SEC: The Impact Of Antoine Mason On Auburn

Changing scenery is always a different experience. For some the fear of change is difficult, and for others it comes as natural as waking up in the morning.

I remember when I had to change schools in college. I left a small Division II school and moved to a way bigger Division I school.

I loved the experience, I missed all of my friends, but I was filled with excitement to enter a bigger school with more tradition and a richer atmosphere.

The 6’3″ shooting guard, Antoine Mason, might have all of these exact feelings because he left his first college, Niagara, to join the Auburn Tigers in the Southeastern Conference.

The big fish in a little pond.

After leaving Niagara, Mason was the third-leading scorer in program history. In addition he scored 25.6 points a game and was second in scoring in the NCAA behind Doug McDermott (26.9).

Now its War Eagle, welcome to Auburn.

Want to talk about being a little fish in a big pond?

At Auburn football is king.

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In 2011 they won the BCS National Championship and last year they lost 2014 BCS National Championship game by three points.

Besides Charles Barkley, their most famous alumni aren’t basketball players.

The last time Auburn even made it to the NCAA tournament was in 2003, and the lost time they won the SEC championship was 1985.

Uhh … so why make the change?

There is always room for a new beginning and Mason has warmed up to the idea of helping change the culture at Auburn.

In order to help change the landscape at Auburn the most important task is winning. Winning the SEC championship is one of the most important goals on the Auburn Tigers goals for the season.

With a statement such as winning that title or even making it to the championship game, sends a message to the fan base, recruits, and the national media that Auburn basketball is on the rise.

That task is not easy playing in a conference with teams on the rise in the SEC such as LSU, Arkansas and even Georgia.

In most of their games against ranked opponents, the Tigers were competitive but didn’t find a way to win. When they played the top 100 teams in the country, Auburn posted a terrible record of 3-13.

Like children playing against grown men in a game of kickball, Auburn couldn’t compete.

Next season that will change with the addition of head coach Bruce Pearl. Winning is something that comes naturally to his programs.

As a head coach, Pearl made the NCAA tournament eight times in his career. With Tennessee he went to the tourney all five years he was there, including an Elite Eight appearance.

(Thankfully with Pearl signing with Auburn, he might be in a navy blue blazer instead of that hideous light orange Tennessee Vols blazer he used to sport. Knowing coach Pearl, he might even get a little creative and wear an orange Auburn colored jacket, but we will have to wait and see.)

To make the transition easier for Pearl and Mason alike, thankfully next year the Auburn Tigers will have eight upperclassmen.

They might be able to have a strong team, but it will depend on the chemistry and how quickly Pearl can get his players cohesive.

In the strong SEC, it will be a difficult task for Mason to not only adjust to the competition, but to help guide his team to a successful year.

The SEC keeps getting stronger in basketball and Mason’s transfer is more living proof.

With hype surrounding both the football and basketball program at Auburn, I wonder who will have a more successful season this year.

An Auburn fan’s perspective could be this:

In Mason we trust? Or should I just say #WDE.