Auburn Basketball

The Auburn Tigers basketball program didn't publicly disclose a series of self-imposed recruiting sanctions it put in place following the arrest of former assistant coach Chuck Person as part of the FBI's investigation into alleged corruption within college basketball. 

Auburn University confirmed to Sam Blum of AL.com the list of penalties included limitations on unofficial visits, official visits, contacts, evaluations and phone calls, and noted the basketball staff, led by head coach Bruce Pearl, didn't do any recruiting activities from September 2017 through April 2018.

"If it's OK with you, I'm leaving those subjects alone and refer you to compliance," Pearl told AL.com.

All of the sanctions were a direct result of Person's actions, but Auburn is no longer serving any of the self-imposed penalties, per Blum.

Person pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in March after being charged with accepting an estimated $91,500 in bribes to steer potential clients to a Pittsburgh-based financial adviser if they reached the NBA.

The 55-year-old Alabama native, who was voted the 1987 NBA Rookie of the Year, avoided jail time when he was sentenced in July. He must serve 200 hours of community service and forfeit the $91,500.

"I did wrong," Person said. "I've got to make amends for what I did."

Auburn overcame the previously undisclosed sanctions to reach the program's first Final Four last season.

The Tigers posted a 30-10 record and won the 2019 SEC Tournament championship before a memorable March Madness run that ended with a loss to the eventual national champion Virginia Cavaliers.

Last month, Pearl said on the College Hoops Today podcast with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein (via AL.com) he felt further punishment could still be handled down by the NCAA.

"I am anticipating that we are not finished completely," he said. "I am anticipating because we have gotten through a lot of things with the NCAA, obviously with the federal government, that case is closed. But I would [anticipate] that we would have to finish some things up. I do feel like the worst is behind us."

Auburn is scheduled to open the 2019-20 season Nov. 5 against the Georgia Southern Eagles.

A run to the 2019 Final Four has earned Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl a new contract.

Auburn announced Friday it has come to terms with Pearl on a five-year extension.

"I'm grateful to my coaching and support staff for building a competitive men's basketball program," Pearl said in a statement. "I'm grateful to our players for buying in, working extremely hard and representing what being an Auburn man and student-athlete is all about. We have the best fan base in America. The Auburn Family is for real and, along with The Jungle, create a unique gameday atmosphere. It's great to be an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle!"

Tigers athletic director Allen Greene expressed his excitement for keeping the coach:

"Under Bruce's leadership, our basketball program has reached new heights. Our young men continue to thrive in the classroom and on the court. We've experienced many firsts, including a well-documented run to the Final Four and a pair of SEC title. Bruce and his wife Brandy have been very active within the university and the Auburn community and we are appreciative of all of their efforts. Our return on investment is undeniable, and supporting this program from A-to-Z will continue to be a priority. Simply stated, we look forward to having Bruce as the head coach of our basketball program for many years to come."

After taking over in 2014, Pearl has made Auburn nationally relevant.

Pearl lost 20 games in each of his first two years on the job, but he helped the Tigers snap a 14-year NCAA tournament drought in 2018. That set the stage for the best season in program history.

Auburn went 30-10 this past season, winning the SEC tournament en route to its second consecutive invitation to the Big Dance. The fifth-seeded Tigers survived a first-round scare against 12th-seeded New Mexico State before knocking off college basketball blue bloods Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky to earn their first trip to the Final Four.

The Tigers were seconds away from earning a spot in the 2019 national championship game—and then chaos broke loose. The refs appeared to miss a double dribble, and Auburn was called for a foul on a potential go-ahead three-pointer moments later. 

Virginia's Kyle Guy would sink all three free throws to give his team a 63-62 lead, and the Cavaliers would go on to win the national championship two days later.

To his credit, Pearl handled the events with class. With the officials being heavily criticized, the 59-year-old coach went on ESPN's Get Up! earlier this week and told people to "get over it":

There's no shame in losing to the champs, but the Tigers will always be left wondering what could have been.

