Bruce Pearl reveals impact this year's Auburn team had on him

Auburn Basketball finished their season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season. This time around, a No. 9 seeded Tigers squad fell to No. 1 seed Houston on Saturday as the Cougars came back from a 10-point halftime deficit to win by a score of 81-64 to earn their third consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

Given the opponent, it’s not an embarrassing loss for Auburn, and definitely not as disappointing as 2022’s exit in the exact same round, where the Tigers were a No. 2 seed and Miami beat them as a No. 10. So, after the game, head coach Bruce Pearl said he’s proud of the team for a good season but is a bit disappointed it didn’t end better.

“I’m proud of them, but I also have a pretty high standard,” said Pearl. “And so I’m grateful, and I want them to feel really good about the fact that they had a good year and, you know, we are grateful for our fan base. I’m grateful for Auburn University and the way they support us, and the way so many people on our staff and the University work so hard to give us a chance to play, you know, in this environment.”

Pearl thanked his players and the program’s supporters there, and then issued a rare thank you to the NCAA Tournament selection committee for giving the Tigers a pair of games so close to home.

“And I want to thank the NCAA and the committee for helping Birmingham have such a successful weekend by placing us here where our fans could watch us play. And obviously, our fans turned out.”

In conclusion, Pearl said he’s proud of what this team accomplished, but already has his eyes on the future. “So I’m proud of this team. But if you know me, I’m on to the next play. And I’ll be recruiting tonight,” added Pearl. He’s right back to business after the loss and is focused on recruiting next year’s team. It’s a year-round sport nowadays.

Auburn has become a real recruiting force at the high school level under Bruce Pearl and have even become adept at finding the perfect fits for their needs through the transfer portal. The Tigers are likely looking to add from both pools of talent before they finalize the 2023-24 roster.