LOOK: Stephen A Smith sends message to Auburn, Bruce Pearl
ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith had a message for Auburn basketball following the Tigers’ 67-62 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament on Friday. Smith took to Twitter to express his belief in the team heading into the NCAA Tournament.
“Despite the loss today Bruce Pearl, I love your program and I love what you bring to College BBALL,” Smith wrote. “I have no doubt you’ll recover and make noise in the NCAA Tournament. Keep pushing! Keep making it happen for Auburn basketball. See you down the road.”
Auburn looked like a shell of itself in the first half of the game against the Aggies, shooting just 6-for-37 (16.2%) from the field, including 3-for-20 (15%) from three-point territory. The Tigers made just one of their last 16 shots of the half to enter the locker room down 37-21. Thing turned around in the second, but ultimately the hole was dug too deep as A&M advanced to the semifinals on a 67-62 win.
It was a disappointment for the Tigers, who entered as the tournament’s No. 1 seed, but not the end of the world. Auburn still has a chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is exactly what they were in On3’s Friday bracketology projections. The loss in the SEC Tournament will, at worst, bump them down to a two seed, where they’ll still have every opportunity for a deep run.
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Pearl has pioneered the Tigers to its fourth 25-win campaign over the past five seasons this year. He previously led the program to its first-ever Final Four appearance in 2019, but is eyeing something much bigger in 2022. Based on its regular season performance, many, including Stephen A Smith, believe Auburn to be one of the few teams in contention to cut down the nets in April.
The Tigers have lost three of their past six games, so it appears they have some work to do in order to prove Smith and others right in March Madness. Auburn will discover where it is seeded in the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will begin at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS.