It was mid-November when basketball analyst Jeff Goodman dropped a two-win Auburn basketball team out of his notorious Top 25 rankings. The Tigers took down Morehead State in the season opener 77-54, followed by a resounding 93-65 win over Louisiana Monroe, but Goodman insisted he wasn’t sold on Bruce Pearl’s squad.
Now, it’s mid-January, and Auburn basketball is the No. 4 team in the country and the No. 1 team in the SEC with only one loss to UCONN in 2OT. Freshman Jabari Smith Jr. is being projected as the #1 draft pick in 2022 while Walker Kessler has 64 blocks on the season, the third-most in the country.
Finally, after a big win over Alabama on their home turf, Jeff Goodman has admitted he was wrong about Auburn basketball’s “PG situation.” From claiming that the Tigers will only be slightly better than 13-14 this season, Goodman now believes the team is “the real deal.”
Ok, Auburn fans. Your Tigers are for real. Was worried about the point guard position, but Wendell Green delivered when the stakes were HIGH.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 12, 2022
In last night’s matchup versus the Crimson Tide, Jabari Smith led the team with 25 points but Wendell Green nearly matched that with 19 points off the bench. Although Goodman was simply admitting what we have all known to be true for a very long time, Auburn basketball fans were not quick to let him back into their good graces:
How bad did it hurt to admit it. It's okay. This is a safe space
— Mr.Prof.Coach.Swin (@aDamSwindal) January 12, 2022
You just now figuring that out 💀💀😭😂🤣 sloooowwwww pic.twitter.com/Z3sQvkn3RC
— Jacob Snyder (@ImJacobSnyder) January 12, 2022
Oh hell no. Don’t be playing nice now. You missed the bus pal
— SportsBallSammy (@SportsBallSam) January 12, 2022
Clearly, it has gotten to the point where Jeff Goodman can no longer claim that Auburn basketball isn’t a good team and keep his reputation as a basketball analyst. No matter what “expert opinions” get thrown their way, the Tigers are chasing the national title this season.