Pearl is 100-72 in five years at Auburn and owns a 331-171 career record, previously coaching at Milwaukee and Tennessee.

One Auburn fan experienced the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and the wrath of security in one beer-soaked moment Saturday night.

The Auburn fan below dumped a beer on his head in celebration, believing Auburn had beaten Virginia after Kyle Guy's three-pointer didn't fall at the buzzer.

But referees called a foul on Samir Doughty after reviewing the play, Guy hit all three of his foul shots, Virginia came away with the 63-62 win, and the drenched fan was arrested, per B/R's Master Tesfatsion (warning: NSFW):

An Auburn fan next to me poured beer on his head thinking they won.

When they eventually lost, he was arrested. pic.twitter.com/ZgbTg63bGX

— Master (@MasterTes) April 7, 2019

Tesfatsion clarified that the man had been "belligerent and kicking chairs over after Auburn lost."

Talk about experiencing every possible emotion. To quote Homer Simpson: "To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems." In this case, mostly the cause.

Auburn is making its first appearance in the men's Final Four memorable, thanks in no small part to Bryce Brown and Anfernee McLemore. 

Brown found McLemore on an alley-oop midway through the first half Saturday in Minneapolis to help the Tigers keep pace with Virginia's early onslaught. 

For McLemore, there's nothing like the biggest stage in college basketball to make a name for himself. 

Three Auburn Tigers guards—Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and J'Von McCormick—are dealing with cold-like symptoms ahead of Saturday's Final Four game against the Virginia Cavaliers.

Brown and Harper told Brandon Marcello of Auburn Undercover on Friday they received shots and are taking medicine to further combat the illness.

McCormick said his symptoms aren't as severe, and none of the players believe their availability for tomorrow's contest is in question.

It would be a massive setback for the Tigers if either Brown or Harper miss the Final Four.

They are the team's two leading scorers, averaging 16 and 15.4 points per game, respectively, and they've taken on an even larger offensive burden since Chuma Okeke suffered a torn ACL earlier in the NCAA tournament.

"I hate that it happened around this time," Brown told Marcello. "He's battling something, I'm battling something, I had to get a shot yesterday. I've been taking medicine trying to get better, he's taking medicine trying to get better. ... I honestly think we'll be fine. I don't see anything holding us back. I don't think a cold will hold us back."

McCormick has been a limited contributor throughout his junior season (4.1 PPG), but he's reached double figures in scoring twice in four March Madness games.

Virginia was already listed as a 5.5-point favorite for the Final Four clash before Friday's news, per Vegas Insider.

So far, it doesn't sound like the Tigers will be forced to play shorthanded, but a more concrete update on the guards' status should come Saturday.

  

Auburn is a football school. Always has been. Always will be.

That wasn't stopping Tigers faithful from flocking to Toomer's Corner after the Tigers reached their first men's Final Four in program history Sunday.

WRBL Sports‏ posted a timelapse of fans celebrating following Auburn's 77-71 win over Kentucky:

ABSOLUTE SCENES AT TOOMER'S CORNER.
Take a look at the insane celebration going on in Auburn as @AuburnMBB is heading to the #FinalFour ! pic.twitter.com/pWrWBg2fkw

— WRBL News 3 Sports (@WRBLSports) March 31, 2019

Jared Harper scored 26 points and Bryce Brown added 24 to push the Tigers to a Midwest Region championship. The men's program had only been to the Elite Eight once before, in 1986, and this will be the first Final Four appearance by coach Bruce Pearl.

Auburn will face off against top-seeded Virginia.

Suffice it to say that there will be a large Tigers contingent making its way to Minneapolis.

Auburn Tigers forward Chuma Okeke suffered a torn ACL in Friday's 97-80 Sweet 16 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Charania reported Okeke will undergo surgery Tuesday. 

The sophomore had 20 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes against North Carolina and was averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 boards for the season.

Although his team was fresh off a massive victory, the injury weighed heavily for Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who began tearing up when talking about Okeke in his postgame interview on the floor.

Okeke will now miss Auburn's Elite Eight matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday. The Tigers are hoping to punch their ticket to the Final Four for the first time in program history. His teammates spoke about the impact of his absence.

Jared Harper on Okeke injury: "It's something else that can bring our team closer." #auburn #BBN

— John Clay (@johnclayiv) March 30, 2019

"It’s our jobs to pick him, lift him up and encourage him." - Bryce Brown @AuburnMBB is ready to play for Chuma Okeke, who was diagnosed with a torn ACL. pic.twitter.com/RhTO8am5pJ

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 30, 2019

A torn ACL could impact more than just Auburn's quest for a national title. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Okeke to be the 24th overall pick in his most recent 2019 NBA mock draft. Wasserman also listed him among the best draft prospects still alive in the regional finals:

"A 6'8", 230-pound big man, Okeke jumps off the screen as an obvious NBA fit for his shooting range, defensive switchability and the potential he's flashed attacking closeouts and scoring in the post. 

The No. 5 Auburn Tigers were in a groove with a 14-point lead over No. 1 North Carolina when the Tigers' worst nightmare struck. 

Sophomore forward Chuma Okeke collapsed to the floor while driving toward the basket with 8:08 remaining in the game. Okeke's left knee contorted inward without contact, and play was halted. He remained on the floor with head coach Bruce Pearl and other members of the coaching staff surrounding him.

Eventually, Okeke stood up, and North Carolina players came over to hug him. He was helped off the court and into the locker room.

Amazing sportsmanship from UNC's players to greet Chuma Okeke as he made his way off the court pic.twitter.com/cAMeBjZsAK

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 30, 2019

Okeke finished with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Okeke with 20 points, 11 rebounds. But much more important than that … it appears to be a serious injury.
Tigers prayed and then came over to offer support to Okeke. https://t.co/xJFTKvVHyY

— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) March 30, 2019

Shortly after Okeke left the court, Jamie Erdahl of CBS and Turner reported from the sideline that Okeke had been ruled out for the remainder of Friday night's game with a "severe left knee injury."

Pearl elaborated to reporters after the game, saying, "We don't know the status, but we think it could be serious." Okeke will get an MRI on Saturday, Pearl added.

The Tigers went on to defeat North Carolina 97-80, making the Tar Heels the first No. 1 seed to exit the tournament. The Tigers advanced to their second Elite Eight in program history and first since the 1985-86 season. 

None of that is at the forefront of the Tigers' minds, though, as Okeke's availability for the remainder of their NCAA tournament run is very much in doubt. 

Immediately after the game, Pearl choked up while discussing Okeke with Erdahl:

Coach Pearl is for his players, just wants to hug Okeke talking about the injury#MarchMadness https://t.co/ZxgLSvaeRi

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2019

In the locker room, Okeke had ice on his knee and hobbled over to the team's bracket with the help of teammate Anfernee McLemore to officially stamp Auburn in the Elite Eight.

Chuma Okeke gets the honor of officially stamping the bracket 👏#MarchMadness | @AuburnMBB pic.twitter.com/CLq3WeMj2x

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2019

Auburn will next take the court on Sunday against No. 2 Kentucky.

Winning the NCAA men's college basketball tournament is all about peaking at the right time. Virtually every national champion goes through a brief cold spell in January or February but hits its stride just in time for March Madness.

On a related note, the Auburn Tigers are hotter than the bleeping sun, and they have been for about a month.

They waxed the floor with Kansas in Salt Lake City on Saturday night 89-75—a margin that doesn't do justice to the beating we witnessed. The Tigers extended their winning streak to 10 games, and they did it by canning the deep ball early and often and taking the turnover battle. Led by Bryce Brown and Chuma Okeke, Auburn made 13 triples and had nine steals.

For most teams, that's a once-in-a-season type of combination of offense and defense.

