Bruce Pearl says Jaylin Williams has to act like best player on the floor

Bruce Pearl is expecting more out of Auburn basketball forward Jaylin Williams.

Williams asserted himself often in the Tigers’ victory over Georgia State on Wednesday, amassing 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks during a 72-64 win. However, Pearl sees bigger and better things in Williams’ future, if he can continue to play like he did on Wednesday night.

“Jaylin Williams was the best player on the floor, and Jaylin Williams is capable of being the best player on the floor,” Pearl stated. “Jaylin Williams needs to act like it all the time.

“Accept it, relish it and see if he can play better. See if he can do more.”

Alas, Williams is averaging 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on the season for Auburn, but it’s obvious Pearl believes he can do much more for the SEC squad.

Jaylin Williams has immense talent, that much is obvious, but it’ll be fascinating to watch if Bruce Pearl can get more games like Wednesday’s treat out of the Auburn forward.

Auburn basketball honors Mike Leach ahead of Georgia State game

Moreover, the Auburn Men’s Basketball team honored former Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, who died earlier this week after a heart attack left him in critical condition, ahead of their home game Wednesday night against Georgia State. 

Auburn athletic director John Cohen, who previously held the same position at Mississippi State and was the man that hired Leach back in 2019, posted a photo of the Jumbotron during a moment of silence before tip-off.

Honoring The Pirate in Neville Arena🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/DnmfUQLIja

— John Cohen (@JohnCohenAD) December 15, 2022

As games continue to be played throughout the SEC, and all over the country, Leach is likely to be honored in numerous ways. 

The Tigers went on to defeat Georgia State and improve to 9-1 on the young season. They’ll next battle USC this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN.