Bruce Pearl reveals how he prepares for quick turnaround NCAA Tournament games

After Auburn took care of business against 15-seed Jacksonville State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, Bruce Pearl and his staff made a quick pivot to Miami. The veteran head coach took time to break down how his coaching staff prepared for the uncertainty and quick turnarounds of March Madness.

During a press conference, Bruce Pearl acknowledged the key role each of his assistant coaches, and Auburn’s support staff, play in preparation during the NCAA Tournament with one known opponent and two potential opponents just two days later.

“So what we’ve always done – and this has been a really good system – I have three full-time assistants, Ira Bowman, Wes Flanigan, and Steven Pearl, each of them have scouting teams,” said Pearl. “Those teams are made up of my Director of Basketball Operations, my Assistant Director of Basketball Operations, graduate assistants, managers. So Wes Flanigan and his team, along with Chad Pruitt, had Jacksonville State. Steven Pearl’s team had USC. Ira Bowman’s team had Miami.

“Those two-thirds of my staff was not at all worried about our opening opponent. So we were working really, really hard for Miami as a staff. I wasn’t, right? I took a peek at both teams early in the week just to look at them, just to see them.”

With Wes Flanigan’s gameplan a success, the Ira Bowman gameplan now goes into effect as the staff prepares the players for what comes next.

Bruce Pearl on Miami gameplan

After taking some time to catch up on Ira Bowman’s Miami gameplan, Bruce Pearl addressed what he has seen from the tape, as well as what his team must do with the information.

“So last night they were ready to get me ready,” said Pearl. “Then we showed the team a few things. Last night and this morning, they continued to work to get me ready. I got my team more ready. We went through a lot of stuff out there today, and we have tonight and tomorrow.

“The short prep, it’s not a problem. It really, truly isn’t. What’s going to take place on the court, especially tomorrow, is what Miami does is different. It’s different. We don’t have a lot of — we don’t have, I don’t think anybody – we haven’t played anybody like Miami all year. That’s going to be really a challenge for us. Not the prep, but the actual contest.”

If Auburn is able to advance on Sunday, they will repeat the process on Monday with three more potential opponents from the Midwest Region.