On November 9, the college basketball world was treated to an instant classic between Auburn and Houston at the Toyota Center. The Tigers won 74-69, and instead of the talk surrounding a midair altercation between two AU players, the focus is now on an Auburn team that is certain to vault into the AP Top 25 Poll top 10.
Auburn had two 20-point scorers but just three double-digit scorers total. Houston had no 20-point scorers but five double-digit scorers total. The two teams traded the lead in the final five minutes but the Tigers were able to get timely bucket after timely bucket from Tahaad Pettiford, Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, and Denver Jones.
The drama adds to the lore. Bruce Pearl's group came together after being the center of attention during Hugh Freeze's football program's bye week.
It was almost storybook. At least you'd think that if you saw how social media was reacting to the Auburn win.
Social media freaks out after Auburn beats Houston in college basketball instant classic
The Field of 68's Sean Paul made an astute observation: Pettiford is exactly what Auburn was hoping Aden Holloway would be. It was the perfect comment to commemorate a career night for a 4-star freshman replacing a former blue-chip who transferred to Alabama.
CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein hit the public with three different Rothstein-isms -- "GRAB YOUR NITROGLYCERIN PILLS!," "This is ONLY ******* November," and "We Sleep in May" -- during the action.
Social media was having a ball during an early November game that felt like a late March game. Fran Fraschilla shared that refrain all night and he wasn't wrong.