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Charles Barkley Had One Word to Describe His Emotions After Auburn Lost to Florida

Ryan Phillips

Auburn Tigers players walk off the court after losing to the Florida Gators in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
Auburn Tigers players walk off the court after losing to the Florida Gators in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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Charles Barkley's Auburn Tigers couldn't get it done in the Final Four against Florida.

Despite holding a 46-38 lead at the break, Auburn was outplayed by the Gators in the second half, losing the final 20 minutes 41-27. During CBS's postgame show, Barkley had one word to describe his emotions.

The Hall of Famer said he was "disappointed" with the outcome, but acknowledged that Florida was the better team pm Saturday. He then thanked Auburn and head coach Bruce Pearl for how hard the team played, and how great the Tigers were during the tournament.

Barkley consoled Pearl as he left the floor following the game.

He also talked to All-American Johni Broome after the final whistle.

Despite his disappointment after the loss, Barkley was a great sport, giving credit to the victorious Gators and praising the effort from his Tigers.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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