’s when it hit him: he realized he’s more than just a basketball player. But he’s not sure exactly what will come next.

“This game didn’t end how we wanted, but hopefully we still stick together and I still stay in contact with those guys,” Williams said. “Still good friends. Do everything we usually do. Again, this is family. Auburn is family, and it always will be.”

Williams’ teammates felt bad for him. None of them wanted his record-setting Auburn career to end like this.

“You hurt for guys like J-Will,” forward Chaney Johnson said of his teammate. “This is his last year, this is his last run. An SEC champ. You want to go all the way for the guys like him, and for the rest of the guys on the team. But we just didn’t get the job done. Not really much more we could do right now. Just go back to Auburn, recuperate and get ready for next year.”

“It was tough, obviously you don’t want to go out that way,” Carter Sobera said. “At the end of the day, I’m still standing behind these guys. But a couple missed opportunities and now we’re here.”

Sobera earned a scholarship this year after spending three seasons as a walk-on. He can come back next year. He hasn’t yet decided.

Guard Denver Jones came back to the locker room from speaking at Auburn’s press conference and immediately put his headphones on. His face showed the same surprise of his teammates. Many others didn’t come out of the bathroom or side office at all.

This team that flew 2,400 miles across the country will go right back home after one game. There’s a future to think about. That time isn’t here yet. This team that was so beloved by Auburn fans for their fun on and off the court, for winning 26 of 27 games by double digits, for a thrilling run that will still be encapsulated with an SEC Tournament banner, all of it ended so fast two time zones away.

Broome tossed the hood of his white sweatshirt over his head. He declined questions from reporters. He looked down at his phone. Several of his teammates came up to him to give him hugs. He obliged to those. It might be the last time they’re all a team together.

They don’t know if Broome will be back, either.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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al.com

Rewinding Auburn basketball’s stunning March Madness loss to Yale

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 6:05 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 3:04 p.m.

7–9 minutes

Just five days removed from winning the SEC Tournament championship on March 17, the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team returns to action Friday afternoon to take on the Yale Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

When Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl met with the media Tuesday, it was clear he and the Tigers had moved on quickly from the championship win.

“If you notice, I didn’t mention anything about Sunday,” Pearl said. “And I’m not gonna talk about it much.”

Instead, he and his coaching staff have been zeroed in on getting Auburn ready to take on Yale.

“This coaching staff, this is a really good team, a really good program, and they’ve got a really good history of first-round upsets,” Pearl said of Yale Tuesday. “Why is that? Because they play the right way, because they play hard, they play physically, they’re from the Ivy League so they’re smart.”

Auburn knows it can’t be complacent against Yale, which comes into the matchup with a 22-9 record and recent a Ivy League Tournament title.

Follow along for live updates from Friday afternoon’s action in Spokane, which will tip off at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT.

Pregame

AUBURN’S STARTERS

Guard — Aden Holloway

Guard — Denver Jones

Forward — Chad Baker-Mazara

Forward — Jaylin Williams

Forward — Johni Broome

YALE’S STARTERS

Guard — Bez Mbeng

Guard — August Mahoney

Guard — John Poulakidas

Forward — Danny Wolf

Forward — Matt Knowling

First half

19:09 — With a pair of made free throws from Johni Broome and a deep 3-pointer from Denver Jones, Auburn takes a quick 5-0 lead.

17:42 — Johni Broome sinks a 3-pointer to stretch Auburn’s lead out to 10-2. Broome as an easy seven points early for the Tigers.

17:23 — After taking a fall near the baseline and grabbing at one of his ankles, Auburn’s Jaylin Williams gingerly walks towards the locker room and returns to the bench shortly after. Williams seems okay to return.

16:59 — Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara is hit with a flagrant 2 foul after elbowing a Yale player. He’s ejected from the rest of the game. Yale’s August Mahoney goes 1-for-2 from the free throw line following the foul.

14:58 — Auburn leads Yale 14-10 after a dunk from Jaylin Williams.

14:06 — A pair of made 3-pointers from Yale’s Poulakidas and Mahoney, followed by a pair of made free throws from Yale’s Nick Townsend gives Yale an 18-16 lead.

9:43 — Auburn currently leads Yale 24-21.

7:12 — At the under-8 media timeout, Auburn holds on to a 28-25 lead over Yale. The Tigers are currently shooting the ball 58% from the field and have scored 11 points off six forced turnovers. Meanwhile, Johni Broome leads all scorers with 11 points.

6:20 — Auburn center Johni Broom gets loose for a breakaway dunk, which stretches the Tigers’ lead to 31-25.

4:28 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson hits a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Auburn an 36-29 advantage.

3:00 — Yale’s Poulakidas answers Donaldson’s made three ball with one of his own to trim Auburn’s lead back down to just four points.

00:46 — Auburn’s Chaney Johnson fights through contact during a dunk and gets the basket to count, along with the whistle. Johnson converts the 3-point play and extends the Tigers’ lead out to 41-34.

Halftime — Auburn 41, Yale 34

With a seven-point lead at the break, the Tigers are beating the Bulldogs in the following statistical categories:

FG% — Auburn: 50%, Yale: 41%

FT% — Auburn: 89%, Yale: 73%

Committed turnovers — Auburn: 5, Yale: 9

Points of turnovers — Auburn: 13, Yale: 2

Second-chance points — Auburn: 7, Yale: 5

Bench points — Auburn: 13, Yale: 6

Points in the paint — Auburn: 20, Yale: 10

Meanwhile, Auburn and Yale are tied in the rebound battle at 17 all.

Second half

18:49 — Yale outscores Auburn 5-2 in the opening minutes of the second half. Auburn hangs on to its 43-39 lead.

17:57 — Yale’s Poulakidas hits his second 3-pointer in the second half and fifth in the game to cut Auburn’s lead to just one point.

17:18 — Yale ties the game at 43-43 after a 9-0 scoring run.

16:27 — Auburn’s Chaney Johnson is whistled for a charge, giving Johnson his third personal foul. The Tigers now have three players with three fouls: Johnson, Jaylin Williams and Denver Jones.

15:09 — Auburn’s Jaylin Williams hits a deep 3-ball off a pick-and-pop movement to put the Tigers back out front 48-46.

13:51 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson connects with Jaylin Williams on an alley-oop dunk, which gives the Tigers a 50-46 advantage.

13:23 — On the Tigers’ next trip down the floor, Denver Jones sinks a wide open look from beyond the arc for Auburn. The Tigers lead the Bulldogs 53-46.

11:30 — Auburn’s Jaylin Williams and Yale’s John Poulakidas trade 2-point shots. Auburn leads 55-48.

10:24 — Auburn’s Chris Moore recovers from a pass thrown at his shoes and successfully sinks a corner 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 60-50 lead.

8:25 — Yale’s Danny Wolf his a big 3-pointer, his first of the game, to cut Auburn’s lead to five points.

4:39 — Yales John Poulakidas gets a layup to fall, cutting Auburn’s lead to just four points, 68-64.

2:38 — Auburn’s Johni Broome is called for an offensive foul that leaves Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl shaking his head. Yale goes to the line with a chance to tie the game at 70-70 and does.

2:22 — Yale is hit with a goaltending call on an attempt from Johni Broome, which puts Auburn back out front 72-70.

2:09 — Yale’s John Poulakidas hits a stepback 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead and give him a new career high with 28 points.

1:12 — Yale calls a timeout after securing an offensive rebound with the Bulldogs out front 73-72.

00:55 — Auburn forces a shot clock violation and will take possession trailing by one point.

00:46 — Auburn’s Denver Jones draws an off-ball foul, which will send him to the line for a 1-and-1. Officials take a look to see if its flagrant, but rule it a common foul. Jones misses the free throw and Auburn’s Johni Broome commits a foul on the rebound, sending Yale to the line with a chance to increase the lead out to three points.

00:45 — Yale’s Danny Wolf goes 2-for-2 from the line to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead.

00:33 — Yale’s Danny Wolf fouls Johni Broome, meaning Wolf has fouled out. Broome will go to the line and convert both free throws. 75-74, Yale.

00:33 — After struggling to get the ball in bounds, Yale is forced to burn its final timeout. Auburn still has one timeout.

00:32 — Looking for a steal, Auburn’s Johni Broome is whistled for a foul, which will send Yale to the line for two free throws. August Mahoney will sink both, putting Auburn back in a three-point hole.

00:14.4 — Yale will got back to the line for a chance a two shots. Yale goes 1-for-2 from the line to give the Bulldogs a four-point lead.

00:08.7 — Auburn’s KD Johnson plays through a foul to make a layup. He’s fouled, misses the three-point opportunity and the possession arrow favors Auburn after a scrum for the rebound. 78-76, Yale

00:06.1 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson is fouled and will go to the line with a chance to tie the game.

FINAL — Yale 78, Auburn 76

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al.com

Lane Kiffin trolls Auburn after March Madness loss to Yale

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:22 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:22 p.m.

2–3 minutes

Bruce Pearl speaks after Auburn's upset loss to Yale in NCAA Tournament

Lane Kiffin is in March Madness form.

The Ole Miss football coach didn’t miss a chance to throw a soft jab at the Auburn basketball team after it was knocked out by No. 13-seeded Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The former Alabama offensive coordinator simply wished the Tigers “good luck.” He just sent the kind words after the Tigers fell 78-76 to the Ivy League school

John Poulakidas scored 28 points, Samson Aletan made a key block during a wild scramble in the final seconds, and 13th-seeded Yale beat No. 4 seed Auburn.

RELATED: Charles Barkley roasted after Auburn loss

For the second straight year, the Ivy League Tournament champion took down one of the pre-tournament favorites. The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in school history, rallying from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half.

Johni Broome led Auburn with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Auburn rolled through the SEC Tournament last week and became a favored pick as a team that could take down No. 1 overall seed UConn should the pair end up clashing in the Sweet 16.

But the Tigers failed to get out the first round and joined fellow SEC schools South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi State amid the early departures from March Madness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Lane Kiffin is one of the few people in the world that I honest to goodness hate. I mean, a football coach talking crap about a basketball team that he has absolutely nothing to do with. He absolutely hates Auburn for whatever reason. But hey, the feeling is mutual.

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al.com

How Bruce Pearl’s early season warnings finally bit Auburn in stunner vs. Yale

Published: Mar. 23, 2024, 6:37 a.m.

6–7 minutes

This wasn’t how this was supposed to end. The SEC Tournament champion wasn’t supposed to crash out of the NCAA Tournament not even a week later. The career of Jaylin Williams — Auburn’s winningest player in program history — wasn’t supposed to end his time in this uniform with the Ivy League winners perched atop media tables in celebration about 2,400 miles from home.

But No. 4 seed Auburn was upset by No. 13 seed Yale 78-76 on Friday in Spokane. It happened because Auburn finally fell victim to some Bruce Pearl warnings that hadn’t managed to bite Auburn yet.

On Friday they bit. They bit hard, and it sent Auburn packing far earlier than it expected in the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn’s hallmarks failed it. It was the anatomy of a stunning upset.

It has relied on an efficient offense that shared the ball well. Auburn spent much of the season in the top 10 nationally for assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. It entered Friday as such — eighth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.70) and eighth in assists per game (18).

It wasn’t there against Yale. Auburn committed more turnovers (14) than it had assists (11). Six of those turnovers game in the final six minutes. Auburn had nine second half turnovers against two for Yale.

For this team, that’s not a formula to win.

