Auburn Tigers men's basketball

Auburn Tigers
2015–16 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team
University Auburn University
Conference SEC
Location Auburn, AL
Head coach Bruce Pearl (2nd year)
Arena Auburn Arena
(Capacity: 9,121)
Nickname Tigers
Student section The Jungle
Colors Navy Blue and Burnt Orange[1]
         
Uniforms
Home
Away
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1986
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1985, 1986, 1999, 2003
NCAA Tournament appearances
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2003
Conference tournament champions
1985
Conference regular season champions
1928, 1960, 1999

The Auburn Tigers men's basketball program is the college basketball program that represents Auburn University, competing in the Southeastern Conference. The program began in 1906, and is coached by Bruce Pearl.

Auburn has won 2 SEC championships and 1 SEC Tournament championship. Prior to joining the SEC, Auburn won the Southern Conference championship in 1928. Auburn has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 8 times, making it as far as the Elite Eight in 1986. 13 Auburn players have been named All-Americans and Auburn has had 87 All-SEC selections. Auburn has produced 29 NBA Draft picks, including Chuck Person (1986) and Chris Morris (1988), both of whom were selected with the 4th overall pick, the highest in Auburn history. 2 Auburn players have been named SEC Player of the Year: Charles Barkley in 1984 and Chris Porter in 1999. Auburn has had 5 head coaches selected as SEC Coach of the Year a total of 7 times, and former Auburn head coach Cliff Ellis was named National Coach of the Year in 1999. Former Auburn player Charles Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Coaches

Auburn has had 20 head men's basketball coaches since the program was started in 1906 by Mike Donahue. The program is currently coached by Bruce Pearl.

Auburn Coaching History[2]
Tenure Coach Seasons Won Lost Pct. Conf. Conf. Pct.
1905–1921 Donahue 16 74 80 .481 – –
1921–1924 Hutsell 3 16 24 .421 – –
1924–1925 Bunker 1 3 11 .214 – –
1925–1928 Papke 3 38 18 .679 – –
1928–1929 Bohler 1 6 15 .286 – –
1929–1930 Lee 1 1 10 .091 – –
1930–1933 McAllister 3 25 18 .581 4–7 .364
1933–42, 1945–46 Jordan 10 95 77 .552 61–56 .521
1942–43, 1944–45 Evans 2 4 28 .125 3–18 .143
1946–1947 Edney 1 3 18 .143 1–15 .063
1947–1949 Doyle 2 21 25 .457 12–18 .400
1949–1963 Eaves 14 213 100 .681 124–75 .623
1963–1973 Lynn 10 130 124 .512 84–88 .488
1973–1978 Davis 5 70 61 .534 42–48 .467
1978–1989 Smith 11 173 154 .529 84–114 .424
1989–1994 Eagles 5 64 78 .451 29–55 .345
1994–2004 Ellis 10 186 125 .598 73–87 .456
2004–2010 Lebo 6 96 93 .508 36–61 .371
2010–2014 Barbee 4 48 75 .390 18–50 .265
2014–present Pearl 2 26 40 .394 9–27 .250
TOTAL 110 1292 1174 .524 580–719 .446

Notable former coaches

Mike Donahue

Mike "Iron Mike" Donahue was Auburn's first head men's basketball coach, starting the program in 1906. He coached the program for 16 seasons, the longest tenure of any men's basketball coach in Auburn history, finishing with a record of 74–80 (.481). In addition to coaching basketball, Donahue served as athletic director and coached the football, baseball, track, and soccer teams while at Auburn.[3]

Ralph "Shug" Jordan

Though perhaps more famous for his career as a football coach at Auburn, Ralph "Shug" Jordan coached the Auburn men's basketball program for 10 seasons prior to becoming the head football coach. Jordan was also an assistant football coach while he coached the men's basketball program.

