For many reasons, the Auburn Tigers’ 2024–25 basketball season was momentous.
Bruce Pearl, Auburn’s head coach, became the program’s all-time leader in wins in his eleventh season after winning his 214th game.
Both the SEC Player of the Year and the Sporting News National Player of the Year awards went to Johni Broome.
Chad Baker-Mazara was selected to the All-SEC Third Team, and Tahaad Pettiford was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
With a program-best 28-5 regular season record and their first-ever No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Tigers most importantly had their most successful season ever.
However, the program released a heartwarming farewell video honoring senior center Dylan Cardwell even as the applause for Broome, Pearl, and the rest of the squad continued.
Cardwell, a native of Augusta, Georgia, was a three-star recruit when he joined the university in 2020 following impressive careers at McEachern High School and Oak Hill Academy.
Despite early difficulties (transfer restrictions cost him his final year of high school), he established himself as the team’s emotional leader and defensive pillar in college.
Cardwell had solidified his status as a Tigers icon by the time the confetti dropped in San Antonio.
Tahaad Pettiford, a freshman teammate, noticed it and said, “44 a legend!” in a comment on the Auburn article.
Cardwell’s consistent 4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game during 166 career games contributed significantly to the Tigers’ ascent to national prominence, even though he never racked up flashy scoring figures.
He now finishes his Auburn career as the school record leader for the most blocks made in an SEC Tournament (11) and fourth all-time in career blocked shots (211).
