:Auburn Tigers men's basketball

{{short description|Basketball program representing Auburn University}}

{{Infobox college basketball team

| name = Auburn Tigers men's basketball

| current = 2024–25 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team

| logo = Auburn Tigers logo.svg

| logo_size = 150

| university = Auburn University

| firstseason = 1906

| record = {{Winning percentage|1,501|1,258|1|record=y}}

| athletic_director = John Cohen

| coach = Bruce Pearl

| tenure = 11th

| conference = Southeastern Conference

| location = Auburn, Alabama

| arena = Neville Arena

| capacity = 9,121

| nickname = Tigers

| studentsection = The Jungle

| color1 =

| color2 =

| color3 =

| color4 =

| colorfootnotes =

| hex1 =

| hex2 =

| hex3 =

| hex4 =

| h_pattern_b = _thinsidesonwhite

| h_body = 0C2340

| h_shorts = 0C2340

| h_pattern_s = _blanksides2

| a_pattern_b = _thinorangesides_2

| a_body = 0C2340

| a_shorts = 0C2340

| a_pattern_s = _orangesides

| 3_pattern_b = _thinmidnightbluesides

| 3_body = F26522

| 3_shorts = F26522

| 3_pattern_s = _midnightbluesides

| bestfinish = 4

| NCAAchampion =

| NCAAfinalfour = 2019, 2025

| NCAAeliteeight = 1986, 2019, 2025

| NCAAsweetsixteen = 1985, 1986, 1999, 2003, 2019, 2025

| NCAAroundof32 = 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025

| NCAAopeninground =

| NCAAtourneys = 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

| conference_tournament = 1985, 2019, 2024

| conference_season = 1928, 1960, 1999, 2018, 2022, 2025

| division_season = 1999

}}

The Auburn Tigers men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Auburn University. The school competes in the Southeastern Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers play their home games at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on the university campus. The program began in 1906, and is currently coached by Bruce Pearl.

Auburn has won six conference regular season championships and three SEC tournament championships. Auburn has appeared in the NCAA tournament 14 times, making it as far as the Final Four in 2019 and 2025. 14 Auburn players have been named All-Americans and Auburn has had 102 All-SEC selections. Auburn has produced 35 NBA draft picks, including Jabari Smith (2022), who was selected with the third overall pick, the highest in Auburn history. Three Auburn players have been named SEC Player of the Year: Charles Barkley in 1984, Chris Porter in 1999, and Johni Broome in 2025. Auburn has had six head coaches selected as SEC Coach of the Year a total of nine times, and Auburn head coaches Cliff Ellis and Bruce Pearl were named National Coach of the Year by multiple outlets in 1999 and 2025, respectively. 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.