It was just another day at the office for the Tigers.

In the first nine games of this run, Auburn averaged 12.1 threes and 10.4 steals, which is ridiculous. According to KenPom.com, the Tigers lead the nation in steal percentage and rank eighth in three-point rate. (They're also fifth in block percentage, for good measure.)

They aren't invincible. Thursday's close call against New Mexico State should be all the proof you need to back up that claim. Auburn is awful on the defensive glass, and it allows a disturbing amount of open three-point looks.

However, when the Tigers get into one of their patented grooves—like the 16-0 run in the first half of the SEC title game against Tennessee or the 51-25 halftime margin against Kansas—it feels like the only team that can beat Auburn is Auburn.

There were flashes of this potential all year. The Tigers blew out Washington in the season's opening week. They battled Duke for 40 minutes in Maui not long after that. They almost won the home game against Kentucky and a road contest against LSU.

But at the end of February, the Tigers were 0-7 in Quadrant 1 games, punctuated by an 80-53 annihilation in Rupp Arena against Kentucky. At that point, there were serious questions about whether Auburn—which was ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP poll—might miss the NCAA tournament altogether.

Once the calendar flipped to March, though, the Tigers began churning out quality wins. They are 7-7 against Quadrant 1 opponents, including a pair of victories over Tennessee in which they scored at will against a title contender.

Pardon the blasphemy, but it feels a little bit like that Connecticut title run in 2011.

Stylistically, the teams couldn't be much different. Auburn doesn't have a singular leader like Kemba Walker, and Connecticut's two biggest weaknesses were three-point shooting and forcing turnovers. But in terms of catching fire at the right time to erase bubble concerns that lingered into early March, there's a comparison to be made.

How did Auburn flip that switch?

More specifically, how did Auburn lose a game by 27 in late February and then rally to beat the preseason No. 1 team by 26 in a single half one month later?

Auburn with one-handed highlights on BOTH ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/aLYPKN4PDC

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2019

Auburn has been draining threes all season, so that isn't it. Saturday was its seventh consecutive game with at least 12 threes, but it was also the 25th time this team made at least 11 three-pointers—and it had lost five of those contests.

Now that the Tigers are consistently winning the turnover battle, though, they will be a nightmare draw for any opponent.

In its nine regular-season losses, Auburn had a collective turnover margin of negative-12. In some losses, the Tigers couldn't scrounge up any steals. In others, they repeatedly shot themselves in the foot by giving the ball away. Either way, the effect was the same.

In this 10-game winning streak, their turnover margin is plus-75.

It's one thing to beat a hot-shooting team by forcing turnovers or avoiding committing many of your own. But when you can't stop a squad from shooting threes, can't force it to make careless mistakes and can't hang on to the ball against the relentless pressure, what's the blueprint for success?

For crying out loud, New Mexico State was plus-15 in rebound margin, made 20 free throws and shot 69 percent on two-point attempts, and those things still weren't enough to upset the Tigers.

Kansas ran into a buzz saw. Plain and simple. And No. 1 seed North Carolina—provided it can get past Washington on Sunday—might be next. After all, UNC's defense gives up a lot of threes, and its offense is average at best at limiting live-ball turnovers.

The Tigers are already into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. They are one win away from reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986. If they have two (or more) wins left up their sleeve, it would be the program's first Final Four appearance.

After we watched Villanova win two of the past three national championships by jacking up a ton of threes and clamping down on defense to make up for an average rebounding presence, only a fool would say Auburn can't follow that same script.

                            

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

The fifth-seeded Auburn Tigers got off to a hot start against the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks in the second round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

No sequence summed up Auburn's opening run than a block and fast-break dunk combination with 14:30 left in the first half.

Auburn forward Chuma Okeke emphatically swatted away Jayhawks forward Dedric Lawson's layup attempt. Tigers guard Samir Doughty quickly corralled the ball and found teammate Jared Harper, who threw down a one-handed jam.