Charles Barkley said earlier this year he chose to play for Auburn basketball because "they sucked."
Barkley will be rooting for the Tigers to not suck this weekend during the Final Four of the 2025 men's NCAA Tournament. On Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, he will appear on the CBS halftime show when the No. 1 overall seeded Tigers will take on No. 1 Florida for a chance at the school's first national championship game appearance.
The NBA Hall of Famer played for the Tigers from 1981-84, guiding Auburn to its first NCAA Tournament in 1984. Part of the allure of attending Auburn was the lack of success for the program before his attendance for the Alabama native.
"I ain't gonna lie, I picked Auburn because they sucked," Barkley said earlier this year. "I wanted to get to play. Alabama had a great program with Wimp Sanderson. UAB with Gene Bartow.
Here's what you need to know about where Barkley went to college, where he's from and more:
Did Charles Barkley attend Auburn?
Yes, Barkley attended Auburn from 1981 to 84 under coach Sonny Smith. Before his arrival, Auburn had suffered three straight losing seasons and had never made it to the NCAA Tournament.
In his freshman season, the Tigers posted a 14-14 record, with Barkley who averaged 12.7 points on 59.5% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.1 assists, and 0.5 steals per game in 28 games, including 23 starts.
As a sophomore, he guided the team to a 15-13 record, the program's first winning record in six seasons. He scored 14.4 points on 64.4% shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game and started in all 28 games for the Tigers.
Barkley's junior season was the major breakthrough for the program. For the third time in program history, the Tigers won 20 games in a season and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, No. 12 Richmond knocked out Barkley and Auburn from the tournament in the ...