Tenure	Coach	Seasons	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct.	Conf.	Conf. Pct.
class="wikitable" align="right" style="font-size: 85%; clear: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;"
colspan="9" align="center" style="font-size: 100%; {{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| Auburn Coaching History{{cite web\|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/aub/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/prospectus/prospectus.pdf\|title=2016–17 Fact Book\|work=AuburnTigers.com\|access-date=2007-11-15\|archive-date=2016-11-16\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116015731/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/aub/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/prospectus/prospectus.pdf\|url-status=dead}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1905–1921	Donahue	16	74	80	1	{{Winning percentage\|74\|80}}	–	–
1921–1924	Hutsell	3	16	24	–	{{Winning percentage\|16\|24}}	–	–
bgcolor=silver \| 1924–1925	Bunker	1	3	11	–	{{Winning percentage\|3\|11}}	–	–
1925–1928	Papke	3	38	18	–	{{Winning percentage\|38\|18}}	–	–
bgcolor=silver \| 1928–1929	Bohler	1	6	15	–	{{Winning percentage\|6\|15}}	–	–
1929–1930	Lee	1	1	10	–	{{Winning percentage\|1\|10}}	–	–
bgcolor=silver \| 1930–1933	McAllister	3	25	18	–	{{Winning percentage\|25\|18}}	4–7	{{Winning percentage\|4\|7}}
1933–42, 1945–46	Jordan	10	95	77	–	{{Winning percentage\|95\|77}}	61–56	{{Winning percentage\|61\|56}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1942–43, 1944–45	Evans	2	4	28	–	{{Winning percentage\|4\|28}}	3–18	{{Winning percentage\|3\|18}}
1946–1947	Edney	1	3	18	–	{{Winning percentage\|3\|18}}	1–15	{{Winning percentage\|1\|15}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1947–1949	Doyle	2	21	25	–	{{Winning percentage\|21\|25}}	12–18	{{Winning percentage\|12\|18}}
1949–1963	Eaves	14	213	100	–	{{Winning percentage\|213\|100}}	124–75	{{Winning percentage\|124\|75}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1963–1973	Lynn	10	130	124	–	{{Winning percentage\|130\|124}}	84–88	{{Winning percentage\|84\|88}}
1973–1978	Davis	5	70	61	–	{{Winning percentage\|70\|61}}	42–48	{{Winning percentage\|42\|48}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1978–1989	Smith	11	173	154	–	{{Winning percentage\|173\|154}}	84–114	{{Winning percentage\|84\|114}}
1989–1994	Eagles	5	64	78	–	{{Winning percentage\|64\|78}}	29–55	{{Winning percentage\|29\|55}}
bgcolor=silver \| 1994–2004	Ellis	10	186	125	–	{{Winning percentage\|186\|125}}	73–87	{{Winning percentage\|73\|87}}
2004–2010	Lebo	6	96	93	–	{{Winning percentage\|96\|93}}	35–61	{{Winning percentage\|35\|61}}
bgcolor=silver \| 2010–2014	Barbee	4	49	75	–	{{Winning percentage\|49\|75}}	18–50	{{Winning percentage\|18\|50}}
2014–present	B. Pearl	11	232	124	–	{{Winning percentage\|232\|124}}	115–86	{{Winning percentage\|115\|86}}
bgcolor=silver \| 2021 (acting)	Flanigan	–	1	0	–	{{Winning percentage\|1\|0}}	–	–
2021 (acting)	S. Pearl	–	1	0	–	{{Winning percentage\|1\|0}}	–	–
Total		119	1,501	1,258	1	{{Winning percentage\|1501\|1258\|1}}	675–778	{{Winning percentage\|675\|778}}

= 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 74–80–1 (.481). In addition to coaching basketball, Donahue served as athletic director and coached the football, baseball, track, and soccer teams while at Auburn.{{cite web|url=http://www.auburntigers.com/m/sports/m-footbl/history_and_tradition_hof_national.html|title=Auburn University Official Athletic Site|website=www.auburntigers.com|access-date=2016-02-29}}

== Ralph "Shug" Jordan ==

Prior to his tenure as Auburn's head football coach, Ralph "Shug" Jordan coached the Auburn men's basketball program for 10 seasons. Jordan was a football assistant coach when 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.

Joel Eaves was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.{{Cite web|url=http://ashof.org/index.php?submenu=basketball&src=directory&view=company&srctype=detail&refno=153&category=Basketball|title=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum – Birmingham, Alabama|website=ashof.org|access-date=2016-03-02}} 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.

==Sonny Smith==

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

Smith coached Auburn to the NCAA tournament in 5 consecutive seasons, 1984 to 1988, including a run to 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 was the first 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.{{Cite web|url=http://ashof.org/index.php?submenu=basketball&src=directory&view=company&srctype=detail&refno=382&category=Basketball|title=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum – Birmingham, Alabama|website=ashof.org|access-date=2016-03-03}}

==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 at Auburn was the 1998–99 season, where he led the Tigers to an SEC regular season championship and the program's first ever #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, in which they reached the Sweet Sixteen. Ellis was named both SEC and National Coach of the Year in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042203aaa.html|title=Auburn Head Coach Cliff Ellis To Be Inducted Into Mobile Sports Hall Of Fame|date=2003-04-22|work=Test.com|access-date=2007-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214030320/http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042203aaa.html|archive-date=2008-02-14|url-status=dead}} Ellis would take Auburn to the NCAA tournament two more times: reaching the Second Round in 2000 and returning to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003.

Ellis was released 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-19-sp-bkcrep19-story.html|title=Cliff Ellis Is Fired as Auburn Coach|last=Reports|first=Wire|date=2004-03-19|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=2016-03-03}} Ellis finished with a record of 186–125 (.598) at Auburn, trailing only Eaves on the school's all-time wins list.

= Bruce Pearl =

Bruce Pearl became Auburn's 20th head men's basketball coach on March 18, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24490091/bruce-pearl-in-line-to-be-auburns-next-mens-basketball-coach|title=Bruce Pearl named Auburn men's basketball coach|website=cbssports.com}} He led Auburn to its third SEC regular season championship in the 2017–18 season and its second SEC tournament championship in 2019, en route to leading Auburn to its first ever Final Four in the 2019 NCAA tournament.{{Cite web |title=Auburn is Final Four bound for the first time after beating Kentucky in OT {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2019-03-31/auburn-final-four-bound-first-time-after-beating-kentucky-ot |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=www.ncaa.com |language=en}} Following another regular season championship in the 2021–22 season, Pearl was selected as SEC Coach of the Year.{{Cite web |title=Pearl, Smith and Kessler SEC Men's Basketball Postseason Award Winners |url=https://auburntigers.com/news/2022/3/8/pearl-smith-and-kessler-sec-mens-basketball-postseason-award-winners.aspx |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=Auburn University Athletics |language=en}} He again won the SEC tournament championship in 2024.{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Matt |date=2024-03-17 |title=Auburn men’s basketball wins 2024 SEC Tournament championship |url=https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2024/03/auburn-mens-basketball-wins-2024-sec-tournament-championship.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=al |language=en}} Following winning his third SEC regular season championship in the 2025, Pearl was named SEC Coach of the Year for his second time at Auburn.{{Cite web |title=2025 SEC Men's Basketball Awards announced |url=https://www.secsports.com/news/2025/03/2025-sec-mens-basketball-awards-announced |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Southeastern Conference |language=en}} He then led Auburn to its second Final Four in the 2025 NCAA tournament.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-30 |title=Auburn completes sweep of No. 1 seeds into Final Four, beating Michigan State 70-64 |url=https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-auburn-score-739dfd8e727a34ba7095967dc94b8142 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=AP News |language=en}}

On January 7, 2025, after earning his 214th win at Auburn in an 87–82 win over Texas, Pearl surpassed Joel Eaves to become the winningest coach in Auburn basketball history.{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Adam |title=In beating Texas, Bruce Pearl becomes winningest coach in Auburn basketball's history |url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburn/2025/01/07/bruce-pearl-auburn-basketball-wins-record/77491717007/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=Montgomery Advertiser |language=en-US}} Pearl's current record at Auburn is {{Winning percentage|232|124|record=y}}.

= Awards and honors =

National Coach of the Year

Cliff Ellis (1999)
Bruce Pearl (2025)

SEC Coach of the Year

Joel Eaves (1960)
Bob Davis (1975)
Sonny Smith (1984, 1988)
Tommy Joe Eagles (1990)
Cliff Ellis (1995, 1999)
Bruce Pearl (2022, 2025)

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

Joel Eaves (1978)
Sonny Smith (2007)

Players

= Retired numbers =

width=40px style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| No. ! width=150px style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \|Player ! width=40px style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \|Position ! width=100px style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \|Career ! style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \|No. Ret. ! style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \|Ref.
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" \| colspan=6 style= "{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Auburn Tigers\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| Auburn Tigers retired numbers
11	Wesley Person	SG	1990–1994	2006
15	John Mengelt	SG	1968–1971	2001
30	Mike Mitchell	SF	1974–1978	2013	[https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2013/01/auburn_retires_mike_mitchells.html Auburn retires Mike Mitchell's No. 30 jersey before tipoff against Kentucky] at Al.com, 20 Jan 2013
32	Rex Frederick	F	1956–1959	2006
34	Charles Barkley	PF	1981–1984	2001
45	Chuck Person	SF	1982–1986	2006

