10 Reasons Why You Should Still Be Excited for 2013-14

I know that there hasn't been much good news for Auburn basketball in the past few weeks, which can make it easy to forget all of the good things that a new season on the hardwood can bring. Luckily, that's what you have your friendly neighborhood King of the Jungle for! So without further ado, I give you my ten reasons why you should still be excited about this season:

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1. The seniors

In today's college basketball landscape, players frequently transfer or struggle with following the rules, so making it all the way from their freshman year to their senior year is quite the accomplishment. That's exactly what Allen Payne and Chris Denson have done at Auburn. It's been a bumpy ride for those two along with senior center Asauhn Dixon-Tatum, who transferred to Auburn last season from junior college. Even with all of the hardships they've endured, these guys have put in a lot of hard work during their careers, and this is our last chance to show how much we appreciate them.

Allen and CD3, pumped about graduating

2. The new guys

Yeah, yeah, so we've heard this just about every season, but I really think that this year's freshman (and transfers) will be a huge factor this season.

Incoming freshman Tahj Shamsid-Deen will get plenty of playing time at point guard, and, having averaged 25.8 points per game his senior year of high school, he could be the scoring threat that the Tigers have needed for years.

The same could be said about KT Harrell, the transfer from Virginia who was considered the best player on last year's squad, even though NCAA rules did not allow him to play. Look for him to make a big splash this upcoming season.

At least we know Harrell looks good in orange and blue. (Zimbio)

There are several new big men who are also going to contribute in a big way: Ron Delph, Benas Griciunas, Chris Griffin, and Matthew Atewe (we're going to need nicknames for some of these guys). New guards Dion Wade and Malcolm Canada could also provide significant minutes this season.

3. A worthy non-conference schedule

If there is one thing that has undoubtedly improved at Auburn during the Barbee era, it's the non-conference scheduling. And now with SEC commissioner Mike Slive cracking down on weak schedules in order to raise the league RPI, Auburn is more than likely going to have a much more legitimate non-conference schedule this year than in years past.

Despite dropping out of the loaded Puerto Rico Tip-Off earlier this offseason, Auburn still has some formidable opponents on the slate. The Tigers will host two ACC foes in Auburn Arena this winter: Boston College, in a rematch of last season's 50-49 debacle, and Clemson, beginning a home-and-home series between the two schools this season. Auburn travels to Ames, IA to take on Iowa State in the brand new Big 12/SEC Challenge on December 2, and then heads to Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA for a rematch against Illinois.

Wait, what was that last one?

4. Playing in Philips Arena

That's right, Auburn will be playing in another NBA arena this season, now sharing the court with the Atlanta Hawks. It's only a couple of hours away, so it should be an easy road trip for both students and non-students alike.

...and to think they almost played this game in the BJCC. (Schöne Aussicht)

Auburn nearly beat Illinois last season in front of an almost completely Illinois crowd at the United Center in Chicago, so who knows what will happen when the Tigers have home court advantage?

5. Jungle antics

Since dubbing Auburn's student section "The Jungle" two seasons ago, students have really stepped their game up. I mean, check this guy out:

The Cameron Crazies ain't got nothing on him.

Of course there will most likely be some sort of ridiculous craze that will take the student section by storm, only to leave us wondering why we thought it was so cool years from now, like last year's Harlem Shake:

That's just scratching the surface. Between the giant player heads, "air ball" chants, the Jungle Times, and whatever else we come up with, the Jungle will be rocking next year and, like always, it's going to be a lot of fun.

6. Free stuff

If there's one thing that Auburn basketball is consistently good at, it's giving free stuff to the fans. After just three years on the Plains, I've been given enough t-shirts (thanks Kinnucan's) and miscellaneous knick-knacks (that model Arena is still on display at my house) to last a lifetime, so look forward to acquiring even more stuff this season.

If you've been to a game and don't have 3 of these, you're doing it wrong.

7. Halftime and timeout contests

The odds are that if you've been to enough Auburn basketball games in your life, you've been chosen to participate in at least one of the contests that are held during timeouts and at halftime. Those contests will undoubtedly continue this year, so get excited for another year of watching the students miss layups at point-blank range while playing some version of tic-tac-toe and watching the older gentlemen try their hands at an impossible golf shot. I know I've been looking forward to seeing some toddlers throw down Kenny Gabriel-esque dunks all summer.

A little advice from a seasoned veteran: One of those tricycles in the tricycle relay is faster than the other, so choose wisely.

8. Beating Alabama... twice

Yep, I said it: Auburn will beat Alabama this season not once, but (at least) twice.

The way I see it, a 9-23 Auburn team hosted Alabama and took them down, 49-37. Since then, Alabama has been losing key players from that team left and right, while Auburn has lost some but reloaded with a new freshman class that is poised to make an impact. (see #2) Naturally, that leads me to conclude that not only will the Tigers take down the Tide in the confines of Auburn Arena like last year, but they will also pull out a win when they travel to the location of the last-recorded sighting of a Crimson "Chaos" member.

9. Another year of having the nicest arena in the SEC

Oh, Auburn Arena, how we love you so.

To be candid, thinking about Coleman Coliseum while writing #8 is what inspired this entry on my list. For yet another season, though we may not have the biggest, Auburn will still be able to boast that it is home to the nicest and newest basketball arena in the SEC. This should hold true for the few years, at least until Ole Miss builds Auburn Arena 2.0...

10. Plays like this one

I'll just let the video speak for itself:

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So there you have it, my top ten reasons why you should still be excited for the 2013-14 Auburn hoops season. There are plenty more reasons than the ones I listed, so feel free to write any I missed in the comments below!