Who said Auburn was just a football school?
OK, everyone. Including me.
But Sunday, when spring practice kicked off on the gridiron, all eyes were on the hardwood.
For the first time since last year’s game against Florida, Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum was filled to the banners with fans, all cheering on the basketball team.
Well, that’s not entirely true. The football team did make an appearance at halftime to accept the Iron Bowl Trophy for the sixth consecutive year.
I mean, honestly, could basketball really steal the entire spotlight?
No. But, it should be able to share some of it. And, for at least a little while Sunday, it did.
Auburn’s 88-76 win over Alabama, the Tigers’ third victory over the Tide in the last four games, was big.
No, not football big. But it wasn’t about football Sunday. At least it shouldn’t have been.
Sunday was about hoops.
It was also fun.
Fun for players and fans. Sports fans. Basketball fans. Auburn fans.
Anytime you can beat your rival it’s a blast. Right?
Just ask the football team.
Wait. Let’s ask a basketball player.
“It feels good,” Auburn senior Frank Tolbert said, who played against the Tide for the final time of his career. “It’s the last time I’ll be able to say I beat Alabama.
“It feels real good.”
It seemed like the announced crowd of 10,500 fans enjoyed themselves. Maybe not as much as a football game, but it was loud.
Not as loud as halftime, but, really, did you expect it to be?
But the hoops team did receive its share of applause. And how could they not? They beat Alabama.
Oh, and the university is cheering the basketball programs even louder, shelling out $92.5 million to build a new arena. That’s the single most-expensive project in the history of AU. And it’s for basketball. That’s right … basketball.
As Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs has said repeatedly, everyone at Auburn is committed to the basketball team. And for that price tag, they better be.
And so should fans.
They were on Sunday.
“I love the crowd,” said sophomore Lucas Hargrove, who scored a career-high 28 points Sunday. “The crowd is a big part of the game.”
It was Sunday.
But don’t worry, Auburn’s still a football school.
Just ask Tommy Tuberville, who received the day’s biggest round of applause when he took a shot at all the talk over Auburn’s football program taking a beating during the recruiting season.
“Regardless of what you read and hear, we will have a football team next year,” he said.
Yes, it always comes back to football.
But basketball’s not going anywhere, either.
MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at mszvetitz@oanow.com or 737-2513.
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