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NBA TV is doing a special on Charles Barley (he's 50 too).

He just told the story of how he chose Auburn. He said Auburn was his third choice. His first choice was UAB because he wanted to stay close to his grandmother. However, UAB made the Sweet 16 (beating Kentucky in 1981). Barkley says his confidence was not strong then and since UAB had every one returning, he didn't think he would get much playing time. Alabama was his second choice, but they had made the Sweet 16 too. Auburn had lost 12 straight games, and he decided that Auburn was the place for him.

In 1981-82, UAB went to the Elite Eight, missing the Final four by 7 points in loss to Louisville.

Is there any doubt that if Barkley had been on that roster with Robinson, Anchrum, Giles and Speer that UAB wouldn't have gone to the Final Four...and further.

I think UAB would have won a National Championship with Sir Charles playing. I may get hammered for this, but the dude knew how to play. Period.

(02-18-2013 11:00 PM)BandGrad Wrote:  I think UAB would have won a National Championship with Sir Charles playing. I may get hammered for this, but the dude knew how to play. Period.

a bigger and stronger rod rucker in my opinion, tenacity,strength, and grit wise.

Pure speculation. Who really knows?

If Charles was here I think we definitely would've made a final 4, perhaps more than one.

(02-19-2013 12:05 AM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  Pure speculation. Who really knows?

I mean he was great on an unknown Auburn team, why wouldn't he be able to succeed here with Coach Bartow

(02-19-2013 12:37 AM)UABrandon Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 12:05 AM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  Pure speculation. Who really knows?

I mean he was great on an unknown Auburn team, why wouldn't he be able to succeed here with Coach Bartow

less playtime as a freshman?

As a freshman at Auburn, he played 26 minutes a game, averaged 12.8 pts and 9.8 rebounds a game. Sure, UAB's 81-82 team had more talent than Auburns, but a raw talent like Barkley would have contributed even as a freshman.

And remember in 81-82, we were 9 pts short of the Final Four.

Also, I have read new articles of the day, where it was Barkley coming to UAB would have led to us getting Buck Johnson and Gerald Crosby (who ended up a star at Georgia), so while we might have made a Final Four, we probably would not have landed the Mitchell-Mincy recruiting class of 1982

Quote:Barkley coming to UAB would have led to us getting Buck Johnson and Gerald Crosby (who ended up a star at Georgia), so while we might have made a Final Four, we probably would not have landed the Mitchell-Mincy recruiting class of 1982

Alfonso "you goin' to al'bammer, m0th#$%f&^%er" Johnson was a year younger than Barkley, but we supposedly were a lock for the functionally illiterate Ennimo Whatley. Losing that one to bammer might have been a plus, since we'd given jobs to his parents at UAB.

Gene played a tight rotation; I'm guessing Barkley's minutes would have been at the expense of Craig Lane if he'd come here. The big losses off the previous team were both point guards, and there was a good deal of concern among fans in those pre-internet days that UAB would not do as well in 1982 - while Barkley says everyone was coming back, that's not exactly true. I think we still would have signed Steve Mitchell and Big Jack.

(02-18-2013 10:16 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  NBA TV is doing a special on Charles Barley (he's 50 too).

He just told the story of how he chose Auburn. He said Auburn was his third choice. His first choice was UAB because he wanted to stay close to his grandmother. However, UAB made the Sweet 16 (beating Kentucky in 1981). Barkley says his confidence was not strong then and since UAB had every one returning, he didn't think he would get much playing time. Alabama was his second choice, but they had made the Sweet 16 too. Auburn had lost 12 straight games, and he decided that Auburn was the place for him.

In 1981-82, UAB went to the Elite Eight, missing the Final four by 7 points in loss to Louisville.

Is there any doubt that if Barkley had been on that roster with Robinson, Anchrum, Giles and Speer that UAB wouldn't have gone to the Final Four...and further.

One of the "BIGGEST" reasons UAB made it to the Final 16 in 1980-1981 and to the Final Eight in 1981-1982 was they had a player on the roster that you did not mention, above.

His name is Craig Lane. Craig was tall, big, wide, and strong, and he was a huge offensive force at the low post. He was a power forward. Check his stats and his playing time in those two seasons.

I think that if you asked all of the players on the team, those two seasons, Craig would be the unanimous choice as being one of the best and the most important players on the team, at the time, that contributed to the teams success.

He was the unsung hero. He also played Barkleys position, on the court.

Craig was also in the starting five for those two seasons, which were also his junior and senior seasons. He might also have been the biggest reason Barkley would not have gotten as much playing time at the low post and chose to go to Auburn.

(02-18-2013 11:17 PM)UABrandon Wrote:  

(02-18-2013 11:00 PM)BandGrad Wrote:  I think UAB would have won a National Championship with Sir Charles playing. I may get hammered for this, but the dude knew how to play. Period.

a bigger and stronger rod rucker in my opinion, tenacity,strength, and grit wise.

I don't know why you'd get hammered, BandGrad. I grew up in Leeds and Barkley was just one of those guys who played beyond his "specs." He was too short, too fat, and too slow...but he had that special mindset to ignore all that and he also had an intuitive sense of how to leverage what he DID have when he was on the floor. He just turned out to play WAY, WAY beyond his specs. Coach Bartow would have picked up on all of that and put it to good use...of that I have no doubt. At least as much as Auburn coaches did and probably more.