COLUMN | Last season was unforgettable, this season is still worth appreciating

Almost one year ago to the day, during my freshman year on The Plains, I had just landed in San Antonio with one of my best friends. As we deplaned, a massive poster caught our eyes: “The Road Ends Here.” It didn’t really hit us until that moment that when we returned to Auburn, nothing would be the same. The road really was about to end.

To understand what I’m saying, you have to recognize the lore surrounding the 2024-25 squad led by Bruce Pearl.

10 beloved seniors who went on to become Maui Invitational Champs, SEC regular season champs, NCAA South Regional champs and the winningest team in program history.

Flash forward to the present day, and it feels like deja vu. Signage all around my hotel in downtown Indianapolis read, “The Road Ends Here.”

However, this year, the path to playing basketball in early April hasn’t gone according to plan for Auburn, as it missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 and has wound up in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Final Four, which coincidentally is also being played in the Hoosier State.

I’m going to remember last year’s Final Four run in the Alamo City for the rest of my life. I’ll probably tell my kids about it. From camping outside Neville Arena with my best friends to rolling Toomer’s Corner after every victory, it didn’t feel real. 

But that’s all in the past, and it’s time for this year’s team to finish its story.

In his first season at the helm, Steven Pearl’s team faced the No. 3 hardest schedule in the country and walked away with some marquee wins. 

Arguably, the biggest win in the country, going to Gainesville and taking down the defending national champion Gators, along with defeating the Big East champion St. John’s Red Storm and legendary Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

Another reason to be proud of this team is that they never ran from a fight. They played the second-most Quad 1 games in the country and were never afraid of a battle.

Recently in college sports, we’ve seen teams back down and call it quits when things don’t go their way during a selection show. For example, after failing to reach the College Football Playoff in 2025, Notre Dame declined all bowl game bids. On the hardwood, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech and San Diego State, among others, declined bids to the NIT this year.

After soaking in the disappointment of hearing that they wouldn’t be dancing, it would have been easy for players like Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford to pack up their lockers and get ready for whatever the future holds.

But the Auburn men in that locker room came together and decided they still wanted to represent the orange and blue, and we should be proud of that. Regardless of who returns and who doesn’t, Steven Pearl is building a culture in his locker room of competitors, and that will carry over into next season.

Even though the Tigers went 2-2 against the regular-season SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and Big East champions, those victories obviously don’t erase the pain of missing March Madness.

However, this season has reminded me that in sports, your team isn’t going to reach the pinnacle every year, and when they do like in 2025, you really have to soak in every moment.

For the newer members of the Auburn family, the expectations didn’t always used to be this high. The Tigers went from 2003 until 2018 without receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament. A trip to the NIT used to mean a successful season.

I’ll admit, watching Auburn basketball this year was tough at times, but it made me realize why the legendary moments we saw in 2025 are so special and, honestly, made me cherish them even more.

So as the ball gets set to tip in Indianapolis on Thursday, the road might be different this year, but it’s still one worth appreciating.