“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.” Just last week, Charles Barkley was hyping up the job that the head coach has done for the Auburn Tigers. Bruce Pearl deserved all of it, as it was the second time in program history that they made the Final Four. However, the winningest season for the SEC team won’t result in a championship. Chuck, who was present there both as a fan and an analyst, played both his parts to the highest order.

Throughout Auburn’s captivating NCAA Tournament run, Charles Barkley has been their most prominent and vocal supporter, his passion evident in every analysis and interview. His courtside presence at the Final Four underscored his deep investment in the team’s success, making their exit all the more impactful for him and the Auburn faithful.

It was the Gators who beat Auburn 79-73 on Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was Florida’s senior guard, Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 34 points to lead his team to the finals. Speaking about leading, it was Sir Charles, along with his 1984 team, who led the Tigers for its first NCAA tournament appearance. So, naturally, he had mixed feelings about this result. With a talented core and a proven coach in Bruce Pearl, Auburn has clearly established itself as a force in the SEC and a program with the potential to make deep NCAA Tournament runs in the years to come.

“I’ve seen one, our guys played valiantly; it was a heck of a game. I’m so proud of our team and Coach Pearl, and those kids. Yeah, I’m disappointed, but Florida was a better team.” Part of the CBS analyst panel, Charles Barkley, gave his reaction to the Final Four loss for his alma mater. He even gave credit to Gators, a first-team All-SEC guard, Clayton Jr and called him “the real deal.” “The thing is, he kept them in it when they were struggling. And then the rest of the guys joined the party.” However, he did not end his speech on a sour note for the Tigers.

“But congratulations to the Florida Gators. And so I just want to thank my guys from Auburn for getting us to the final four.” Throughout the season, the 11x NBA All-Star was all aboard the Bruce Pearl hype train. That’s why when the dream of finals was crushed, he shared a moment with the head coach and their number one star player.

Videos on X started getting traction where Charles Barkley was hugging Johni Broome and Bruce Pearl after the loss. After all, it was a tough one to take, especially after the Tigers had the lead in the first half.

Charles Barkley supports Broome after his off night

When two number-one seeds compete, what do you get? A fast-paced start that saw eight lead changes and only four turnovers through the game’s first 13 minutes. The Tigers would lead 46-38 at halftime after guard Denver Jones made one of two free throws with 1.6 seconds left. However, the Gators responded right out of the gate with an 11-0 run early in the second half. They had the lead 51-49 with 15:30 remaining.

Auburn answered with an 8-0 run to lead 57-51. The game was set for a frenetic and sloppy final 2:30 when Clayton scored on a layup to give Florida a 71-68 lead. Auburn did have the chance to tie the game and chip away at the lead. But the SEC rival, Florida, stays resilient. Meanwhile, for the Tigers, it was senior wing Chad Baker-Mazara who scored a team-high 18 points. Star forward Johni Broome, the SEC Player of the Year, added 15 points. But he didn’t score over the final 15 minutes.

That’s why the loss stung more for Broome, and Charles Barkley realized it. In fact, coach Pearl always believed he would deliver the title and dedicate it to the program legend, Chuck. It won’t be the case this season, but the team looks strong, and Sir Charles will be hoping that his alma mater wins the championship sooner rather than later.