Auburn might have set a record for the number of special guests that they had at their Midnight Madness celebration on Friday night.
Charles Barkley showed up to take part in the festivities while Ludacris performed and comedian Mike Epps acted as the emcee.
“Getting Mike Epps and Ludacris was big just to bring the energy to the building, and they definitely did that,” Barbee said. “Mike was funny and obviously Luda is a great performer. On top of it the fans got a chance to get an early glimpse of the team. It was a celebration of The Jungle too. Our student section has been the best since I have been here. This was an opportunity for me to give back to them because I know they are fans of both Mike and Ludacris. All combined I think it was a win for everby body. I think it was a great night.”
“I loved it. It was a celebration of Auburn basketball.”
Those last five words are the key. When was the last time anyone celebrated anything about Auburn basketball? The most relevant the Tigers have been during Barbee’s tenure was when a home loss to Ole Miss resulted in this jersey-popping GIF of Marshall Henderson.
But today, you’ll see these videos up on the college hoops blogs all the big networks. You’ll see people talking about the Tigers. You’ll see Auburn getting some positive preseason publicity.
And that, in the end, is why Barbee made sure to bring those three big names in.
After all, Barbee’s job may be on the line this season.
