Zep Jasper stood in front of his locker Saturday night, his eyes still bloodshot after brimming with tears minutes earlier, and paused for a moment before he removed his No. 12 Auburn jersey.

It was the last time Jasper will don that jersey. Reality was setting in for the Tigers’ sixth-year seniors, whose extended college career ended with an 81-64 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“It hurts me so bad on the inside that I won’t be able to be in this locker room,” Jasper said. “…It’s just one of those things, it hurts me so much, and I really appreciate BP so much. He done changed my life.”

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Jasper tried to make sense of the end of a winding career Saturday night at Legacy Arena. Six years in college basketball is a lifetime, and Jasper’s journey came full circle at Auburn before ending with the second-round loss to top-seeded Houston.

Jasper’s first year of college ball was 2017-18 at College of Charleston, when his team lost to Auburn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in San Diego. Jasper didn’t play in that game; he redshirted that season while serving on the scout team, but he went on to lead Charleston each of the next three years and developed into one of the top on-ball defenders in college basketball.

After four years at Charleston, Jasper transferred to Auburn. A new chapter and a new opportunity.

He was part of a transformational period for Auburn after a difficult two years for the program. Following the 2019 Final Four run, the Tigers’ chance to replicate that postseason magic was ripped away by the onset of the pandemic in 2020. The following year, Auburn went 13-14 and self-imposed a postseason ban.

Then Bruce Pearl made wholesale changes to the roster last season. Auburn signed Jabari Smith, the top-rated recruit in program history who became a consensus All-American, National Freshman of the Year and the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft. The Tigers also hit the transfer portal hard, adding Walker Kessler (who went on to win Defensive Player of the Year, earn All-America status and become another first-round pick) from UNC, K.D. Johnson from Georgia, Wendell Green Jr. from Eastern Kentucky and Jasper from Charleston.

What followed was one of the most prosperous seasons in program history. He was the starting point guard for the Tigers during a year in which they earned a No. 1 ranking for the first time ever, posted an undefeated record at Neville Arena, went wire-to-wire atop the SEC during the regular season and earned a No. 2 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“We came in and made history,” Jasper said. “We did things a lot of people didn’t do.”

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Jasper never stuffed the box score during his time at Auburn, but he was a key piece for the Tigers the last two seasons. He moved off the ball this year, allowing Green to take over starting duties at point guard, but Jasper was still a mainstay in the starting lineup. He and Green were the only players to start all 34 games for Auburn this season against one of the toughest schedules in program history.

Auburn went 21-13 against that schedule, which included 17 regular-season games against NCAA Tournament teams. The Tigers earned a nine-seed in the field and knocked off eighth-seeded Iowa in the opening round. Then they had Houston on the ropes at halftime Saturday night, with a 10-point lead in what felt like a home environment for Jasper and his teammates. But Houston in the second half showed why it’s one of the top teams in the country and the No. 2 overall seed in this year’s field, outscoring Auburn 50-23 after halftime and sending the Tigers back down Highway 280 to begin their offseason.

It was a difficult loss for Auburn to come to grips with. Fellow seniors Allen Flanigan and Jaylin Williams—who both could use their COVID year of eligibility and play another season—said they wish they could’ve kept this season alive for Jasper. Johni Broome, who missed 6-of-16 free throws on a night the Tigers missed 17 attempts from the line, felt responsible for the loss and like he let Jasper down.

Dylan Cardwell said it’s hard to imagine what the locker room will be like without Jasper, whose experience, perpetually positive attitude and verve provided an infectious presence the last two years.

“The way Zep is as a person, the way he is trying to be an Auburn man, I could hardly wait to begin to go to work and start to our donor base and our alums,” Pearl said. “If Zep is playing his last game and decides he wants to do something else, the Auburn family is going to line up to hire that kid. Line up to hire him. Because he’s a winner. He’s a hard worker; he’s loyal; he’s everything — you know how you, you know, you bring somebody into your organization, your team, your family, you make statements when you bring somebody in like Zep Jasper.”

As for what those next steps will be for Jasper, he still foresees a future in basketball. He has long toyed with the idea of getting into broadcasting as an analyst. His personality and thoughtful responses to any question mesh with that line of work.

Of late, though, another career path has been on his mind — coaching. Pearl has privately expressed to Jasper that he believes he could do well in that capacity.

“I got the personality to be one of those coaches and bring guys who are doubted into something, guys who people don’t believe in,” Jasper said. “I think I could be one of those types of coaches who just give people motivation and make them keep going. I believe I’ll be in basketball forever. Whether I’m 50 years old, I think I’ll be coaching on the sideline or be an analyst somewhere.”

Having spent the last two years at Auburn, Jasper has grown an affinity for his adopted home. If it was up to him, he’ll be back one day on staff with the Tigers. He wouldn’t be the first player to return as an assistant for Pearl; K.T. Harrell, Pearl’s first great player at Auburn, returned as a graduate assistant for his alma mater for two years before joining FAU’s staff this season.

Jasper could see himself taking a similar route, exchanging that No. 12 jersey for an Auburn polo.

“Auburn’s going to be written across my chest for life,” Jasper said. “You never know what the future holds, so maybe in a couple years you might see me on the coaching staff one time. You just never know; I might be coaching one day and I’m going to have Auburn on my chest.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.