As usual, Auburn basketball legend Charles Barkley didn’t pull any punches when asked about his alma mater’s lackluster first half in its Sweet 16 matchup with Michigan on Friday night in Atlanta.

The top-seeded Tigers led the Wolverines 30-29 at the break, but turned the ball over 10 times. Auburn also shot just 32% from the field and 19% from 3-point range.

“I was disturbed and disgusted by that first half of basketball,” Barkley said during halftime on CBS. “Ten turnovers. I always say the two most important statistics in basketball are rebounds and turnovers. We’ve got to value the basketball. Ten possessions, and at least five of those would have been layups.

“We’ve got the lead, but if we don’t win this game, it’s because of the turnovers we had in the first half. I ain’t gonna lie, we knew this was gonna be a dogfight. But we’ve got to value the basketball, kids. We’ve got to value the basketball.”

It wasn’t all bad for Auburn. SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome had a double-double in the first half with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

However, Broome and freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford had three turnovers each, while guard Chad Baker-Mazara had two (and scored only two points). Barkley reiterated what might have been a very elementary viewpoint, but one that makes a lot of sense.

“The most important thing in basketball is the basketball,” Barkley said. “You have to value the basketball.”