SALT LAKE CITY – Bryce Brown removed a headset after an interview with the Auburn Sports Network and raised both arms in celebration as he smiled at Auburn fans on his way to the locker room.
Suddenly, Jared Harper appeared behind Brown, their jersey Nos. 1 and 2 side by side when the backcourt mates walked past the Auburn pep band.
A fitting image, considering Harper and Brown had just delivered a one-two punch that knocked out Kansas 89-75 and carried Auburn to the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
Auburn's starting guards combined for 43 points and nine of the Tigers' 13 3-pointers. Brown was especially lethal, sinking his first five 3s including four in a 3-minute span, all in transition, that amounted to a first-round knockdown.
"I honestly felt it in warmups," said Brown, who made 7 of 11 3-point attempts in the game. "The touch I had, nice soft touch just releasing it. My teammates, they hit me in unbelievable spots. They hit me at times when I wasn't even open. They've really liked when I catch and shoot the ball and that's what I did. It just worked out in our favor.
"It's a great feeling. I wish it could be like that all the time, of course. It's just how it feels sometimes. When I'm shooting like that, I just feel like the rim is so wide open, I just feel like I can't miss."
Brown nearly doubled Auburn's previous NCAA Tournament record of four 3-pointers in a March Madness game. His 372 career 3-pointers rank second in SEC history.
Like an orchestra conductor, Harper directed the symphony with precision, distributing six assists and helping Auburn outscore the Jayhawks 26-1 in fast-break points in the first half.
"I think it started with our defense, being able to create turnovers, being able to rebound as well as we did, being able to make the plays we were able to make and we did a good job of that," Harper said. "That just leads to our offense and makes our offense even better."
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl compared Harper to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
"I'm sure there are times [New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick] thinks Brady is smarter than him," Pearl said. "I know he's smarter than me.
"He's fearless, and he knows his role. Little guys have got to have great range, they've got to be special in ball screen offense and defense. And they have to have command of their locker room, and he has all those things. Self-made, nobody works harder."
In Brown and Harper, Pearl saw something other SEC coaches did not. Talented players with next-level work ethics and family support that would help them overcome their size disadvantage.
"Cedric Brown and Pat Harper spend as much time with their sons in the gym still as we do as coaches," Pearl said. "Nights, extra shooting. It's a beautiful thing. We're kind of a father-son program. My son is on the bench. Next year Wes Flanigan's son is coming to play for us. It's really a wonderful thing."
Sitting nearby, naturally, in the locker room, Brown and Harper gave no indication that they're content with merely making the Sweet 16, Auburn's first in 16 years.
"I feel like we all deserve this," Harper said. "We've worked hard for this moment and I know as a team we're not done yet."
"We've worked so hard to put ourselves in a position like this," Brown said. "We just didn't know it was this close in the future. The time is here. I feel like we're able to knock off anybody. We're as hot as any team in the country right now. We're not going to stop.
"We feel like we definitely shocked the world right there. They're seeing what Auburn is made of. People that didn't believe in us, hopefully we've turned some heads. We want to keep on keeping this thing going. It's my senior year so I'm going to give it my all every chance I get. I'm playing for the fans, I'm playing for my family and I'm playing for Auburn."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer