“I love Auburn, ” Charles Barkley‘s loyalty to his alma mater is well known. And he doesn’t mind ranting for hours about the Tigers. Sometimes, the rants and arguments even extend to national television. He was particularly upset when coach Nate Oats joined Alabama because of how good he is. A slight feud is obvious when he is among the rival team’s supporters. So, an exchange of playful jabs was expected when an Auburn rival fan shared a not-so-appreciative opinion of Chuck.

This time, it wasn’t about his alma mater. Chuck is one of CBS’s in-studio analysts for March Madness, and he has already presented his personal bracket and the team he thinks will win it all. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to be Auburn but the Florida Gators. The Gators have been undeniably explosive! However, CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins believes Alabama will make it to the championship game against the Gators. 

She even texted her opinion to Chuck. The Philadelphia 76ers legend was quick to dismiss her with a hilarious reaction. “I’m feeling hopeful about it and then obviously I have Alabama in the championship game with Florida and I was just texting Charles Barkley about this and we have a feud obviously over Alabama and Auburn and I said I have Alabama going all the way and all he responded is ‘okay you’re wrong’ with crying emoji,” Collins shared.

Collins and Barkley have had an ongoing feud for a while. And it can be assumed to have only intensified since Auburn defeated Alabama in their opening-round NCAA Tournament game. Tensions were high at the game, with Auburn struggling against 16th-seeded Alabama. 

The SEC Player of the Year, Johni Broome scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Miles Kelly contributed 23 points to lead Auburn. However, the lack of energy and effort by the Auburn players was evident. Amar Knoxx made it tough for the Tigers. While the double-digit halftime lead eased Chuck’s worries, he made sure to call out the players before the final stint.

Charles Barkley was upset over Auburn’s lack of effort 

After the unmistakable issues seen on Auburn’s end in the game, Chuck stressed the need for the top-seeded teams to dominate in the first half. He explained that the No. 1-seeded Auburn should take the lead to gain an upper hand over their opponents. “You have to play, you can’t just show up and think you’re going to win,” Chuck declared. 

He further added, “I was a little disappointed in Auburn’s energy level (in the first half), because, as I said earlier, in a one-and-done scenario, you can’t relax. Because the pressure switches to the higher seed the longer a game goes. I’m glad we’re up 10 at the half, but if we’re up six with 10 minutes to go, all the pressure’s on Auburn.”

He had another prediction for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Chuck surely has high hopes for the Tigers. However, he set a limit to them. Barkley believes that his alma mater will reach its second-ever Final Four this season but will lose to the Gators. Chuck also expects the No. 8 Gonzaga to win the Midwest Region and defeat No. 4 Arizona in the Final Four. Next up, Auburn will be facing the No. 9 seed Creighton.