Former Auburn basketball standout Anfernee McLemore appeared Monday on The JBoy Show to discuss everything from his recruitment to his professional career. Here’s what the former Auburn forward had to say:
On academics:
If you saw broadcasters’ conversations come to a lull during basketball season then you probably heard that McLemore was accepted to MIT. Academics were extremely important to McLemore who grew up in a military family. He credits his mother for instilling that academic background in him at an early age.
What brought him to Auburn:
When Auburn played USA, Bruce Pearl wrote the players’ names on the board in the locker room. Next to Anfernee McLemore’s name, he wrote “Maverick” — the name of Ant’s son, who was born yesterday.
BP made it to Columbus yesterday to see Ant, his fiancée and Maverick.
— Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) November 14, 2019
After visiting multiple schools in the northern U.S. and even Mississippi State none offered the welcoming environment that McLemore yearned for. He said, “what every recruit looks for as far as what college they want to go to is a place that feels like home.” No other coach made their school feel more at home than Bruce Pearl he added.
On being a part of the Final Four:
“I like to say I was in the right place at the right time.”
No team in college basketball had bigger chips on their shoulders than the 2018-2019 Auburn basketball team. Prolific point guards Bryce Brown and Jared Harper were drastically overlooked. McLemore cites that coming from a smaller high school created the chip on his shoulder. That Final Four team was the embodiment of grit and determination.
His favorite Final Four run memory?
How are moneyline bettors feeling after this ending to New Mexico State and Auburn?? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/4i13fBZ8d1
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) March 21, 2019
McLemore’s favorite memory on the Final Four run came from the New Mexico State game. Yeah, that same game where Auburn won by one point after a missed three-point attempt. The entire team was so disappointed in the locker room and they conveyed to each other that they would have to put their skills into overdrive to compete against Kansas in the next game. “You could hear a pin drop,” was his description of that locker room, a stark difference from the post game celebrations we saw in the Tigers’ next three victories.
On his three-point shooting:
Auburn forward Anfernee McLemore discusses his recovery from a horrific leg injury two years ago as well as his increased use of the three-pointer. #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/pua3Fvj4E5
— Elijah Campbell (@E_Campbell3) October 16, 2019
McLemore was recruited as a 6’7 center. When he was a freshman he was told that he would need to improve his outside shooting to be a more effective player. Pearl’s confidence and expectation of him is what he says was the key to his improvement during his playing career.
Future plans:
Today McLemore is a wealth manager at Regions Bank in Birmingham and he’s very excited about the future of his professional career. He also encourages fans to check out his YouTube channel if you want to hear stories from the man himself.
Which player on the roster we should buy stock in?
According to McLemore we need to buy stock in Jaylin Williams NOW. McLemore describes Williams as, “one of the most talented freshmen I’ve seen in my life.” Wow, and with a year of experience the sky is the limit for the upcoming sophomore.
Find the full interview here.