For once, legendary Auburn basketball coach Sonny Smith is at a loss for words

AUBURN — Sonny Smith tracked down the referees on his way to the locker room.

It was halftime of the 1985 Sweet 16. Smith's career-changing run as an 11-seed was in jeopardy. His Auburn Tigers usually thrived on a small-ball style, but they were struggling to match up with North Carolina's size, especially 7-footer Brad Daugherty. They trailed 33-23.

Before addressing the team, Smith had just enough time for a wisecrack detour.

"You two are the best two officials in the country," he remembers telling the refs, faking a thoughtful tone that almost telegraphed the inevitable zinger.

Smith is famed for his quick wit and his 11-year transformative tenure as Auburn basketball coach — a tenure that seemed to be ending that day. During a disappointing seventh regular season, he had announced his intent to retire. Then he led eighth-place Auburn on a stunning run through the SEC Tournament to earn an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The magic continued through Purdue and Kansas in the first two rounds. Dean Smith's North Carolina (and the refs) were the next obstacle.

"You call all the big games," he continued. "You're going to be calling the Final Four. If you'll get Brad Daugherty's rear end — I used another term," he interludes — "out of that lane every once in a while, I'm going to go to the Final Four with you."

Auburn's comeback fell short against North Carolina, 62-56, but Smith revoked his resignation and stayed four more years, cementing a legacy that will land him in the rafters Saturday afternoon.

The name "Sonny Smith" will be immortalized on a banner at Auburn Arena. For once, the legendary quipster is at a loss for words.

"Basketball, right now, means more to people than it ever has before," he said Wednesday. "To be recognized, I cannot really explain what it really means to me, because it's such an honor that anything you say is not going to be good enough.

"If I'm thrilled, I really am. I mean, I really am."

The banner will be unveiled before No. 2 Auburn (19-1, 8-0 SEC) hosts Oklahoma on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN). Smith has been an analyst for Auburn basketball's local radio broadcasts since 2012. Current coach Bruce Pearl surprised him with the news after the Tigers' win against Kentucky last Saturday.

"It kind of made me teary-eyed," Smith said. "Crying type of thing. Because I didn't expect it. I didn't even think about it. And then I realized what an honor that would be. And it's affected me a little bit. I called all my kids and asked them to come, that type of thing. And ex-players, all of them to come."

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Smith, 85, arrived at Auburn in 1978 after two seasons in his first head coaching job at East Tennessee State. He's perhaps most known for coaching Charles Barkley, who became a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. In the 1984 season, Barkley's last season before being drafted fifth overall, he and Smith led Auburn to the program's first NCAA Tournament.

The Cinderella run in 1985 prolonged Smith's time on the Plains, and he led the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament the next three seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 1986. It put Auburn men's basketball on the map for the first time.

But something nagged at him, something he regretted when he left for VCU in 1989. 

"I couldn't fill the building," Smith said. "I wanted to be able to put people in there and make Auburn a home-court advantage. I could tell you how many people we would have at the games before the game started."

He tried putting his public speaking skills to use: He went to dining halls, sororities and fraternities, standing on tables and advertising his program to the students.

He was the unsung ambassador trying to make Auburn a basketball school decades before Pearl arrived.

"We had home-court advantage twice a year, for Alabama and Kentucky," Smith said. "I blamed myself because I couldn't fill that coliseum."

So it's fitting that now is the time for his name to ascend in Auburn Arena — the building will be full to watch the Tigers, who are ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press top 25. 

The fruits of his labor will be evident whenever he looks around the arena Saturday. 

Smith has spoken at countless coaching clinics — another outlet for his wit. He learned that "all the motivational speeches you make might not make an impact on a person, but one funny thing you say will." He goes along with his funny-guy reputation, calling himself "extemporaneous."

He doesn't have a speech prepared for Saturday. If he's asked to say anything, he's only worried there will be too much sentiment and not enough of the humor that's expected of him.

"I'll have to get up from the radio thing and walk out there," Smith said. "Maybe it will be emotional. I've always thought (pregame) couldn't be emotional because everybody's going to get something to drink. Or going to the restroom. But maybe they'll stay and see that. If they do, I'll be emotional."