Welcome to The Jungle: The World’s Loudest Student Section

It is no secret that basketball is back in Auburn. Going to their first Final Four ever in program history, the Tigers would not be this far without the support of the loudest and proudest student section in the world. Here is a look inside The Jungle.

Bruce Pearl has changed the culture within Auburn. Inheriting an almost lifeless basketball program with a jaded fanbase was the challenge he took when he accepted the job at Auburn and he has risen to the occasion. Over the last two years the program has skyrocketed amassing a regular season conference championship, SEC Tournament championship, NCAA tournament regional championship, and a current trip to the Final Four on the line.

The best part? Everyone’s bought in and the hype is real.

If you’ve watched a Pearl era Auburn basketball game that is televised live from Auburn you can hear the voices of thousands of screaming fans. Auburn Arena is so loud that Washington head coach Mike Hopkins compared it to the Fourth of July, former Alabama head coach Avery Johnson attempted to prepare his squad by piping in artificial crowd noise, and regularly you will hear broadcasters sitting just inches apart having to scream at each other.

The following people you are about to meet are all students at Auburn and are major players in The Jungle.

Will McLaughlin @shootyhoopswill

Year/Major: Senior in Supply Chain Management

Why he chose Auburn:

Will: “I have a Bachelor’s Degree from another school but my degree wasn’t anything I wanted to do for a career. I had an opportunity to go back to school and Auburn felt like home the first time I came to campus. It’s been the experience of my life.”

What Auburn basketball means to him:

Will: “It’s hard to put into words what Auburn Basketball means to me. College basketball has always been my favorite sports from when I was a kid growing up in North Carolina. Living in central North Carolina is like living in Alabama, you have to make a choice of what team you pull for. You’re either an Auburn or Alabama fan when you live in this state. In North Carolina, you’re either a Duke or UNC Basketball fan. My best memories from Auburn come from Auburn Arena. To see how far this team has come since 2015, when I got here, which was Bruce’s first year, to where it is now is an unbelievable feeling. I had always dreamed that Auburn would embrace and love basketball the way I do but it has reached a level I didn’t think that was possible. That’s a credit to Bruce Pearl and the players for always overcoming the odds and proving doubter’s wrong day in and day out.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Will?

Will: “Well an Auburn Basketball gameday became an all-day thing for me. Particularly in the last 2 years, I’ve always tried to be one of the first people in line to make sure I get my spot in the Jungle. In the non-conference part of the schedule last year, I was one of about 5 people that would be at the doors when the doors open. The student response greatly increased once the SEC schedule started last year and I had to start getting line a few hours early. For weekday games, I would be in line right after I got out of class so usually 2-3 hours before the doors opened. This year, for weekend games, I was in line at least 4 hours before the doors opened. For the Kentucky game, I was in line at 7:30AM for a 3PM tipoff. For the Alabama game, I was in line at 12:30 for a 7:30 tipoff. For the Tennessee game, I was in line at 4:30AM for the 11AM tipoff. Particularly over the last 2 years, the people I stood in line with became a family and I’ll miss those people next year.”

Will’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Will: “There’s several choices for this but I would have to pick my last home game, the Tennessee game. I had half-dreaded that day knowing it would be my last game in the Jungle. But throughout the week, I had a good feeling we were going to win that game. The atmosphere was incredible as the turnout was much more than I expected considering Spring Break was underway. In the 2nd half of the game, it was the loudest I had heard Auburn Arena. It was incredible. It’s great when Auburn wins games in blowout fashion but to me, winning the close exciting games against teams as good as Tennessee are even sweeter. Couldn’t have gone out any better.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Will: “Time of My Life”

Will Kelley @aubietiger1928

Year/Major: Senior/Business Analytics

Why he chose Auburn:

Will: “I chose Auburn because I grew up in an Auburn Family (grandfathers, parents, uncles, sister, etc. went).

What Auburn basketball means to Will:

Will: “Auburn means the world to me. My Uncle was the biggest Auburn basketball fan I knew. He’d pick basketball over football any day. So his love rubbed off on me. It’s what we used to talk about and so it means I get to carry on what is kind of a family tradition.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Will?

