The Stretch 4: A Final Four rematch to remember
In order for Auburn to play for a title, it has to avenge its "worst game of the season." Here's what the Tigers have to do to beat Florida.
SAN ANTONIO — Everything’s bigger in Texas. Everything’s bigger at the Final Four.
The Alamodome can seat up to 70,000 fans, which is more than three times the capacity of the NCAA Tournament venues Auburn had to win at to get here.
And it feels like the entire college basketball world is here. The Final Four goes on at the same time as the massive coaches convention. There are hundreds upon hundreds of media members credentialed for the games. Fan fests and big-time concerts have taken over entire convention centers and city streets. Everywhere you turn, there’s either a sign reminding you where you are — or a CBS camera.
It’s sensory overload. The sights, the sounds, the nerves, the events, the schedules. They’re all massive, and that’s been the case since the plane landed in San Antonio.
All of this can make you forget that there’s actual basketball to be played.
“One of the things we went through yesterday in practice was we had put in a couple of looks that we hadn't run for a while,” Bruce Pearl said Friday morning. “It was amazing how everybody forgot them yesterday. The reason is, they’ve got a lot going on. Like, their minds are going, the social media is going, the obligations that we have, the gifts.
“We got a game. We got to lock in and focus. Having been there before, it was so good to go through a few things yesterday and watch them forget everything. They went, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It was good, because now I think today they're going to be more locked in, just be ready to try to play this basketball game.”
And for all the unfamiliar terrain, it should help Auburn that there’s plenty of familiarity in this matchup.
In order for Auburn to get its first-ever Final Four win and play for a national championship for the first time in program history, it has to get revenge on a Florida team that was its closest competition in a loaded SEC — and one that handed over what many players consider their worst loss of the season.
“I think what bothered us the last game was it was our worst game of the season, by far, in effort and energy,” Dylan Cardwell said of Auburn’s 90-81 loss to Florida in February. “We couldn’t make a shot. We missed 40. But that team was more excited to play. They were a hungrier team in that point in the year.
“I think the difference maker this time around is that we’ve been a hungry team. We’ve got the fourth-longest odds to win a national championship.”’
Effort and energy shouldn’t be problems at all this time around for Auburn, which has earned its way to one of the toughest Final Fours ever by stepping up in those two areas to knock off three straight talented opponents in Creighton, Michigan and Michigan State.
Auburn was the most battle-tested team in this field, which was a testament to the faith that Pearl had in his players. They know they’re capable of winning it all.
"He's been through a lot in his coaching career and at the beginning of the year, he told us how special we could really be with this team,” Chad Baker-Mazara said. “A lot of people didn't believe that. He stayed in our ears, telling us, ‘You guys really got this — you just have to focus and lock in.’ We will be able to determine our own future.
“Having a coach who just brings that confidence in you… We just want to make sure we get him one, because I feel like we owe it to him for putting this team together, the way he did.”
It’s the Final Four, the biggest stage possible. Auburn could be 40 minutes of basketball away from seeing its historic season come to an end. But it also could be 80 minutes of basketball away from becoming a national champion.
“We always want to get a crack, especially if a team beats us,” Johni Broome said. “But, at this stage, it really doesn't matter who we will be playing. We will be excited to play.”
Make no mistake, though: Pure hustle alone won’t make Auburn get that get-back.
“It sounds easy, but they’re so damn good offensively that, you know, we could’ve been working really hard and they were still able to execute,” defensive coordinator Steven Pearl said. “They’re the No. 2 offense in the country for a reason.”
Florida was the hottest team in college basketball heading into the NCAA Tournament, and it’s the odds-on favorite to advance to Monday night’s championship game.
The Florida team built by Todd Golden, a former Pearl assistant at Auburn, is the envy of analytics nerds and basketball purists everywhere — and for good reason.
“I've seen enough Florida tape to make me sick,” Pearl said with a smile. “They're really good. You're still in a state of, ‘Are we really here? Are we really one of the four teams that are playing for a national championship?’ Obviously, the answer is yes. Sometimes it's harder to do what you're expected to do. I suppose because we've been good all year long, this was expected.
“But, boy, if you ever treat it that way, you're missing out on something. That is beyond special. We recognize we're going to have to play the two best games of the year in order to be successful and cut down nets on Monday night.”
For more on this rematch with Florida and what Auburn needs to do in order to advance to the national championship game, here is a special Final Four edition of The Stretch 4.
Can Johni Broome come through yet again?
There might not be a player in San Antonio who has gotten more attention this weekend than Broome — even with all the fanfare around Duke star Cooper Flagg.