Auburn trolled by SEC rivals and Charles Barkley after March Madness loss

Auburn men’s basketball team has been mercilessly trolled by its SEC rivals after its shock March Madness loss to Yale, as Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin mocked the Tigers online, while Alabama’s Nate Oats visited the Bulldogs’ locker room after the matchup, with Charles Barkley ‘disappointed and frustrated’ by his college team’s first-round exit.

Following the latest upset in this year’s NCAA Tournament in Washington state, Oats, the Crimson Tide men’s basketball head coach (since 2019) made a quick stop down the hallway to congratulate his Yale counterpart, James Jones, before Alabama faced Charleston in the same stadium that the Bulldogs beat the Tigers in – Spokane Arena.

The pair also apparently hugged outside the Yale locker room before Jones attended his postgame media duties, according to Tuscaloosa News’ Nick Kelly.

Kiffin, Ole Miss football’s head coach, rubbed more salt into the wounds of Auburn fans when he shared a sarcastic tweet after the Tigers went out on a whammy.

‘Good luck guys,’ he wrote as part of a quote tweet after Auburn’s 78-76 defeat. 

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin couldn’t resist a sarcastic dig at his team’s rivals

Alabama head coach Nate Oats went to Yale’s locker room after the Bulldogs beat the Tigers

Kiffin had a chance to leave Ole Miss for Auburn a year ago, but instead preferred to stay put in Oxford, signing a six-year contract extension in the process. 

He was also Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2014-2016, and his teams came out victorious against Auburn in each of his three years in Tuscaloosa. 

Barkley, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his dismay at seeing his beloved college team crash out so early of this year’s NCAA Tournament, especially considering that the Tigers had won this year’s SEC Tournament, just a few weeks ago. 

Former NBA player Charles Barkley congratulated Yale for overcoming his college team, Friday

‘Yale played better, they deserve to win the game,’ Chuck acknowledged on TNT. ‘My Tigers man… we had this kind of run to really… it’s been a really good season winning the SEC Tournament. 

‘To lose in the first round… very disappointed and frustrating… but listen, shoutout to Yale. The Bulldogs… never thought a Bulldog would beat a Tiger, but they did. 

‘Congratulations to Yale, and man… it’s going to be a long from Spokane Washington basketball back to the Plains,’ Barkley added. 

Yale will next play last year’s NCAA Tournament runners-up, San Diego State, in the second round on Sunday. The game’s location is yet to be determined.