Bruce Pearl addresses why Auburn chose not to cut nets after loss, focus on postseason

Auburn clinched the SEC title in advance of Saturday’s showdown with in-state rival Alabama. Despite that, there was no net-cutting ceremony for the Tigers.

Coach Bruce Pearl and his team had an opportunity to cut down the nets on Saturday, but following a loss to the Crimson Tide, the Tigers opted not to. The focus is on the postseason now.

“We didn’t cut nets down tonight. And we didn’t have a celebration because, you know what, we lost the contest,” Pearl said after the game. “We won the championship last Saturday. We celebrated some last Saturday in Kentucky as a team, as a family. And I was really proud of those guys, and you saw when Tennessee hit that shot at the buzzer our guys were on the bus and they celebrated.

“Winning championships are things that you’re going to celebrate your whole life. Never going to get taken away from you. But obviously that’s a rearview mirror thing.”

Now Auburn gets to turn its attention toward the postseason. First up is the SEC Tournament, where the Tigers have secured a double-bye to aid in their quest to repeat as tournament champs.

Should it happen, it’d be nothing new for the Tigers. Or Pearl.

“Five different teams in the last eight years have won championships,” Pearl said. “Five different teams. And so I’m very proud of that. I would say over the last eight years, Auburn basketball has won more games than anybody else in the SEC. Won more championships than anyone else in the SEC. This program, this team’s done that.”

Those championships? How about tournament titles in 2019 and 2024, as well as regular-season crowns in 2018, 2022 and 2025.

So if Auburn decided not to cut down the nets on Saturday to celebrate, it’s only because there are bigger-ticket items on the agenda. A second Final Four appearance? The program’s first national title?

It’s all within Auburn’s reach. The Tigers will likely be the No. 1 overall seed come Selection Sunday.

“We’re in postseason now,” Pearl said. “We’re shifting gears to postseason, and postseason is all about step-up. It’s just all about step-up. You get seeded a little bit better, so you have a better chance to advance through the tournament, which you’ve earned and we’ve worked for.”