Auburn basketball is tired. Bruce Pearl knows this, and it’s something he addressed in his post-game press conference after the win over Georgia.
It was not an easy win for the top ranked Tigers. Absentee starter Zep Jasper in Athens, Auburn survived as Wendell Green hit a late game winner for the Tigers.
Every time a team is missing a starter, the rest of the team has to pick up the slack, with other key players seeing increased minutes. However, Pearl believes the team as a whole was dealing with fatigue due to the recent schedule.
Auburn played Oklahoma at home last Saturday and followed that up with a game Tuesday against Alabama before heading to Georgia. The Tigers will turn around quickly for a road trip Tuesday against Arkansas, and Pearl is considering giving his team a break.
After the win over the Bulldogs, Pearl said he was seriously considering not practicing until Tuesday’s game.
Bruce Pearl feels his team showed some fatigue today against Georgia:
“Seriously, Oklahoma, Alabama, then travel, I think we’re tired. I can’t practice them until we play on Tuesday. I don’t know how much I will move them.
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) February 5, 2022
It’s that time of year when players start to feel it as the calendar turns to February. And with a 22-1 record and the No. 1 ranking in the nation, Auburn is sure to get the best shot of everyone the rest of the way.