Will: “A typical home game day usually involves me wearing whatever I feel is lucky right now (right now it’s jeans, my jersey, and a group of certain shirts under the jersey). I usually research to see if I can find any info on the individual players on the opposing team that I can yell at them about. I’ll usually get in line about a half hour after I know @jacobvarner14 has gotten there because he gets there stupidly early. Then I just try to conserve my voice before I go all in on during the game.”

Will’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Will: “If we’re talking home games: 2 stick out in my mind. Kentucky my freshman year (so spring 2016) and Tennessee this season. That Kentucky game was special because of what it meant to Auburn and where we were, but the environment was amazing too. It’s the one time I’ve felt that arena shake. Tennessee gets the nod because of the environment as well, but also the events around it. It was my last home game as a student so we went all out for it. Got there stupid early, brought 3 bottles of champagne, 2 boxes of donuts, and a thing of OJ. It was a great time leading up to the game and once we were inside, it was loud. The area where we were sitting got into it with Admiral a bit before the game and it really messed with him during the game. He would yell at us when he made 2 separate shots. I believe it’s why he played like crap that game, he let it get in his head and showed too much emotion.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Will: “Loud, controlled, chaos.”

Holden Covington @hcov1232

Year/Major: 4/5th year/Electrical Engineering

Why he chose Auburn:

Holden: “I came here partly due to family connections, but mostly because Auburn has the most robust alumni network in the Southeast. I’ve gotten multiple internships based solely on the strength of my education, and it’s been the best decision I ever made.”

What Auburn basketball means to Holden:

Holden: “Auburn Basketball has defined my college experience, and it’s made me the man I am today. I came to Auburn in 2015, arguably the lowest point of the post-Barbee era, and the journey that this program has taken has mirrored my own growth since then. Seeing Kareem Canty single-handedly shoot Kentucky out of the building in 2016 solidified this team in my heart. The missed potential of the 2017 season mirrored my own academic struggles in my sophomore year, but the way this team overcame the suspensions of Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy in 2018 inspired me to overcome my struggles getting back in school. This season, I feel like this program has truly arrived, but this team will always mean more to me because I grew up alongside them.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Holden?

Holden: “As one of the Jungle Student Leaders, I’m lucky- I get in to every game an hour before the student section opens, and I help set up the arena. Whatever the Athletic Department needs done, we do, whether that’s putting shirts in seats, handing out free stuff when the doors open, or just making sure everything’s in it’s place. About six minutes before tip, we get the ‘Fear the Jungle’ banner carried out to the section, taking care to make sure we won’t wind up on ESPN because the thing was upside down or something. After that, my job is to be as loud as possible for the next two hours, bringing as much noise as I can to help this team to victory.”

Holden’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Holden: “Oh gosh, do I have to pick one? I’ve actually given this a fair bit of thought, so here’s my top 5:

1. Auburn beats Tennessee (2019, regular season): my favorite game of all time showed just how far this program had come. We knocked off a projected one seed a week before selection Sunday, and nobody rushed the court. Sure, it was a big deal, and the celebrations were bigger than usual, but this wasn’t a program-defining moment anymore. Auburn took down one of the best teams in the country? That’s normal now.
2. Auburn beats Kentucky (2016, regular season): The exact opposite of the Tennessee game, this one proved to me that Coach Pearl was special. At that point, Auburn had only beaten UK once in my adult life, in 2000. To see the mighty Big Blue Nation fall in Auburn Arena? Pure magic, and the defining experience of my freshman year.
3. Auburn beats North Carolina (2019, NCAA tournament): Recency bias is certainly a factor in this one, but it’s not every day that Auburn gets to dominate a true Blue Blood like that. It may be the most important win in Auburn history; from here on out, the world knows that Auburn is for real. My Dad flew us out to Kansas City on Friday, and I’m so glad we made the trip.
4. Auburn beats Alabama (2017, regular season, away): Beating Bama is special. Beating Bama in their own house is even more special. Beating Bama in their own house to secure a season sweep? Can’t get better. The 2017 season was full of missed potential, but that sweep was a great preview of  things to come.
5. Auburn beats UAB (2015, regular season): The first Auburn game I attended as a student. A lot of fans might not remember the contributions of guys like Kareem Canty, Cimmeon Bowers, or TJ Lang, but those guys laid the foundation for the things we’ve seen these past two years. Without Cimmeon, we don’t get Wiley. Without Kanty. we don’t get Jared. Furthermore, this was also the first career game for both Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer, an occasion that will surely go down in the annals of Auburn History.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Holden: “Best Home Court in Basketball”

Peyton Gasink @peytongasink

Year/Major: Junior/Software Engineering

Why he chose Auburn:

Peyton: “I grew up in an Auburn family, so I frequently visited campus for football and basketball games. Because of the College of Engineering’s reputation, I knew I would be getting a great education at a place I love by going to Auburn.”

