In big recruiting weekend, how did Charles Barkley pitch Auburn?
Charles Barkley has been a staple at Auburn for more than 40 years — but to him, it feels like it’s been much, much longer.
“I got here in 1981,” Barkley told media members ahead of Monday’s Bruce, Barkley and Basketball charity golf event. “Which was 100 years ago.”
It really hasn’t been 100 years, but it’s been a good chunk of time since Barkley cemented himself as an Auburn legend after being a three-year standout on the Tigers’ men’s basketball team from 1981-84 and being named the SEC Player of the Year in 1984.
But Barkley still makes it a point to return to The Plains often.
“I always look forward to coming back to Auburn,” Barkley said. “Obviously Auburn means a great deal to me.”
When Hugh Freeze, who has Barkley’s full endorsement, and the Auburn football team hosted top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Barkley wasn’t going to miss it.
As such, both Auburn’s football and basketball programs weren’t going to miss the opportunity to use Sir Charles’ presence to their advantage.
Freeze called Saturday a “huge” day for recruiting, adding that he and the Tigers’ football program hosted 70 recruits over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Bruce Pearl and the Auburn basketball program also hosted big-time targets, including 5-star point guard Jalen Haralson and 4-star point guard Jeremiah Green.
“I know across the board in all sports, everybody had a lot of players in this weekend,” Pearl said Monday. “These kids are going on lots of different visits to lots of different places. Whose atmosphere is great? But this atmosphere is better.”
And that’s a key component of Barkley’s pitch when he sees Auburn targets, which is why it likely wasn’t a coincidence that Barkley spent a lot of time in the same corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium as the herd of Auburn targets on Saturday afternoon.
The good news for Auburn fans? Getting prospects to The Plains is the biggest step, Barkley says.
“You just gotta come to Auburn,” Barkley said when asked about his recruiting pitch. “I tell people everybody likes their college. I think everybody likes their college. But Auburn is a very, very special place. I was with Takeo Spikes and Frank Thomas and every time we come down here, it’s like going back to a family reunion.
“Once you go to Auburn, like I said, it’s just such a awesome, special place. And there are a lot of good schools, but I think Auburn is just a special place.”