Bruce Pearl discusses success from Auburn, Alabama, what it means for the state

For the second consecutive season, in state SEC rivals Auburn and Alabama have both made the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide and Tigers won’t be rooting for each other any time soon, but there’s no question that the achievement is important for the state of Alabama, which Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl discussed ahead of the tournament.

“Yeah, I think it’s very significant,” Pearl said. “Congratulations to Alabama being a great champion, they were the best team in our league and they very well may be the best team in the country.”

Alabama took home the SEC regular season title and won the SEC Tournament, and are now ranked the No. 1 seed of the entire NCAA Tournament. And after a strong start to the season, Auburn held on, winning just three of their last ten games and still securing a No. 9 seed in the tournament.

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This is Pearl’s fourth time taking the Tigers to the tournament, taking them as far as the Final Four in 2018 after they won the SEC Tournament. Alabama head coach Nate Oats takes the Crimson Tide dancing for the third straight season in his four-year tenure with the program, and has set his team up as one of the favorites to win the national championship. But this has not always been the reality of Alabama hoops.

“Both basketball programs have worked really hard at trying to get competitive and I think there’s been a lot talked about the fact that both Auburn and Alabama have become very competitive and winning championships,” Pearl said. “So it does mean a great deal to the state.”

North Carolina has been coined the hoop state for their basketball prowess. But with the UNC Tar Heels missing the tournament for the first time since 2010 and Alabama schools on the rise, the name may be more fitting for the state of Alabama this season.

“And then right there you have UAB that played in their championship game and could have been in the field. You had Samford win their regular season, I think Huntsville had a great year, North Alabama had a really good year, Troy had a good year, South Alabama was in the championship game of their tournament,” Pearl said. “I don’t mean to leave anybody out, but there was a lot of really good basketball played in the state of Alabama this year.”