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Bryce Brown sat in front of his locker inside Sprint Center on Friday night and applauded his hands.
"We are against the world," said Brown. "Why not us? This is the motto: why not us?
Auburn's upper shooting guard then lowered and shook his head, remembering the night. A 17-point win over North Carolina, seeded to qualify for the eighth-elite for the second time in its history. A match in which the Tigers lost their best player, Chuma Okeke, because of a torn ACL. An 11th consecutive victory to lead the program to the precipice of greatness.
"Why not us," said Malik Dunbar from his seat at the nearby booth. "It must be somebody, why not us, man?" It's like that, though, they always hated those who came out winners, we really have the pink on the concrete … We're going to play the role of oppressed, we are the pink in the concrete. "
Why Not Us It became Auburn's locker room motto in the midst of the team's unlikely and historic career at the NCAA Tournament.
This is an excellent question for a program that lacks the kind of tradition expected of the teams that lead it so far. This impromptu motto was invented last week in Salt Lake City by the team before its second-round match against Kansas – a match in which the Tigers were favored, but felt like outsiders in the eyes of the public, playing against the most successful program in university basketball history and a real blue blood of the sport.
A look at what has changed for Auburn since losing 27 points in Kentucky last month
Since his loss to Kentucky, 80-53, Feb. 23 at Rupp Arena, Auburn has won 11 straight games to reach the Elite Eight, where the Tigers will face the Wildcats again Sunday in Kansas City.
After the Tigers sacked the Jayhawks with ease, this rallying cry became stronger before Sweet 16, where Auburn faced another traditional powerhouse, North Carolina, seeded. Tar Heels have also been convincingly eliminated.
The consecutive wins against bluebloods have not surprised Auburn, a team with undeniable confidence at this stage. Losing was never an option in their minds, but the way the Tigers shipped Kansas and UNC was not exactly what we expected, according to McLemore.
"At this point, we have defeated one of the best college basketball teams this year, so why could not we play against Kentucky, win the final, and defeat those teams in the final," said McLemore . "We put our shoes on as they do, so why can not we be the best? That's where it comes from.
Auburn has never hesitated to play the role of disrespect under coach Bruce Pearl, who has often used the affronts perceived as motivational tools for his team. The Tigers have certainly felt the same way on Sunday in the selection, after receiving a ranking of five heads in the most difficult region of the tournament, although they are part of the top 25 teams, ranked 18th in the rankings NET, one of the teams the most prominent in post-series and winning the title. SEC tournament championship.
How were they rewarded? With a challenge that included the top three teams in all-time wins: Kansas, UNC and Kentucky, the latter will face the Tigers on Sunday at 1:20 pm. CT in the elite eight.
"It's ridiculous," McLemore said of the NCAA tournament draw. "We thought we could do better because we had won the SEC championship. So we took this as if, you know, we were accepting the role of outsider again and we would do our best to sort of go out on top. I think we have been successful so far.
"I have the feeling that some teams may have underestimated our firepower in terms of performance and offensive efficiency, but I feel that at this point, why can not we beat Kentucky too? We have already defeated UNC and Kansas; Kentucky is just the next step in consolidating our legacy of Auburn basketball. "
The Superstition of Auburn Hibachi Basketball Restaurants
Auburn has been in a hibachi restaurant before each of their last 11 wins.
Auburn will still be an outsider on Sunday. Kentucky opened as a 2.5-point favorite, and the Tigers will be without Okeke, who will stay with the team in Kansas City before being operated on Tuesday. The crowd inside the Sprint Center will be decidedly Kentucky blue.
"I really feel we have a chance," said center Austin Wiley. "Of course, it's not new, everyone will doubt us, that's the whole tournament … all season, it's not new, really.
The Tigers are no longer part of the Elite Eight since 1986, more than ten years before the birth of a player on this team. The program has never been to the final four.
They will have their chance on Sunday, against the last team to beat them, no less.
This begs the question: why not Auburn?
"We know we have taken the hardest route to the Final Four, so if we succeed there and we beat Kentucky, we know we will leave our mark on the history of basketball. Auburn, "said McLemore. "… This is the way to make history, so we can not leave anything on the ground."
Tom Green is a reporter for Auburn's Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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