After playing football and basketball for Auburn from 1929 to 1932, Jordan became the head men's basketball coach in 1933. He coached until 1942, when he was called overseas to fight as an officer in World War II. Following his service, Jordan returned to Auburn to coach the 1945–46 team. He left Auburn to become the head men's basketball coach at Georgia after the season. Jordan finished with a record of 95–77 (.552) at Auburn.

Joel Eaves

Joel Eaves was Auburn's 12th head men's basketball coach, coaching from 1949 to 1963. Eaves was a former Auburn football and basketball player, playing from 1934 to 1937 under head coach "Shug" Jordan.

Auburn won its first ever SEC championship under Eaves in 1960, finishing 12–2 in the conference and 19–3 overall. Eaves was named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1960 season. Eaves finished with a 213–100 (.681) record at Auburn, making him the winningest men's basketball coach in Auburn history.

Joel Eaves was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.[4] Auburn's Memorial Coliseum was renamed after Eaves to Joel H. Eaves Memorial Coliseum in 1987, and later to Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum in 1993.[5]

Sonny Smith

Sonny Smith was the 15th head men's basketball coach at Auburn, coaching for 11 seasons from 1978-1989.

Smith coached Auburn to the NCAA Tournament in 5 consecutive seasons, 1984 to 1988, including Auburn's deepest run: reaching the Elite Eight in 1986 before losing to eventual national champion Louisville. In addition to leading Auburn to its first ever NCAA Tournament in 1984, he also coached Auburn to its first SEC Tournament championship in 1985. Smith is the only head men's basketball coach in Auburn history to coach three consecutive 20-win seasons, doing so from 1984 to 1986. Sonny Smith was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1988.

Smith coached his final season at Auburn in 1989, leaving to become the head men's basketball coach at VCU. Smith finished with a record of 173–154 (.529). Smith was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.[6]

Cliff Ellis

Cliff Ellis was the 17th head men's basketball coach at Auburn. He coached for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

Ellis had some success early in his career, leading Auburn to the NIT three times in his first four seasons and being named SEC Coach of the Year in 1995. His most successful season was the 1998–99 season, where he led Auburn to an SEC championship and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ellis was named both SEC and National Coach of the Year in 1999.[7] Ellis would take Auburn to the NCAA Tournament two more times, the following season in 2000 and in 2003.

Ellis was fired following the 2003–04 season after finishing the season with a 14–14 record. Auburn faced NCAA sanctions over alleged recruiting violations during the season, but Ellis was not found at fault after the investigation.[8] Ellis finished with a record of 186–125 (.598) at Auburn.

Tony Barbee

Tony Barbee was Auburn's 19th head men's basketball coach, coaching for four seasons at Auburn from 2010 to 2014. He was the first black head men's or women's basketball coach at Auburn.[9]

Barbee never had a winning season at Auburn; his best record came in the 2011–12 season when Auburn finished 15–16. He finished with a cumulative record of 48–75 (.390), the lowest winning percentage of any Auburn coach with more than a two-season tenure.

Bruce Pearl

Bruce Pearl became Auburn's 20th head men's basketball coach on March 18, 2014.[10] Pearl's current record at Auburn is 26–40 (.394).

Awards and honors

National Coach of the Year

SEC Coach of the Year

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

Players

Awards and honors

Retired jerseys

No. Player Year
15 John Mengelt 2001
34 Charles Barkley 2001
23 Rex Frederick 2006
45 Chuck Person 2006
11 Wesley Person 2006
30 Mike Mitchell 2013

All-Americans

Player Year(s) Selectors
John Stewart 1931–32 College Humor Magazine
Rex Fredrick 1958–59 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press
Henry Hart 1959–60 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press
Layton Johns 1962–63 Associated Press
Lee DeFore 1965–66 Helms Athletic Foundation
John Mengelt (2) 1969–70, 1970–71 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press
Eddie Johnson 1976–77 Associated Press
Mike Mitchell 1977–78 Converse Yearbook
Charles Barkley 1983–84 Basketball Times, National Association of Basketball Coaches
Chuck Person (2) 1984–85, 1985–86 Sporting News, McGregor, Basketball Times, National Association of Basketball Coaches
Wesley Person 1993–94 Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association
Chris Porter 1998–99 Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, Basketball Times, College Hoops Insider, John Wooden Award
Doc Robinson 1998–99 Associated Press, College Hoops Insider
Source:"Auburn All-Americas" (PDF). Auburn Tigers. Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2008-07-24. 

Other honors

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

SEC Player of the Year

SEC Tournament MVP

SEC Rookie of the Year

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

USBWA Most Courageous Award

Auburn in the NBA

NBA Draft picks

Auburn has produced 29 NBA Draft picks, including 6 first round picks. The most players that have been selected from Auburn in a single draft was 3 in the 1988 draft. Chuck Person and Chris Morris both hold the record for the highest draft pick from Auburn, as each were selected 4th overall in their respective drafts.

Year Round Pick Player Team
1960 12 82 Henry Hart New York Knicks
1963 4 34 Layton Johns Los Angeles Lakers
1965 4 21 Joe Newton Baltimore Bullets
1966 4 31 Lee DeFore New York Knicks
1971 2 21 John Mengelt Cincinnati Royals
1972 8 120 Henry Harris Houston Rockets
1973 3 46 Jim Retseck Golden State Warriors
1976 5 73 Gary Redding Portland Trail Blazers
1977 3 49 Eddie Johnson Atlanta Hawks
1978 1 15 Mike Mitchell Cleveland Cavaliers
7 133 Stan Pietkiewicz San Diego Clippers
1979 7 143 Rich Valavicius Houston Rockets
1980 8 170 Rich Valavicius Washington Bullets
1981 6 122 Earl Banks Seattle SuperSonics
8 165 Bobby Cattage Utah Jazz
1983 2 35 Darrell Lockhart San Antonio Spurs
10 211 Odell Mosteller Utah Jazz
1984 1 5 Charles Barkley Philadelphia 76ers
9 193 Greg Turner Kansas City Kings
1986 1 4 Chuck Person Indiana Pacers
1987 6 138 Frank Ford Los Angeles Lakers
7 158 Gerald White Dallas Mavericks
1988 1 4 Chris Morris New Jersey Nets
3 58 Jeff Moore Charlotte Hornets
3 63 Mike Jones Milwaukee Bucks
1994 1 23 Wesley Person Phoenix Suns
2000 1 26 Mamadou N'Diaye Denver Nuggets
2 55 Chris Porter Golden State Warriors
2001 2 40 Jamison Brewer Indiana Pacers

Undrafted free agents

In addition to its 29 NBA Draft picks, Auburn has produced several undrafted free agents that went on to have NBA careers.

Awards and honors

League MVP

Rookie of the Year

All-Stars

Auburn in the Olympics

Year Player Medal
1992  Charles Barkley (USA)  Gold
1996  Charles Barkley (USA)  Gold

Championships and postseason

Conference championships

Auburn has won 3 conference championships in its history, 1 as a member of the Southern Conference in 1928 and 2 as a member of the SEC in 1960 and 1999. Auburn was the SEC West division champion in 1999.

Year Conference Record Coach
1928 Southern Conference 12–1 Mike Papke
1960 Southeastern Conference 12–2 Joel Eaves
1999 Southeastern Conference 14–2 Cliff Ellis

SEC Tournament

Auburn has won the SEC Tournament only once, in 1985 under coach Sonny Smith, beating Alabama 53–49 in overtime.[2] That 1985 Auburn team was the first ever to win four games in four days to win the SEC Tournament.[11] Auburn has reached the SEC Tournament final two other times: in 1984, where they lost to Kentucky 51–49, and in 2000, where they lost to Arkansas 75–67. Auburn has had two SEC Tournament MVPs: Charles Barkley in 1984 and Chuck Person in 1985.

