Auburn basketball picked up a signature victory for the 2020-21 season in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, dropping the Gamecocks 109-86 in a contest that saw the Tigers pull away big in the second half.
Fly War Eagle was on hand at the contest:
The piped-in crowd noise at the Colonial Life Arena isn’t optimal, but holding this lead after being disrespected as the betting underdog would be pic.twitter.com/eHWEP5CSZe
— Fly War Eagle (@FlyWarEagle) January 23, 2021
Overall, the atmosphere at the Colonial Life Arena was a bit different than the Auburn Arena and other SEC sites with the piped-in crowd noise for the Saturday morning matinee that tipped off at noon.
Between Jaylin Williams (18 points, seven rebounds), Allen Flanigan (24 points, six rebounds, four assists), and JT Thor (14 points, seven rebounds) there were plenty of Tigers worth talking about.
But as will always be the case in this unique 2020-21 season, everyone had something to say about Auburn’s top athlete, Sharife Cooper:
Sharife Cooper is better than your best player pic.twitter.com/sQPQoufJ3O
— Drew Oldham (@orangeanddrew) January 23, 2021
Sharife Cooper 💥♥️ that’s it
— Tc2 (@TeaCooper2) January 23, 2021
It’s nice that beyond Auburn basketball fans, though, the world is recognizing Sharife Cooper’s greatness–with CBSSports’ Jon Rothstein calling Cooper “Appointment TV”:
Sharife Cooper. Appointment TV.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 23, 2021
Rothstein is right on the money, and anyone who can deny Cooper at this point is either an Alabama fan or a weird NBA TV personality-level of petty.
I’m looking right at you Shaquille O’Neal.
Dropping 16 points, 12 assists, and grabbing six rebounds, Cooper was exceptional once more in just his fifth collegiate game:
Sharife Cooper’s first 5 college games:
— Overtime (@overtime) January 23, 2021
vs. Alabama: 26 PTS, 9 AST, 4 REB
vs. Georgia: 28 PTS, 12 AST, 5 REB
vs. Kentucky: 11 PTS, 8 AST, 3 REB
vs. Arkansas: 25 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB
vs. South Carolina: 16 PTS, 12 AST, 6 REB
ELITE 🗣@CooperSharife (📸: @AuburnMBB) pic.twitter.com/0bnhHue7Jh
Cooper is a future NBA lottery talent and a special player. Thank God one of college basketball’s great analysts can see what the Auburn family sees.