=All-Americans=

class="wikitable toccolours"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Auburn Tigers|Player|Year(s)|Selectors}}

align="center"

| Jack Stewart

| 1931–32

| College Humor Magazine

align="center"

| Rex Fredrick

| 1958–59

| Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press

align="center"

| Henry Hart

| 1959–60

| Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press

align="center"

| Lee DeFore

| 1965–66

| Helms Athletic Foundation

align="center"

| John Mengelt (2)

| 1969–70, 1970–71

| Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press

align="center"

| Mike Mitchell

| 1977–78

| Converse Yearbook

align="center"

| Charles Barkley

| 1983–84

| Basketball Times, National Association of Basketball Coaches

align="center"

| Chuck Person (2)

| 1984–85, 1985–86

| Sporting News, McGregor, Basketball Times, National Association of Basketball Coaches

align="center"

| Wesley Person

| 1993–94

| Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association

align="center"

| Chris Porter

| 1998–99

| Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, Basketball Times, College Hoops Insider, John Wooden Award

align="center"

| Doc Robinson

| 1998–99

| Associated Press, College Hoops Insider

align="center"

| Jabari Smith

| 2021–22

| Associated Press, Sporting News, United States Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches

align="center"

| Walker Kessler

| 2021–22

| Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association

align="center"

| Johni Broome (2)

| 2023–24, 2024–25

| Associated Press, Sporting News, United States Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches

align="center"

| colspan=4 | Source:{{cite web|url=http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=0&url_article_id=1782&change_well_id=2 |title=Auburn All-Americas |publisher=Auburn Tigers |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528091246/http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=0&url_article_id=1782&change_well_id=2 |archive-date=2008-05-28 |url-status=dead }}

= National awards =

National Player of the Year

Johni Broome (2025) - Sporting News

National Freshman of the Year

Jabari Smith (2022) - NABC, USBWA

National Defensive Player of the Year

Walker Kessler (2022) - NABC, Naismith

Top at Position

Johni Broome (2025) - Malone Award, NABC Big Man of the Year

= Conference awards =

SEC Player of the Year

SEC Tournament MVP

File:Bryce Brown basketball.jpg]]

Charles Barkley (1984)
Chuck Person (1985)
Bryce Brown (2019)
Johni Broome (2024)

SEC Rookie of the Year

Chris Porter (1999)
Jabari Smith (2022)

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Walker Kessler (2022)

= Other honors=

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Charles Barkley (2006)

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Charles Barkley (2006)

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

USBWA Most Courageous Award

Wes Flanigan (1997)

= Auburn in the NBA =

== NBA Draft picks ==

Auburn has produced 35 NBA draft picks, including 10 first round picks. The most players selected from Auburn in a single draft was 3 in the 1988 draft. Jabari Smith holds the record for the highest draft pick from Auburn, selected 3rd overall in the 2022 draft.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Auburn Tigers|Year|Round|Pick|Player|Team}}

align="center"

|1960

|12

|82

|Henry Hart

|New York Knicks

align="center"

|1963

|34

|Layton Johns

|Los Angeles Lakers

align="center"

|1965

|21

|Joe Newton

|Baltimore Bullets

align="center"

|1966

|31

|Lee DeFore

align="center"

|21

align="center"

|120

|Henry Harris

|Houston Rockets

align="center"

|1973

|46

|Jim Retseck

|Golden State Warriors

align="center"

|1976

|73

|Gary Redding

|Portland Trail Blazers

align="center"

|1977

|49

|Eddie Johnson

|Atlanta Hawks

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |1978

|15

|Mike Mitchell

|Cleveland Cavaliers

align="center"