What Auburn’s basketball team means to him

Peyton: “I’ve been following Auburn basketball and going to games since Tony Barbee’s first season, so to me the theme of Auburn basketball in the Bruce Pearl era is deliverance. In my freshman year (2016-17), our team did not have great results, but they were young. They showed promise. The world saw nothing special in them, so the 2017-18 team shocked the world when they were counted out (remember 4-14?), and went on to be SEC regular season champions. Promises made, promises kept. But as we all know, the team had more to prove. There’s still unfinished business. Now we’re SEC Tournament champions and in the Elite 8 for the second time ever. This team delivered on that promise, but more than that, delivered Auburn basketball from the mediocrity that defined it since the early 2000s. This team has shown that anything is possible with tenacity and grit, they give all the glory to God, and they know what they’re doing is about more than themselves. They fight for each other, not to be better than one another. They are one. Strong alone, stronger together.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Peyton?

Peyton: “As president of the Jungle, my game days deviate a little from the norm. Our leadership team starts getting the arena ready for the Jungle a few hours before tip-off. We work with the marketing staff to get any giveaways ready before the stampede of students rushing to their seats, we make content for the Jungle’s social media, and bring out the Jungle banner before tip. After that, I get to jump, scream, and go crazy with 9,000 of my closest friends for a few hours at a time. It’s a solid gig.”

Peyton’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Peyton: “It’s tough to choose my favorite. I was at the SEC Tournament and got to cheer on Auburn from courtside for the championship, but I think I’d have to go with this year’s AUTLIVE game against Alabama. Our Jungle crew and the marketing interns were tasked with spreading the AUTLIVE shirts and cards out across every seat in the Jungle. Six of us got to the arena 4 hours before tip-off, and it took us an hour and a half to fold the shirts across 1,300 seats. I don’t think people think much of the work that goes into distributing those materials, but with something like the AUTLIVE campaign, a lot of work by many people goes in behind-the-scenes to get people to buy in and for it to have maximum impact. Getting to be a part of that gave me a new appreciation for it. And we beat Alabama that night, if I recall correctly.’

Summarize The Jungle in 5 Words or Less
Peyton: “Impactful, Passionate, Frenetic, Thunderous, and Game-Changing.”

Kristin Fucito @krazyklementine

Year/Major: Graduate student getting Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering, graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering last May.

Why did she choose Auburn?

Kristin: “I actually grew up a Clemson fan going to Clemson football games.  Half of my family are Clemson graduates and the other half are UGA graduates.  So when my Mom told me she signed us up to tour Auburn, I was skeptical.  Needless to say after the tour, the rest is history.  Coming to Auburn is THE BEST decision I have ever made.”

What Auburn basketball means to her:

Kristin: “To me, Auburn Basketball perfectly embodies the ‘Auburn Spirit’.  It’s never counting yourself out.  It’s beating the odds.  It’s supporting one another when you get knocked down.  It’s dancing and singing in the locker room.  It’s putting in hard work when no one is watching.  It’s celebrating your achievements and learning from your failures.  It’s rallying behind each other when things get tough.  It’s being unselfish and trusting in your teammates.  It’s believing in yourself.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Kristin?

Kristin: “A typical Auburn Basketball gameday always starts by watching whatever cinematic masterpiece the video production team has put together for the day to hype up the Auburn fanbase.  Then I put on an Auburn shirt and head over to the Auburn Arena to wait in line for a couple of hours for the doors to open.  Once I’m in the arena, I get some chicken fingers and fries and say hey to the pep band and my friend Bob on the event staff.  Then I watch the team warm up, which usually includes Malik smiling back and pointing at the student section when we call out his name.  After that, its game time!”

Kristin’s favorite Auburn basketball games:

Kristin: “I have a few favorite basketball games!

