Auburn forward Jaylin Williams only needs to win one more game to become the winningest player in Auburn men’s basketball history.
Okay, well technically he already is the winningest player. And really, the only reason he’s going to become the winningest player alone is because his former teammate Allen Flanigan — the man Williams is tied with — transferred to Ole Miss after last season and can no longer match Williams win-for-win.
Williams didn’t know that stat until he was on the plane to Birmingham for SEC Basketball Tipoff on Wednesday.
Yes, Williams, center Johni Broom and head coach Bruce Pearl flew from Auburn to Birmingham for media day. It’s only about 20-to-30 minutes in the air and even on a flight that short Williams, who notably hates flying, did not enjoy the ride.
While on that flight, Pearl pointed out the record he is on the precipice of.
“Who am I tied with,” Williams asked his coach.
“Allen,” Pearl responded.
“Welp, that makes sense,” Williams said. “We’ve been here the same amount of years and everything.”
Williams is back for a fifth year after graduating in 2023. His senior class won 87 games over their four years together. The chance for 88 begins on Nov. 7 when Auburn opens its season against Baylor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“To win that, whenever we win our first game, it’s going to be very special for me and my family,” Williams said at media day. “I’m blessed to share that with the Auburn family.”
Williams has not only won, but he’s been a key contributor in doing so. He’s averaged 8.3 points per game for his career including being the team’s third-leading scorer last season.
Though what may be more important is the era of Auburn basketball he has been a stalwart of.
Williams was not on Auburn’s 2019 Final Four team. He arrived in the fall and wouldn’t play in the NCAA Tournament his freshman year as it was canceled for the COVID-19 pandemic. That team won 25 games, reached a No. 4 national ranking at its peak and finished second in the SEC. He won the SEC 2021-22 season playing alongside superstar freshman Jabari Smith Jr.
The run of success Auburn has maintained dating back to the Final Four year has been critical in changing the way basketball is viewed in Alabama. In a state dominated by football, Auburn’s consistent winning has brought forth a fanbase that certainly wasn’t present at the start of Pearl’s tenure in Auburn and now Neville Arena is one of the toughest places to play in the SEC.
Auburn has won at least 20 games in five of the last six seasons. It has never done that before in program history. In fact, only a handful of times in its history has Auburn had stretches with these types of consistent better-than-.500 records.
“When BP first got here he had to grind for it,” Williams said. “He was a hard-working coach. He’s probably preparing for practice tonight somewhere in here right now. But like, him and the coaching staff, they put us on a grind, man. It’s a whole other level and it’s going to be a great year for us.”
Williams is now the old guy on an older, deeper Auburn team. He said when he first came to Auburn, he was scared to move away from home. Now, he’s speaking on behalf of his team in Birmingham to the whole SEC. He said Auburn has helped him grow on and off the court once he finally left home.
“I feel like that’s helped me become a man in a way, if that makes sense,” Williams said. “The coaching staff and all the teammates, they helped me build brothers. Those are the guys I want to have in my wedding when I get older.”
Williams is also a leader on a team with so many new faces — freshman Aden Holloway along with transfers Chad Baker-Mazara, Chaney Johnson and Denver Jones.
They all have plans to win beyond just that one more game.
Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com
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