AUBURN | Justin Powell’s decision to transfer came as a surprise just days after Auburn ended the season with a feel-good win over Mississippi State.

But in retrospect, you can understand why his freshman-year experience might not be comparable to yours or mine.

Think of all the things you did as a freshman in college, or at that age, and imagine what it would be like to experience that during a pandemic with masks, social distancing and constant testing.

Then imagine yourself as a high-level basketball player that’s dreamed of being a part of March Madness only to learn shortly before you begin the season you’ve worked and sacrificed so much for, that Auburn has self-imposed a postseason ban for something an assistant coach did four years ago.

When the season gets underway, you exceed all expectations by your play at a position you weren’t recruited for only to suffer a severe concussion, an injury that remains stigmatized to this day despite its serious implications.

That’s a lot, a whole lot, for any teenager to endure so perhaps cut Justin some slack for feeling a little homesick. Unless he transfers to Kentucky, of course.

Just kidding. Kinda.

Auburn will be just fine. Bruce Pearl’s program has dealt quite well with surprising transfers including Mustapha Heron, Davion Mitchell and Desean Murray in 2018.

The Tigers, of course, went to the Final Four the next season and it allowed the staff to bring in J’Von McCormick, who was a key backup in 2018-19 and a starter the next season, and Jamal Johnson, who has become a key player after sitting out 2018-19.

I don’t know if AU will be making a trip to the 2022 Final Four but I’d be very surprised if this staff doesn’t bring in one or two really talented transfers to fill any gaps on the roster.

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So it’s finally here. Auburn will hold the first of 15 spring practices today and we’ll even talk to Bryan Harsin a little later this morning.

Things are certainly going to pick up from a media standpoint. We talk to players for the first time since the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday and we’ll actually speak with both the coordinators next Monday.

Mark your calendars, or not.

What am I most looking forward to learning about from spring? From the players, I’m interested in how much Auburn’s program has changed over the last three months.

Harsin talks a lot about implementing his culture. Well, it’s the players that are experiencing that during workouts, meetings and now practice.

Sure, there’ll be the usual competition for starting or key backup positions with the offensive line, wide receiver and defensive line the most interesting.

But it’s really the first time to see, or perhaps hear about is more accurate, the tangible results from a new strength and conditioning staff, new leaders and new schemes.

Whatever the Harsin era becomes at Auburn, the stage is being set right now.

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In today’s musical journey, we go back 34 years and the beginning of one the most popular bands of the last 30 years. On March 14, 1987, No Doubt played their first concert at Fender’s Ballroom in Long Beach, Calif. In the audience of that benefit concert for a local scooter shop was Tony Kanal, who would later join the band as the bass player. His relationship and breakup with lead singer Gwen Stefani would inspire the hit song, Don’t Speak.

No Doubt was first formed by Eric Stefani, Gwen’s older brother, and John Spence, who committed suicide in 1987. Gwen Stefani began as a backup singer. Their first album was a flop and Eric left the band in 1994 to work on The Simpsons T.V. series. The band’s breakout came with the release of the 1995 album Tragic Kingdom, which sold over 16 million copies. Seven singles were released from the album including Just a Girl, Spiderwebs and Don’t Speak. It’s considered one of the best albums of all-time and for helping to revive ska music in the 90s. No Doubt has released six albums, won two Grammys and sold over 33 million records worldwide.

Don’t Speak was the third single released from the Tragic Kingdom album. It was originally written as a love song by Stefani and Eric. Stefani modified it to a breakup song after the end of her seven-year relationship with Kanal. The breakup turned out to be an empowering moment for Stefani and she credits it for helping her become more creative. “Before, I was really passive, all I cared about was being in love with my boyfriend,” she told The Guardian. Don’t Speak never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 but was the most-played song of 1996 and sat atop the Hot 100 Airplay chart for 16 weeks. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 96 but lost out to Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin and John Leventhal for Song of the Year, and Virtual Insanity by Jamrioqual for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.