Auburn Basketball Legends: The Top 5 Players of All Time
Auburn has a long and storied history in college basketball Here are the top 5 Auburn Basketball legends of all time.
Introduction
Auburn University has a long tradition of success in basketball, dating back to its first season in 1902. In the century-plus since then, the Tigers have produced some of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Here are the top five Auburn basketball legends of all time:
Charles Barkley
Widely considered one of the best players in Auburn history, Charles Barkley was a powerhouse on the court during his time with the Tigers. A three-time All-American, Barkley was named SEC Player of the Year in 1984 and led Auburn to an SEC Championship in 1985. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984 and went on to have a successful NBA career, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and being named NBA MVP in 1993.
Chris Porter
Chris Porter was a star forward for the Auburn Tigers from 1996 to 2000. He was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and led the Tigers to the NCAA tournament four times. Porter is Auburn’s All-time leading scorer with 2,045 points and is one of only two players in school history to be named SEC Player of the Year twice. He was inducted into the Auburn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
Allen Payne
Allen Payne was a two-time All-SEC selection for Auburn and led the team in scoring during the 1992-93 season. He was a key member of the “Stormin’ Tigers” squad that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament Payne went on to play 10 seasons in the NBA with several different teams.
Mamadi Diakite
Mamadi Diakite is a name that will forever be remembered in Auburn history. The 6’9″ forward from Guinea was a key player on Auburn’s 2019-2020 SEC championship team, and his game-winning put-back against Kentucky in the conference tournament will go down as one of the most iconic moments in program history. He was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and his 2.6 blocks per game were good for second in the nation. Diakite finishes his Auburn career ranked fourth in program history with 158 blocked shots.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these are the top five Auburn basketball legends of all time. Though there have been many greats to don the Auburn Tigers uniform, these five players have left their mark on the program and will be remembered as some of the best to ever play the game
