Bruce Pearl understands Auburn has had a rollercoaster season, but he liked what he saw of the Tigers on Friday as they eliminated Jacksonville State in the NCAA Tournament.
“If people hadn’t watched Auburn play all year and seen us play today, they’d think we’re pretty good,” he said after the win.
With the win, Pearl eliminated longtime rival Ray Harper, who won most of his Division II matchups.
“It feels good…. We had the 2 best jobs in Division II basketball,” Pearl said, and we happened to have crossed paths a few times in the playoffs. “I have so much respect for Coach Harper.”
On Jaylin Williams’ health status for Sunday: “Jaylin is going to work a bit today. They’re going to assess him and he’ll go through a concussion protocol. We do not know. He was playing well. »
As for Jabari Smith’s thunderous dunk, Pearl chimed in on SportsCenter and added, “He flaunted it. He really did. And these kids love it.
Kentucky’s loss also resonated with Pearl, and Pearl said he spoke to his team “a bit” at Kentucky, another SEC 2nd seed who lost on Thursday.
“There’s a part of me that felt for Kentucky,” Pearl said. “I know that sounds odd or weird. I felt for Cal and I felt for his players.
H/T Nathan King, Tom Green and Justin Hokanson.