For Auburn fans, not getting to watch their team in the Big Dance after last season’s Final Four run is a tough pill to swallow. But even in their absence, the Tigers haven’t completely faded from the spotlight. Instead of the hardwood, Auburn’s presence shifted to the studio where two of its biggest legends, Charles Barkley and Bruce Pearl, are stealing the show. And true to form, it didn’t take long for the duo to grab attention.

Both Bruce Pearl and Charles Barkley were involved in some friendly banter, and it’s something you wouldn’t want to miss. Barkley was asked to offer an impersonation of longtime college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale, who was paired with him for the Texas–NC State game by the former Auburn head coach. The conversation then took a playful turn.

“One of my prerequisites for working this tournament game is I didn’t want to be in the studio with you, because there’s some people looking for you, Bruce,” Barkley told Pearl. “I didn’t want to get beat up, because I was sitting beside you or we were riding.”

Then Pearl cut in from his spot in the studio, saying, “I’m right here, Charles. I’m right here. Come get some of this.” This came after Bruce Pearl openly talked about Auburn deserving a spot in the field of 68 over teams like the undefeated Miami (OH) RedHawks. He even claimed that they did not deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.

That take was never going to go unnoticed. Athletic Director David Sayler fired back at the former Auburn coach, saying, “You are flat out wrong about @MiamiOH_BBall when u say we would finish last in the Big East,” Sayler wrote on social media. “The disrespect is awful and you should not be near a TV studio covering this sport when u show your true colors! Even slipped in a ‘we’ when talking about Auburn, nice work!”

That said, Charles Barkley was never going to stop there. The banter continued at TNT’s expense. The former NBA MVP cracked a joke about the network’s security, claiming it was so poor that everyone on the broadcast seemingly had the same locker code.

“Let me tell you something about TNT security,” Barkley said. “You can go in Kenny’s and Shaq’s lockers and steal anything. We all got the same damn code. If you want to go in Shaq, Kenny and my lockers and steal something, feel free. That’s how cheap they are.”

Moments like these are why Barkley stands out. You could tell nothing about it was rehearsed, and that’s exactly why his candid style always finds a way to steal the show.

While one former Auburn legend was busy mocking everyone, the other has found himself under serious heat. Bruce Pearl’s comments about Miami (OH) not deserving a spot in the field of 68 have come back to haunt him once again.

Miami (OH) prove Bruce Pearl wrong

A lot has been said about the RedHawks, who went unbeaten in the regular season, only to stumble against UMass in the MAC quarterfinals. For a mid-major program like Miami (OH), not many expect them to win, and losing your conference tournament in the quarterfinals itself doesn’t really help.

Bruce Pearl had already received a lot of hate for advocating a place for Auburn ahead of Miami (OH), but things were only going to get worse for him when the RedHawks made their return to the NCAA Tournament, taking on SMU in their First Four clash. In a matchup where SMU came in as the favorites, Miami silenced all their haters.

The crowd turned up in big numbers in Daytona to support Miami, and you could very well argue that the fans’ support played a big role in the win as well. The RedHawks showed that their 31-1 record wasn’t just for show, but that they are actually a very good side.

They dominated from the get-go. Miami moved the ball beautifully, dishing out 20 assists, and caught fire from deep with 16 threes on 41 attempts, a First Four record. It was a complete team effort, as well. Five players finished in double digits, with Eian Elmer leading the way with 23 points. The result? An 89-79 win over SMU that not only silenced the doubters but also marked their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1999.

Bruce Pearl himself couldn’t help but acknowledge the performance by taking to X and saying,”That was a coordinated effort,” he said. “That was beautiful offensive basketball. It was a team that has nine different guys that scored 20 points or more. They shared it, they shot it, they were efficient, and they represented all of mid-major basketball tonight.”

Well, Miami (OH) will now play Tennessee in the first round, and we can’t wait to see what that brings to the table. Regardless of what happens next, for a mid-major program like Miami, going undefeated in itself is a big achievement. But what they did against SMU was something special. They scored 80+ points, dished out 20+ assists, knocked down 15+ threes, and had fewer than five turnovers — a feat that had never been done before in a March Madness game.

Who said Cinderella runs are dead?