Bruce Pearl doesn’t just coach—he stirs the pot, sets the stage, and delivers. Before Auburn’s Elite Eight clash with Michigan State, he dropped a line that felt like a challenge wrapped in a joke: “I’ve got to try to get some rings for Charles, so he can float them back at Magic.” Auburn fans laughed. Michigan State fans smirked. And then, Pearl’s Tigers went out and made it real.

In a twist of basketball fate, Auburn punched its ticket to the Final Four by taking down Tom Izzo’s Spartans 70-64, the same program where Magic Johnson won it all before stacking five NBA titles. Meanwhile, Charles Barkley—Auburn’s most iconic player—never got his hands on one. Now, with Pearl leading the charge and Barkley watching closely, the Tigers are on the brink of something special. But can they finish the job? Chuck is impressed enough.

In an appearance on The Next Round, Barkley reflected on Pearl’s transformative impact in leading the program to the Final Four twice in his decade-long tenure. As someone who led Auburn to its first tourney appearance in 1984 for just one win, this is a huge step-up for the Tiger in him. The 2019 success itself was an unbelievable feat for him. “I never thought Auburn would make it to the first Final Four,” Barkley admits. Now, watching the consistency, the 76ers legend cannot help but applaud.

“What these two guys (Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl) have done for the state of Alabama is incredible. You know, it got to the point Bruce did such a good job. People have been disappointed the last couple of years. Can you imagine? Think about that,” he added.

When Pearl took over the program in 2014, the Tigers were at the bottom of the SEC, hadn’t made a tournament appearance since 2003, and the fan attendance was less than 65%. But the new coach took the team to the NCAA once in 2018 and hasn’t looked back, except for 2021. In 2019, they made their first-ever Final Four, and the expectations have skyrocketed since, as per Chuck. Well, truly. Anything less than a Round of 32 doesn’t feel right for the Tigers Nation now used to it.

The school is hyped enough for the arenas to be filled to the brim and for the football conversations to be replaced with basketball around town. Pearl has set the standard and Barkley is all praise. “That’s how far we’ve come with Bruce, that Auburn made it to March Madness the last couple of years, and our fans have been disappointed. That just tells you what a terrific job he has done.”

The former Tiger knows the team has the potential to go all the way this time. They just need to repeat one tactic.

In the game against Michigan in Sweet 16, Bruce Pearl’s team once again proved they can operate under pressure. The top-seeded team rallied in the second half, wiping out a 9-point deficit, and eventually outscoring the Wolverines 39-17 in the last 12 and a half minutes. If Auburn can replicate that, Chuck believes the win is theirs.

“That second half Auburn played Friday night was incredible. If they played like that Friday, like they played that second half Friday, they’re going to win. That was incredible.” Thankfully, it wasn’t needed against Michigan State as the Tigers set the tone early, taking a 17-point lead in the first half. Johni Broome was the star of the night despite undergoing an injury. He put up 25 points and 14 rebounds,

a performance that even Michigan State coach Tom Izzo had to respect. “That’s why he’s an All-American. That’s why he’s a player of the year candidate. Did a hell of a job… We did most of the things we wanted to do except guard Broome a little better.”

As Broome and company cut down the nets, the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament made history of its own.

Charles Barkley vouches for Bruce Pearl and the No.1 seeds in the Final Four

For the first time since 2008, and only the second time since seeding began in 1979, all four No. 1 seeds have made it to the Final Four. Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida all punched their tickets to San Antonio, Texas, where the tournament semifinals and championship game will be held at the Alamodome. For Charles Barkley, there couldn’t have been a better combination.

“Man, this is going to be a very interesting Final Four because I don’t think anybody would be shocked if any of the four teams won,” Barkley said. “The committee got it right. And I thought these were the four best teams all year.”

The Final Four matchups will take place on Saturday, April 5. Auburn will face Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET, followed by Houston against Duke at 8:49 p.m. ET. The championship game is scheduled for April 7.

The only other time all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four was in 2008, when Memphis, UCLA, Kansas, and North Carolina did so. Kansas defeated Memphis in overtime to claim the title.

Duke, the favorite to win it all, has made its 18th Final Four appearance, 14 of which came after the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Blue Devils rolled past Alabama 85-65 to advance. Florida’s high-scoring guard, Walter Clayton Jr., led the Gators to a thrilling 84-79 comeback win over Texas Tech to reach the Final Four. Auburn made its second Final Four appearance in program history, defeating Michigan State 70-64. Meanwhile, Houston secured its second Final Four berth in five seasons with a dominant 69-50 win over Tennessee.

This will mark the 10th time in tournament history that the championship game will feature two No. 1 seeds.