On January 16, 2016, Auburn beat Kentucky 75-70.  This was a special game for me for a couple of reasons.  One reason is that this was the first time Bruce Pearl really caught my attention.  Something about beating Kentucky gave me hope that our program was headed in the right direction. The other reason is that I realized more people would probably start attending basketball games which meant I would have to start getting to Auburn Arena much earlier!  (My freshman year was 2014 and I could walk into the arena ten minutes before tip and still get a pretty good seat).

On February 21, 2018, Auburn beat Alabama 90-71.  The Jungle was wild with students falling over in the stands from all the excitement.  This was a notable win for me since we only had seven scholarship players and yet Bruce still beat the odds.

On March 3, 2018, Auburn beat South Carolina 79-70 clinching the SEC Conference Title.   We were projected to go 4-14 in the conference.  The confetti started to fall from the top with about five minutes left in the game.  They actually had to stop the game to clear the pieces off of the floor.  Then South Carolina started to make a comeback…but we held on!

On January 19, 2019, Auburn lost to Kentucky 82-80.  My Grandma is a big Kentucky basketball fan, but she has kept up with Auburn basketball since I started attending Auburn which means a lot to me.  I’ve always wanted to bring her to Auburn Arena for a Kentucky game, but it’s never worked out.  So this year I took matters into my own hands and decided I would say “hi” through the broadcast.  Luckily Charles Barkley was in attendance and I happened to be right above his head in the camera frame.  My Grandma was thrilled. Also any game we beat Georgia is an automatic favorite basketball game of mine.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Kristin: “passion, family, home”

https://twitter.com/jacobvarner14/status/934145085196984320

Jacob Varner @jacobvarner14

Year/Major: “6th year at Auburn. 4 years for my undergraduate software engineering degree and then I’ve finished my MBA and master’s of industrial engineering the past 2 years.”

What Auburn basketball means to him:

Jacob: “Auburn basketball has been my time away from work and all my classwork. While it took up way more time than I probably should have been using up, it was always a highlight of my weeks and something to look forward to for a great break. At first, under Barbee and the early Bruce years it was just fun heckling players with my friends, but the past few years have been even more fun watching the product on the court turn around so much.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Jacob?

Jacob: “As an undergrad, I wore and Auburn onesie to every game, so that added a little bit more to my routine. Almost all games I just plan to get in line 3-5 hours before tipoff and more for big games. Standing in line each game, I’ve made quite a few friends just by chatting with the others crazy enough to wait that long with me for each game.”

Jacob’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Jacob: “My favorite I’ve attended would have the be the final home game against Tennessee this year. It was a perfect game for my last game as a student and well worth getting in line at 5 in the morning. Before that, I’ve always said that my favorite Auburn game was when we beat Xavier at home during the 2014-2015 season. The game was the first sign that Bruce had really started to change the culture and was an exciting atmosphere all the way through the two overtimes.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Jacob: “A Party Other Teams Hate.”

Kaitlyn Hardy @kphardy_

Year/Major: Sophomore/Accounting

Why did she choose Auburn?

Kaitlyn: “Auburn was really the only option for me. My parents met in the marching band so I was brainwashed at an early age. I knew all the words to War Eagle by the age of 4.”

What does Auburn basketball mean to her?

Kaitlyn: “When I think of Auburn basketball, the Samir Doughty quote from one of Jared Harper’s Instagram stories after the SEC tournament “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLLEEEEEE” is what comes to mind.”

What does a typical Auburn basketball gameday look like for Kaitlyn?

Kaitlyn: “To me, a typical Auburn basketball gameday starts with my friends and I either making pancakes or going to Waffle House. Then about two hours before the doors open, we get in line. In line, we play card games and watch every pregame video we can find. Once the doors open, everyone runs down the stairs to the court. We find our lucky seats and get ready for the game to start.”

Kaitlyn’s favorite Auburn basketball game:

Kaitlyn: “My favorite game I’ve attended has to be the senior day Tennessee game. I was afraid not a lot of students would stay since spring break was starting, but The Jungle jumped that morning. That game was the most fun I’d ever had in Auburn Arena.”

Summarize The Jungle in 5 words or less:

Kaitlyn: “non-stop riot bringing hype.”

Don’t believe that the Auburn Tigers have the best home-court advantage in all of college basketball?

You’re wrong.

They’re the loudest, the proudest, and these seven warriors have the Tigers’ backs.

War Eagle.