KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Marquis Daniels wore No. 3 at Auburn and Nos. 4, 6, 7 and 8 during his 10-year NBA career, but at Wednesday's practice at HyVee Arena, he wore No. 2.
Daniels, the star player on Auburn's last Sweet 16 team in 2003, helped the Tigers prepare for Friday's Midwest Regional semifinal against North Carolina by simulating Tar Heels point guard Coby White, one of the many duties Marquis performs as a graduate assistant.
"That's part of coaching," Daniels said. "Whatever it takes to help the team win."
Daniels, who played for the Tigers from 1999-2003, is embarking on the next phase of his basketball career.
"That's definitely my plan. GA, coaching, whatever the title may be, it's all about these guys," he said. "It's fun, they're sponges, so whenever I relate something to them, they take it in and it translates to the court."
Daniels' status as Auburn's 2017 SEC Basketball Legend and his decade in the NBA give him credibility with the Tigers.
"Marquis has been a tremendously stabilizing influence on our team," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "When you've got an assistant coach that played in the NBA that believes in what you do and how you do it, and then is able to convey that to the players, it's an incredibly stabilizing force.
"For him to be able to find ways to not only train the players on the court but also talk to the players about ways they can be successful within the framework of what we do and what their niches are.
"Marquis and I have been really consistent. He's a great listener. He delivers a really consistent message, yet at the same time he's a player's coach."
Sixteen years ago, Daniels led the 10th-seeded Tigers on a magical Sweet 16 run, averaging 23 points and seven rebounds in the NCAA Tournament.
After a 65-63 overtime win over seventh-seeded Saint Joseph's and a 68-62 victory vs. Wake Forest, both in Tampa, the Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16
"Everybody doubting us, the same way they're doing this team. Doubting, doubting, then finally everybody started jumping on the wagon, saying they believed you," Daniels recalled. "You've just got to stay steady and stay hungry."
In the Sweet 16, Auburn played third-seeded Syracuse in Albany, New York, 145 miles away from the Orangemen campus.
"We knew they were going to have home-court advantage because Albany was maybe a couple hours from there," Daniels said. "We just had to come in there and just stay focused. I think we just ran out of time in that game, but it was a great atmosphere, a great learning experience."
Trailing by 17, the Tigers rallied in the second half, with Daniels operating Auburn's offense from the middle of Syracuse's famous 2-3 zone.
"Coach made an adjustment at halftime. He moved me to the middle of the zone. I was able to get in there and make some plays for myself and my teammates," said Daniels, who scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds with four assists and two steals.
Syracuse, the eventual national champion, won 79-78.
"We just ran out of time there at the end," Daniels said. "It was a great run for us."
Outscoring Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony attracted attention from basketball fans across the country, but it did not affect Daniels' belief that he belonged on the big stage.
"It had nothing to do with me being confident," Daniels said. "I always had confidence. The stage didn't matter to me, I just wanted to get out there and perform and try to win, whatever it took to help my team win."
Daniels sees similarities, and one key difference, between Auburn's 2003 and 2019 Sweet 16 teams.
"They shoot the ball a lot better than we did," he said. "They play hard. They just step up for any challenge, the big games. Anytime they get a challenge, they step up and they play well.
"A lot of determination, a lot of grit, guys who are very hungry. It's like brothers, the passion and the love that they have for each other. It's great to see that.
"We just need to continue to play Auburn basketball and continue to get better. That's our goal to keep moving forward, trying to get better."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer