The Auburn Tigers may be more known for their success on the football field but in the past few years, they have been known more for their basketball program.
The Tigers have become a powerhouse not only in the SEC but on a national level as well, winning five SEC regular season titles, one Elite Eight appearance, and one Final Four appearance.
Along the way, they have produced some great basketball players including a Hall of Famer that many are familiar with. Today, we honor him and nine other great Auburn Tigers who elevated this program to national status. Here are the 10 best Auburn Tigers basketball players of all time.
10.Mamadou N’Diaye, Center
Mamadou N’Diaye was one of the bright spots for the Tigers back between 1996 and 2000. N’Diaye was more known for his defensive play while at Auburn but he did have a soft touch at the rim and his fierce defensive play earned him SEC Defensive Player of the Year. In his junior year, he broke Charles Barkley’s career record for blocks, and in his senior season, he averaged, 8.9 points, 8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 2.2 turnovers, and 3.1 fouls.
9. Marquis Daniels, Shooting Guard
Marquis Daniels played a pivotal role as point guard for the Tigers back in the late 90s to early 2000s. He was an All-SEC selection twice while averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals. He averaged 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game as a senior, and was named to the All-SEC second team that 2003 season.
8. Mike Mitchell, Small Forward
Not many basketball fans may not remember but he was an All-SEC player for Mike Mitchell. Mitchell was a four-time All-SEC selection and was named a second-team All-American in his 1977–78 season. He also became Auburn’s all-time leader in scoring (2,123 points) and rebounding (996), He also remains the all-time leading rebounder and is second in all-time scoring in Auburn history second only to Chuck Person.
7. John Mengelt, Shooting Guard
John Mengelt played for the Tigers back in the late 1960s and early 70s. Mengalt as a sophomore averaged 19.4 points per game to go with 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The following year, he set a score record averaging 26.8 points per game to go with 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. His highlight that season was scoring 60 against rival Alabama. That year he made first-team All-SEC. He also was an All-American as a junior and senior. Mengelt is the 9th highest career scorer in SEC history averaging nearly 25 points per game.
6. Wesley Person, Shooting Guard
Like his brother (whom we will get to later) Wesley Person was a force for the Auburn Tigers and like his brother, he was deadly beyond the arc. In each of his four seasons at Auburn, his scoring increased leading the SEC in scoring his senior year, and made the All-SEC team three teams. Person is third on the Tigers’ all-time scoring list with 2,066 points. He is also on top of the all-time lists for 3-pointers made (262) and 3-point percentage (44.1 percent) in school history.
5. Doc Robinson, Point Guard
A great Auburn player who probably isn’t talked about enough is Doc Robinson. Robinson is one of a pair of Auburn players to be named a first-team All-American (Chris Porter being the second) and was also a two-time All-SEC selection during his four years on the Plains. He is also top 10 in assists (568) and games played (128), sixth in 3-point field goals (146), and seventh in steals (153). He helped lead the Tigers to one of their best records in school history back in the 1998-99 season with the Tigers winning 29 games.
4. Eddie Johnson, Guard
Eddie Johnson played for the Tigers back in the early 1970s. He is one of two Tigers in the program’s history who made the All-SEC all four years he was in school. When Johnson graduated, he led the school in points (1,988) and assists (499). He was also the first freshman in SEC history to lead the league in scoring and he also holds the single-season record for free throw percentage (87.9 percent) and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by SEC coaches in 1975.
3. Chris Porter, Small Forward
Chris Porter is the second Auburn Tiger (along with Doc Robinson) to be a first-team All-American in the school’s history, in his case he did it twice. In 1999, Porter was not only SEC Player of the Year but also SEC Rookie of the Year which is a rarity. Alabama’s Brandon Miller did the same feat this past season. In his two years with the Tigers, Porter averaged 15.3 points and eight rebounds leading the Tigers to their No. 1 ranking in the country.
2. Chuck Person, Small Forward
Known as “The Rifleman”, Chuck Person was one of the best shooters in SEC history. Person is a two-time second-team All-American and three-time first-team All-SEC selection who leads the school in scoring with 2,311 points. Person averaged 18.3 points per game during his time on the Plains. He is also the school record-holder for field goals made (1,017) and field goals attempted (1,899) and is third in total rebounds (940}. Person was part of the Auburn team, along with Charles Barkley who led Auburn to the Elite Eight. He later was an assistant coach on Bruce Pearl’s staff.
1. Charles Barkley, Center
It was quite obvious who would be No. 1 on this list. Charles Barkley is probably the best-known and most high-profile Tiger throughout their athletic history outside of the great Bo Jackson. Barkley is a three-time All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American as a junior, led the SEC in rebounding in each of his three seasons, and still holds the school record for career field goal percentage at 62.6 percent. He also was named SEC Player of the Year in 1984. The Round Mound of Rebound as he was called in college may not be as decorated as some of the other Tigers on this list, but he still has a lasting impact on this program.
When people discuss Auburn Tigers basketball, the first name that normally comes to mind is Barkley. Because of his contribution to the game of basketball, he is part of both the College and Pro Basketball Hall of Fame.
