SAN ANTONIO — The weight of the moment felt tangible. Auburn basketball's locker room, in the undercarriage of the Alamodome, was grappling with defeat.
After the Tigers' NCAA Tournament run, and 2024-25 season, came to a close with a 79-73 loss to Florida in the Final Four on Saturday, words from most players felt breathless. Tears welling up in reddened eyes were despondent. But for some members of the program, it was OK to find some humor in it all.
To Dylan Cardwell, it was vital to the Tigers' success.
"We're the funniest team in America, and we wouldn't be where we're without making light of every situation," Cardwell said, grinning. "It's just having an attitude with gratitude throughout the season."
If anyone had a reason to be sad, it was Cardwell. The winningest player in program history, Saturday's loss was the 166th game of his career, capping a five-season stint on the Plains. But the ever-candid Cardwell was clear-eyed and smiling, and he made an apt point.
Two games into the season, Auburn made the wrong sort of headlines. A flight to Houston was redirected after an on-flight altercation. The next day, it faced then-No. 4 Houston, which plays in Monday's national championship.
The Tigers won, and as Cardwell said earlier this week, it was a needed turning point, rolling Auburn into the most ambitious schedule in program history.
After winning in Houston, it kept winning. It beat three more ranked opponents before wading into SEC play, where the wins didn't stop. Auburn won a second conference championship in two seasons this year, and this time, it did so in the regular season — securing the title one week before the postseason began.
Of the 14 SEC teams that made the NCAA Tournament, Auburn was top of the heap. That was clearly ...
