Bruce Pearl makes strange comparison discussing KD Johnson's on-court emotions for Auburn

Sophomore guard K.D. Johnson has seen a tremendous amount of growth this season for the Auburn Tigers. He began his collegiate last season last year at Georgia, but is now with the Tigers and playing a large role.

Johnson came off the bench in each of his 16 games at Georgia as a freshman, averaging 13.5 points per game. This year, Johnson has been in Auburn’s starting lineup in 29 of the 32 games he’s played in, and he has posted a line of 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in 27.5 minutes.

Ahead of Auburn’s NCAA Tournament matchup against 15th-seeded Jacksonville State, Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl discussed Johnson’s growth, adding that his emotions on the court make him the player that he is today.

“K.D.’s come a long way,” Pearl said of Johnson’s his first season with Auburn. “He’s been fun to coach. I’d rather — here’s the deal. Dads, have you ever coached your son and after he struck out, he threw his bat and he kind of embarrassed you in front of other people because he kind of cried when he fouled out? I had one of those sons in Steven Pearl. I’ve got another one of them in K.D. Johnson. You want to know what he’s thinking? Just look at his face, all those expressions.”

Pearl on Johnson this year for Auburn: ‘He’s a maniac, but he’s my maniac’

Johnson had a rough showing in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, being held off the scoreboard after shooting 0-for-14 from the field and 0-for-6 from three-point range. But if Pearl has learned one thing from Johnson, it’s that he cares just as much as anybody else.

Pearl understands that Johnson can be a little “unpredictable,” but at this point in the year, everything is.

“I’d rather teach him to care a little less than to care,” said Pearl. “The fact that he cares and the fact that he’s emotional and the fact that he’s unpredictable, you know, he’s a maniac, but he’s my maniac, okay? Look, our job is to kind of get them from where we get them, where we got them, to help them get to where they want to be. So that’s a process. You guys get a chance to see that process unfold on the court and in practice, and we get to live with it. That’s our job to try to get him right and get him ready.”