NCAA Tournament

Auburn has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 8 times. Their combined record is 12–8.

Year Seed Region Round Location Opponent Result
1984 5 East First Round Charlotte, NC 12 Richmond L 71–72
1985 11 Mideast First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen 		South Bend, IN
South Bend, IN
Birmingham, AL		 6 Purdue
3 Kansas
2 North Carolina 		W 59–58
W 66–64
L 56–62
1986 8 West First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight 		Long Beach, CA
Long Beach, CA
Houston, TX
Houston, TX		 9 Arizona
1 St. John's
4 UNLV
2 Louisville 		W 73–63
W 81–65
W 70–63
L 76–84
1987 8 Midwest First Round
Second Round 		Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis, IN		 9 San Diego
1 Indiana 		W 62–61
L 90–107
1988 8 Southeast First Round
Second Round 		Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA		 9 Bradley
1 Oklahoma 		W 90–86
L 87–107
1999 1 South First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen 		Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis, IN
Knoxville, TN		 16 Winthrop
9 Oklahoma State
4 Ohio State 		W 80–41
W 81–74
L 63–72
2000 7 Midwest First Round
Second Round 		Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN		 10 Creighton
2 Iowa State 		W 72–63
L 60–79
2003 10 East First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen 		Tampa, FL
Tampa, FL
Albany, NY		 7 Saint Joseph's
2 Wake Forest
3 Syracuse 		W 65–63OT
W 68–62
L 78–79

NIT

Auburn has appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 6 times. Their combined record is 4–6.

Year Round Opponent Result
1993 First Round Clemson L 72–84
1995 First Round Marquette L 61–68
1996 First Round Tulane L 73–87
1998 First Round
Second Round 		Southern Miss
Marquette 		W 77–62
L 60–75
2001 First Round
Second Round 		Miami (FL)
Purdue 		W 60–58
L 60–90
2009 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals 		Tennessee–Martin
Tulsa
Baylor 		W 87–82
W 74–55
L 72–74

Facilities

Former facilities

Alumni Gymnasium

Auburn's first on-campus basketball facility was Alumni Gymasium, which opened in February 1916.[12] Auburn played its home games in Alumni Gymnasium until Auburn Sports Arena was opened in 1946.

Auburn Sports Arena

Auburn Sports Arena was a 2,500 seat multi-purpose arena. Nicknamed "The Barn," it opened in 1946. It was replaced when Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum opened in 1969.

Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum

Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum was a 10,500-seat multipurpose arena that opened in 1969 under the name Memorial Coliseum. It was renamed after former player and coach Joel Eaves to Joel H. Eaves Memorial Coliseum in 1987. It was renamed for the final time to Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum in 1993, adding the name of former Auburn athletic director Jeff Beard.

Auburn boasted a 393–182 (.683) overall record at Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum. Auburn had a winning record at home in 37 of the 42 seasons Auburn played in the Coliseum. Auburn's 30-game home winning streak from the 1997–98 season to the final game of the 1999–2000 season was the longest in Coliseum history. It was the nation's second longest current winning streak at the time and is the second longest home winning streak in Auburn history.[5]

Auburn played its final season in Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum in the 2009–10 season. Auburn's final game in Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum was on March 3, 2010; Auburn beat Mississippi State 89–80.[13]

Auburn Arena

On June 29, 2007, Auburn announced plans to build a new $92.5 million basketball arena and practice facilities that would eventually be completed for the 2010–11 season.[14] The arena was named Auburn Arena. With a seating capacity of 9,121, Auburn Arena is the smallest men's basketball arena in the SEC. Aside from the main court, the arena also contains two practice courts, a weight room, twelve suites, coaches offices, the Auburn Ticket Office, and the Lovelace Athletic Museum.

Auburn played its first game in Auburn Arena on November 12, 2010, losing to UNC Asheville in overtime 70–69.[15] Auburn's first win in Auburn Arena came on November 21, 2010, when Auburn beat Middle Tennessee 68–66.[16] Auburn currently holds a 59–45 (.567) record in Auburn Arena.