|133

|Stan Pietkiewicz

|San Diego Clippers

align="center"

|1979

|143

|Rich Valavicius

|Houston Rockets

align="center"

|1980

|170

|Rich Valavicius

|Washington Bullets

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |1981

|122

|Earl Banks

|Seattle SuperSonics

align="center"

|165

|Bobby Cattage

|Utah Jazz

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |1983

|35

|Darrell Lockhart

|San Antonio Spurs

align="center"

|10

|211

|Odell Mosteller

|Utah Jazz

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |1984

|Charles Barkley

|Philadelphia 76ers

align="center"

|193

|Greg Turner

align="center"

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |1987

|138

|Frank Ford

|Los Angeles Lakers

align="center"

|158

|Gerald White

|Dallas Mavericks

align="center"

| rowspan="3" |1988

|Chris Morris

|New Jersey Nets

align="center"

|rowspan="2" |3

|58

|Jeff Moore

|Charlotte Hornets

align="center"

|63

align="center"

|23

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |2000

|26

|Mamadou N'Diaye

|Denver Nuggets

align="center"

|55

|Chris Porter

|Golden State Warriors

align="center"

|40

align="center"

|16

align="center"

align="center"

| rowspan="2" |2021

|rowspan="2" |2

|37

|JT Thor

|Detroit Pistons

align="center"

|48

|Sharife Cooper

|Atlanta Hawks

align="center"

|rowspan="2" |2022

|rowspan="2" |1

|Jabari Smith

|Houston Rockets

align="center

|22

|Walker Kessler

|Memphis Grizzlies

Auburn has had 5 players that transferred to another school before being selected in the NBA draft.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Auburn Tigers|Year|Round|Pick|Player|School|Team}}

align="center"

|49

align="center"

|24

align="center"

|33

align="center"

|29

align="center"

== Undrafted free agents ==

In addition to its 30 NBA draft picks, Auburn has produced several undrafted free agents that went on to have NBA careers.

Myles Patrick (1980–1981)
Aaron Swinson (1994)
Adam Harrington (2002–2003)
Pat Burke (2002–2003, 2005–2007)
Marquis Daniels (2003–2013)
Jared Harper (2019–2022)

== Awards and honors ==

League MVP

Charles Barkley (1993)

All-Stars

Eddie Johnson (1980, 1981)
Mike Mitchell (1981)
Charles Barkley (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)

Rookie of the Year

Chuck Person (1987)

All-Rookie First Team

All-Rookie Second Team

= Auburn in the Olympics =

class="wikitable"

1992

|{{flagIOCathlete|Charles Barkley|USA|1992 Summer}}

|{{gold medal}}

1996

|{{flagIOCathlete|Charles Barkley|USA|1996 Summer}}

|{{gold medal}}

2024

|{{flagIOCathlete|JT Thor|SUD|2024 Summer}}

Championships and postseason

= Conference regular season championships =

Auburn has won six regular season conference championships in its history: one Southern Conference championship in 1928 and four Southeastern Conference championships in 1960, 1999, 2018, 2022, and 2025. Auburn also won the SEC West Division championship in 1999.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Auburn Tigers|Year|Conference|Overall record|Conference record|Coach}}

align="center"

|1928

|SoCon

|20–2

|12–1

|Mike Papke

align="center"

|1960

|SEC

|19–3

|12–2

|Joel Eaves

align="center"

|1999

|SEC

|29–4

|14–2

|Cliff Ellis

align="center"

|2018

|SEC

|26–8

|13–5

| rowspan=3 | Bruce Pearl

align="center"

|2022

|SEC

|28–6

|15–3

align="center"

|2025

|SEC

|32–6

|15–3

=SEC Tournament=

Auburn has won the SEC tournament three times: in 1985 under coach Sonny Smith and in 2019 and 2024 under Bruce Pearl. The 1985 Auburn Tigers won the tournament after beating Alabama 53–49 in overtime. That 1985 Auburn team was the first ever to win four games in four days to win the SEC Tournament.{{Cite web|title = AUBURN'S 1985 SEC TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS REUNION|url = http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012810aaa.html|website = www.auburntigers.com|access-date = 2016-02-24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306131917/http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012810aaa.html|archive-date = 2016-03-06|url-status = dead}}

In 2019, the Tigers earned a bye in the Tournament during the regular season and won games against Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida before crushing Tennessee in the final game 84–64. In 2024, Auburn defeated South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Florida en route to their second tournament title under Bruce Pearl. 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 four SEC Tournament MVPs: Charles Barkley in 1984, Chuck Person in 1985, Bryce Brown in 2019, and Johni Broome in 2024.

border="0" style="width:80%;"
valign="top" \| {\| class="wikitable" style="width:80%;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|border=0\|team=Auburn Tigers\|Year\|Coach\|Result\|Site\|Overall record\|SEC record}}
style="text-align:center;" \| 1985	Sonny Smith	Auburn 53, Alabama 49	Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL	22–12	8–10
style="text-align:center;" \| 2019	Bruce Pearl	Auburn 84, Tennessee 64	Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN	30–10	11–7
style="text-align:center;" \| 2024	Bruce Pearl	Auburn 86, Florida 67	Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN	27–8	13–5

=NCAA tournament=

Auburn has appeared in the NCAA tournament 14 times. Their combined record is 23–14.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Auburn Tigers|Year|Seed|Region|Round|Location|Opponent|Result}}

align="center"

| 1984

|#5

|East

First Round

|Charlotte, NC

#12 Richmond

L 71–72

align="center"

| 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

align="center"

| 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

align="center"

| 1987

|#8

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round

|Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis, IN

#9 San Diego
#1 Indiana

W 62–61
L 90–107

align="center"

| 1988

|#8

|Southeast

First Round
Second Round

|Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA

#9 Bradley
#1 Oklahoma

W 90–86
L 87–107

align="center"

| 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 64–72

align="center"

| 2000

|#7

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round

|Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN

#10 Creighton
#2 Iowa State

W 72–69
L 60–79

align="center"

| 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 65–63^OT
W 68–62
L 78–79

align="center"

| 2018

|#4

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round

|San Diego, CA
San Diego, CA

#13 Charleston
#5 Clemson

W 62–58
L 53–84

align="center"

| 2019

|#5

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four

|Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City, MO
Minneapolis, MN

#12 New Mexico State
#4 Kansas
#1 North Carolina
#2 Kentucky
#1 Virginia

W 78–77
W 89–75
W 97–80
W 77–71^OT
L 62–63

align="center"

| 2022

|#2

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round

|Greenville, SC
Greenville, SC

#15 Jacksonville State
#10 Miami (FL)

W 80–61
L 61–79

align="center"

| 2023

|#9

|Midwest

First Round
Second Round

|Birmingham, AL
Birmingham, AL

#8 Iowa
#1 Houston

W 83–75
L 64–81

align="center"

| 2024

|#4

|East

First Round

|Spokane, WA

#13 Yale

L 76–78

align="center"

| 2025

|#1

|South

First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four

|Lexington, KY
Lexington, KY
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA
San Antonio, TX

#16 Alabama State
#9 Creighton
#5 Michigan
#2 Michigan State
#1 Florida

W 83–63
W 82–70
W 78–65
W 70–64
L 73–79

=NIT=

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

class="wikitable" {{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Auburn Tigers\|Year\|Seed\|Round\|Location\|Opponent\|Result}}
align="center" \| 1993	–	First Round	Clemson, SC	Clemson	L 72–84
align="center" \| 1995	–	First Round	Auburn, AL	Marquette	L 61–68
align="center" \| 1996	–	First Round	Auburn, AL	Tulane	L 73–87^OT
align="center" \| 1998	–	First Round Second Round	Auburn, AL Milwaukee, WI	Southern Miss Marquette	W 77–62 L 60–75^OT
align="center" \| 2001	–	First Round Second Round	Auburn, AL West Lafayette, IN	Miami (FL) Purdue	W 60–58 L 60–90
align="center" \| 2009	1	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Auburn, AL Auburn, AL Auburn, AL	8 UT Martin 4 Tulsa 3 Baylor	W 87–82 W 74–55 L 72–74

