BIRMINGHAM | Eyes red and tears dotting his face, Zep Jasper walked out of the Auburn locker room on the way to the podium to meet with the media after the Tigers' season-ending 81-64 loss to Houston on Saturday night in Birmingham.

In the locker room, Johni Broome kept his head down, a towel covering most of his face, before eventually answering some questions. To his left, Chris Moore, head in his hands, spoke softly about what had gone so wrong in the second half against the Cougars. Wendell Green Jr. spoke in short, whispered sentences, looking as dejected as you would expect following a tournament ousting.

It was a quiet locker room, far from the lively atmosphere that filled the same spot on Thursday night following the victory against Iowa. For some, this was the last time they would put on an Auburn uniform and possibly, play in a competitive basketball game. All the hours spent in the gymnasium during a large majority of their lives had ended, and it concluded in a frustrating loss.

Even if Jasper, Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Wiliams, Lior Berman and the other seniors had come short of the ultimate goal of winning a national title, there was much to be proud of with their careers coming to an end."It was a great experience," Jasper said of his two years with the Tigers. "It's been a hell of a ride. I appreciate Auburn so much."

It wasn't the most talented team Bruce Pearl has had. Not even close, in fact. Everyone that watched the Tigers this year knew they had flaws, but caring about and playing for the name on the front of their jersey was not one of them. When things were going bad, they still showed up and answered tough questions. When they were doubted, they pulled off big wins, none as significant as the regular season closer against Tennessee that sealed a second-straight appearance in The Big Dance.

When you cover a team daily, you start to form relationships with these student-athletes that are put in the national spotlight because of their unbelievable skills in their respective sport. You see a side of them that 99 percent of people do not. Their personalities, all unique in their own ways, come out. There was no person better at answering a question than Zep. When Chris Moore or K.D. Johnson entered the room, you knew something funny would be said. Each a pleasure to cover from the next. And that's not even counting Pearl, who brings his own style to everything he does.

So yes, it is a sad day. A sad day for the Auburn Tigers, those who will never play in Neville Arena again, those who will be coming back hoping to, as Pearl always says, make history, and for the faithful everywhere that put all of their support into this team that took them on a wild up-and-down ride this season. There might be more turnover – when isn't there in college sports nowadays? – but the 2022-23 Tigers should be remembered for their enthusiasm, pride in Auburn and downright feistiness to get to the second round of March Madness when some wrote them off.

Let me finish with this. I've always admired how Jasper has dealt with every fan he encounters. On Thursday following the win, he spent a lot of time taking pictures and signing autographs for every person that asked, even those wearing the crimson-and-white of Alabama. He's thoughtful and ensured that he always represented the Auburn program, his teammates, his coaches and the university as a whole in the right way.

So I will admit something: I broke journalistic protocol for just a second when seeing him after the game. Those eyes were full of tears as he realized his time on the Plains was done. He was hurting, so I whispered to him, "Head up, my man."

While their heads hang now, this team will soon realize what they accomplished, even if it wasn't the ultimate prize.