Bruce Pearl on Dylan Cardwell: ‘He’s the guy I would like my daughters to marry’

Dylan Cardwell is more than Auburn‘s starting center. He’s the soul of the Tigers. During an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay on Sunday, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl raved about the fifth-year senior.

“He’s our team minister,” Pearl said. “We call him Cap because he’s our captain. A lot of guys talk the talk. I’m probably one of them. Dylan talks the talk, and he walks the walk. He’s a man of faith. He is an impeccable human being, and our guys listen to him. They respect him. And off the floor, he’s got a servant’s heart. He has time and patience for everybody. He’s charitable.

“He’s the guy that I would like my daughters to marry, OK? I mean, he is the guy. And I tell you what, guys like Dylan Cardwell should give us hope for our humanity. They really, really should because he’s an incredible individual. And the thing about it is, he shares it and it spreads, and it’s infectious and other guys want to be like him.”

Cardwell is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a one-time member of the SEC Community Service Team. He is also a two-time NABC Honors Court selection.

While Cardwell excels in the classroom and community, he also thrives on the hardwood. Cardwell has played and started in all 36 of Auburn’s games this season. He is averaging 4.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 69.6% from the field.

Instead of playing at multiple schools throughout his collegiate career like many players do nowadays, Cardwell has only ever donned Auburn’s blue and orange. He’s patiently worked his way into becoming one of Auburn’s most pivotal pieces.

Now, Cardwell is playing an instrumental role in Auburn’s postseason success. After the Tigers’ first-round win over Alabama State, Cardwell delivered a cutting message to his team.

“We have to man up. You can’t go in and expect you’re going to cover the spread. You can’t think the other team is not going to show up. Teams are going to play desperate,” Cardwell said. “These teams want to extend their season. We aren’t playing hard. We need to play harder. That’s all it is.

“We need to play harder and more aggressive. When we’re clicking, when we’re playing hard, when we’re not slopping through stuff, when we’re playing in a stance, no one can beat us. It’s frustrating.”

Since then, Auburn defeated both Creighton and Michigan by double digits. On Sunday, the Tigers will look to win again as it squares off against Michigan State in the Elite Eight at 5:05 p.m. ET. The game will air live on CBS.