Nor is missing four crucial free throws in the final minute. Guard Denver Jones missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 46 seconds left. Guard Tre Donaldson missed both free throws with six seconds left and the game still in reach.

Winning in March requires free throw shooting. Because 26 of Auburn’s 27 wins came by double-digits, Auburn was rarely in a position to make key free throws. Auburn’s win over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament is the only time Auburn has successfully done that this season. Chad Baker-Mazara missed a game-tying free throw with 12 seconds left in Tuscaloosa in Auburn’s Jan. 24 loss to Alabama.

This Auburn team cruised through so much of the season, it didn’t have experience in a close game where clutch shots were required.

Auburn has a 75.2% free throw make rate this season. It went 15-22 against Yale, with all the brutal misses coming late.

But those are the anomalies.

Two other areas that Pearl has warned about finally got Auburn: second-half defense and fouls.

“The defense was in front of our bench in the first half,” Pearl said on Nov. 21 after beating Alabama A&M. “We were obviously flying around and doing what we needed to do, and once again, our second half defense dropped off.”

It was one of many games where Pearl sounded an alarm. Auburn’s defense was good and got better as the year went on. Auburn is a top-five team in defensive efficiency per KenPom. But the second-half defense lapsed throughout the year.

“That second half team couldn’t win an SEC game,” Pearl said after the Alabama A&M game. “Not a one.”

Auburn saw that second half team that lost the second half to Alabama A&M at times throughout SEC play. But Auburn’s average scoring margin is 15.3 points, the seventh most in America.

Auburn was often up by so much at halftime that it could lapse in the second half and it wouldn’t matter.

Second half defense never bit Auburn because it wasn’t playing many close games.

Until Friday.

“I think our second half defense wasn’t as good,” Pearl said after losing to Yale. “We didn’t turn ‘em over as much. We succumbed to fatigue a little bit. They made a bunch of shots off of us, and we turned the ball over too much in the second half to win.”

Auburn was outscored 44-35 in the second half and 20-8 over the final 7:27. Auburn led by 10 points with 7:27 left to play.

Yale shot 52% from the field in the second half after shooting 40.7% in the first.

Yale equaled Auburn’s points in the paint in the second half with 12 for each team. It had 13 fast break points in the second half to Auburn’s five.

Of those final 20 points in the 7:27, half of them came on Yale free throws.

Pearl was clearly frustrated at the officiating throughout the game. He disagreed with the decision to throw out Chad Baker-Mazara on a Flagrant 2 foul. He thought it was just a Flagrant 1. He said frequently in his press conference that he planned to go back and look at the film to see just how much contact was and was not called.

What Pearl didn’t discuss is the data that finally caught up to Auburn. The Tigers are among the highest-fouling teams in America. Auburn commits 19.2 fouls per game. That’s 322nd out of 351 teams. No matter what Pearl thinks of the officiating against Yale, season-long numbers show a consistent fault.

Fouls are by far Auburn’s biggest statistical detriment. It’s the only significant category Auburn is not in the top 140 teams in.

For all the depth Auburn has, foul trouble has never been a serious issue for this team. But the amount of times it sends its opponent to the free throw line can be.

In no previous game did it cost Auburn like this.

Auburn was called for 25 fouls against Yale. Yale shot 31 free throws and made 21 of them. It’s the same percentage from the line (68%) that Auburn shot, but on nine more attempts. Of the 31 attempts for Yale, 20 came in the second half.

There’s a formula to win in March. It takes clean basketball, it takes defense.

Auburn had been so good in those areas all season. It’s why it was a trendy pick to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

Its sudden failure in Spokane in what it had done so well all season led to Auburn’s sudden exit.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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al.com

Charles Barkley roasted for Auburn loss to Yale, reacts, pretends to call Tom Izzo

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:31 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 6:56 p.m.

~3 minutes

It was a tough day for the Auburn Tigers. It may have been tougher for Charles Barkley.

The former Auburn star and March Madness analyst made it clear leading up to the Tigers’ upset loss to Yale on Friday night he was quite confident with his team’s first-round draw.

