Game Preview and Open Thread - Auburn vs Charleston - NCAA Tournament Rd 1

We’ve spent a long time wandering in the desert. We’ve all watched a lot of, frankly, bad basketball. We’ve all had to watch other teams around the SEC make the tournament year after year after year, all while our Auburn Tigers sat at home and twiddled their thumbs during March Madness.

Now, we actually get to participate. It’s not just March Madness because of the glut of games that we get to watch this weekend, but also because of the fact that our guys get to join the fun. And we know that when Auburn’s involved, it’s time to buy stock in acid reflux medicine.

Bruce Pearl’s boys have dazzled us at times this year, they’ve frustrated us at times, they’ve won, they’ve lost, and now it’s all come to a head as Pearl’s done what we all thought he would do, and brought the Tigers back to the Big Dance.

Tonight, it’s Charleston. The Cougars have been without a dance partner for nearly twenty years as well. They’ve been itching to hit the floor and show off their moves, just as Auburn has. One will have to head to the bleachers, the other gets to face off against the best dancer at St. Bernadette’s.

But for real, this is a big moment win or lose tonight. We’d like to win, though.

To do that, Auburn will need to find the three-point shooting that brought them here. We need Jared Harper, Bryce Brown, and Mustapha Heron to bring back the magic to burn the nets down. We need that turnover-causing defense to hassle Charleston’s big three and we need to get back to knocking down free throws left and right like we have all season long.

It’s six games to a championship. But we’ll take one for tonight, just to live and play another day.

We’re back in the NCAA Tournament, everyone. Enjoy the feeling, and War Eagle!

HOW TO WATCH AND LISTEN - Auburn vs Charleston - 6:27 pm CST - San Diego, CA

TV: TruTV (here’s a handy guide to which channel that is on your TV provider)

Radio: Auburn Sports Network