Facilities

= Former facilities =

== Alumni Gymnasium ==

Auburn's first on-campus basketball facility was Alumni Gymnasium, which opened in February 1916.{{cite web|url=https://omeka.lib.auburn.edu/items/show/9|title=Alumni Gymnasium · Omeka at Auburn|website=omeka.lib.auburn.edu|access-date=2016-02-29}} 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. Auburn Sports Arena stood until September 21, 1996, when it caught fire and burned down in the middle of a football game between Auburn and LSU.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-20 |title=The night 'The Barn' burned at Auburn |url=https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2016/09/auburn_lsu_fire.html |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=al |language=en}}

== Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum ==

File:Beard-Eaves-Side1.jpg

Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum is 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.{{cite web|title=Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum|work=AuburnTigers.cstv.com|url=http://auburntigers.cstv.com/facilities/aub-facilities-m-baskbl.html|access-date=2007-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407161947/http://auburntigers.cstv.com/facilities/aub-facilities-m-baskbl.html|archive-date=2007-04-07|url-status=dead}}

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.{{Cite web|title = Auburn closes Beard-Eaves with big win over Mississippi State |url=http://blog.al.com/auburnbeat/2010/03/auburn_closes_beard-eaves_with.html|website = AL.com|access-date = 2016-02-19}}

= Neville Arena =

File:Neville Arena interior - Auburn, AL.jpg (then Auburn Arena) before the Auburn-UAB men's basketball game on November 13, 2015.|frameless]]

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.{{Cite web|title = Auburn University Announces Plans To Build New Basketball Arena|url = http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062907aab.html |website=www.auburntigers.com|access-date = 2016-02-19}} The arena was initially named Auburn Arena, but later renamed to Neville Arena in 2022. With a seating capacity of 9,121, Neville 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, 12 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.{{Cite web|title = Auburn opens new arena with overtime loss to UNC-Asheville|url = http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/auburn_opens_new_arena_with_ov.html|website = AL.com|access-date = 2016-02-19}} Auburn's first win in Auburn Arena came on November 21, 2010, when Auburn beat Middle Tennessee 68–66.{{Cite web |url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/tony_barbee_auburn_celebrate_f.html|title=Tony Barbee, Auburn celebrate first win in new arena|access-date=2016-02-25}} Auburn currently holds a {{Winning percentage|175|64|record=y}} record in Neville 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 103–69.

== 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. Auburn leads the all-time series 104–97.

== UAB ==

Though Auburn and UAB have met just 21 times, the two programs have a strong history. The first game between the two schools was played on November 26, 1982, a matchup won by Auburn, 63–61. The programs met 16 more times over the next two decades until the series was discontinued after the 1999–2000 season. In 2015, Auburn and UAB agreed to a four-game series that reignited the rivalry.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uabsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051215aaa.html|title=UAB, Auburn Set For Four-Game Men's Basketball Series – UAB Athletics Official Athletic Site|website=www.uabsports.com|access-date=2016-03-04|archive-date=2016-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630114546/http://www.uabsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051215aaa.html|url-status=dead}} Auburn leads the all-time series 11–10.

= 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.{{Cite web |url=http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/120611aac.html|title=New Auburn Basketball Student Section The Jungle Announced|website=www.auburntigers.com|access-date=2016-03-04}} 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."{{Cite web|url=http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030412aab.html|title=Frankie Sullivan Receives Highest Honor & Kenny Gabriel Named MVP At Auburn Basketball Awards Banquet|website=www.auburntigers.com|access-date=2016-03-13}}

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

External links

{{Official website}}