The Round Mound of Rebound has predicted a Sweet 16 for Bruce Pearl’s Tigers.

“We going to play UConn,” he said earlier this week. “We’re going to beat Yale. We’re always going to beat the smart kids. Then, we’re probably going to beat San Diego State.”

Yale had other ideas.

John Poulakidas scored 28 points, Samson Aletan made a key block during a wild scramble in the final seconds, and 13th-seeded Yale beat No. 4 seed Auburn 78-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I have to give Yale credit,” Barkley said after the game. “They came back.”

RELATED: Lane Kiffin trolls Auburn after loss

The Ivy League school rallied from 10 points down with seven to play. In fact, the Bulldogs trailed by six points with four to play.

“(Auburn) had plenty of chances,” Barkley said. “They did not play well, but Yale played better. They deserve to win the game.

“My Tigers, this kind of ruins a really good season, winning the SEC Tournament then to lose in the first round. Very disappointing and frustrating.

“Shoutout to Yale, the Bulldogs. I never thought a Bulldog would beat a Tiger, but they did. Congratulations to Yale.”

The Bulldogs (23-9) won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in school history. Yale will face No. 5 seed San Diego State in the second round on Sunday.

Johni Broome led Auburn (27-8) with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Barkley didn’t help his case at halftime, leaning back with a cigar in his mouth explaining how he was feeling good about Auburn’s chances with a 7-point lead at halftime.

After the game, fans on social media didn’t let the chance pass to poke fun at the Alabama native.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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al.com

Dylan Cardwell, other Auburn teammates, undecided on return next season

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 10:18 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 9:28 p.m.

3–4 minutes

Dylan Cardwell after Auburn's loss to Yale in NCAA Tournament, NBA future

After Auburn was bounced from the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a 78-76 upset loss to No. 13 seed Yale, several Tigers now have decisions to make for next season.

Only two scholarship Auburn players are out of eligibility after this season: Jaylin Williams and Lior Berman.

Both their careers ended in heartbreak.

Williams ended with a crushing loss in Spokane, Washington, to Yale, putting a stunning halt to an SEC Tournament title-winning season.

Berman’s ended as he injured his ACL in a March 2 win over Mississippi State at Neville Arena.

That leaves several other players with decisions to make. The transfer portal is now open with the season ending.

The biggest name with a decision to make is Auburn center Johni Broome. Broome declined to speak to media after the loss to Yale. He went through Auburn’s Senior Day festivities in the final home game and Auburn posted a video of Broome that appeared as a goodbye to Auburn.

Broome, Auburn’s best player this season, tested the NBA Draft last summer. He is expected to look toward the professional level again. But without commenting in the locker room, his decision is unclear.

Other Auburn players who went through Senior Day but have a chance to come back include K.D. Johnson, Chris Moore, Dylan Cardwell and Carter Sobera.

Jalen Harper, a walk-on, cannot come back next season. He plans to play in Spain and move in with his brother — former Auburn star Jared Harper, who is currently playing for Valencia in the Spanish Liga ACB.

Only Cardwell and Sobera spoke to reporters after the loss to Yale.

Cardwell is uncertain on what’s next.

“I have to sit down and really think about it -- talk with the coaching staff, talk with my mom, talk to my family,” Cardwell said after the game. “We have a great chance of coming back and making history again and to invest in the team next year.”

Asked when he’ll make his decision, Cardwell said he just needs a few days to process this loss.

“Off the table,” Cardwell said for now. “I’ll think about it starting Monday, probably, and just start praying about it.”

Sobera said he hasn’t thought about it yet either.

“Not sure yet,” Sobera said when asked if he wants to come back next season.

Sobera earned a scholarship part of the way through this season after spending his first three years at Auburn as a walk-on.

Decisions will be coming in days, or weeks.

But one thing is certain, this Auburn team won’t look the same in the fall.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com