Traditions

Rivalries

Alabama

Sometimes referred to as the Iron Bowl of Basketball, Auburn and Alabama have a fierce rivalry that dates back to 1924. Auburn and Alabama first met in the Southern Conference Tournament on March 1, 1924, and Auburn lost 19–40. The two programs did not meet again until 1941 in the SEC Tournament, a matchup that Auburn lost again 16–38. The programs have played regularly since 1948, meeting at least twice every season starting in 1949. Auburn's first win in the rivalry came in their sixth meeting on December 20, 1949, when Auburn beat Alabama 45–40.

Auburn and Alabama have met in the SEC Tournament 9 times, including Auburn's 53–49 overtime victory over Alabama in the 1985 SEC Tournament championship game. Alabama leads the all-time series 94–59.

Georgia

Georgia is Auburn's oldest rival, first meeting in 1908 in Columbus, GA. Auburn won that game 34–20. Auburn and Georgia have played at least once every year since 1945. Georgia leads the all-time series 92–91.

UAB

Though Auburn and UAB have only met 18 times, the two programs have a strong history. They first met on November 26, 1982, a matchup that Auburn won 63–61. The programs met 16 more times over the next two decades until the series was cancelled after their 1999 meeting, which Auburn won 65–59. The programs went 15 years without meeting, until Auburn and UAB reached a deal to reignite the rivalry in 2015 with a 4-game series.[17] UAB leads the all-time series 10–8.

Student section

Auburn's student section is known as The Jungle. Auburn held a vote to name their student section at the start of the 2011–12 season, and The Jungle was chosen from several options. Auburn officially started The Jungle on January 11, 2012 for the Auburn–Kentucky game.[18] The Jungle was awarded the Sixth Man Award at the 2012 team banquet for its "outstanding support throughout the season and making Auburn Arena one of the loudest venues in the SEC."[19]

The Auburn student section was previously known as Lebo's Lunatics during Jeff Lebo's tenure at Auburn and the Cliff Dwellers during Cliff Ellis' tenure.

References

  1. ↑ Auburn Athletics. "Auburn University Official Athletic Site". Auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  2. 1 2 "Auburn Hoop History". AuburnTigers.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  3. ↑ "Auburn University Official Athletic Site". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  4. ↑ "Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum - Birmingham, Alabama". ashof.org. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  5. 1 2 "Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum ". AuburnTigers.cstv.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  6. ↑ "Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum - Birmingham, Alabama". ashof.org. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  7. ↑ "Auburn Head Coach Cliff Ellis To Be Inducted Into Mobile Sports Hall Of Fame". Test.com. 2003-04-22. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  8. ↑ Reports, From Wire (2004-03-19). "Cliff Ellis Is Fired as Auburn Coach". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  9. ↑ "UTEP's Barbee accepts Auburn's coaching job". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  10. ↑ http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24490091/bruce-pearl-in-line-to-be-auburns-next-mens-basketball-coach
  11. ↑ "AUBURN'S 1985 SEC TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS REUNION". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  12. ↑ "Alumni Gymnasium · Omeka at Auburn". omeka.lib.auburn.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  13. ↑ "Auburn closes Beard-Eaves with big win over Mississippi State". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
  14. ↑ "Auburn University Announces Plans To Build New Basketball Arena". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
  15. ↑ "Auburn opens new arena with overtime loss to UNC-Asheville". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
  16. ↑ "Tony Barbee, Auburn celebrate first win in new arena". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
  17. ↑ "UAB, Auburn Set For Four-Game Men's Basketball Series - UAB Athletics Official Athletic Site". www.uabsports.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  18. ↑ "New Auburn Basketball Student Section The Jungle Announced". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  19. ↑ "Frankie Sullivan Receives Highest Honor & Kenny Gabriel Named MVP At Auburn Basketball Awards Banquet". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-03-13.

External links

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