Bruce Pearl meets the media as No. 20 Auburn prepares for SEC opener against Florida
AUBURN — It’s about that time. Auburn basketball officially starts the defense of their SEC regular season championship, as the No. 20 Tigers host Florida and new head coach Todd Golden to kick off both teams’ conference schedules.
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Auburn, sitting at 10-2 and No. 16 in the latest KenPom rankings, hosts the Gators, who are 7-5 and No. 49 in the latest KenPom rankings, inside Neville Arena at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday night.
Head coach Bruce Pearl met the media on Tuesday afternoon to discuss where his team stands heading into an intriguing matchup against Pearl’s protege, Golden.
Here’s the high points from Pearl’s press conference:
— Five SEC teams ranked top 25, three in the top 10…mentions Mississippi State, Missouri…”the league is better.”
— Florida matchup: “We were picked fifth basically, and Florida was picked between fifth and seventh. Florida will be a team that will compete for the top five or six spots in the league. It’s an important game.”
— Defense has carried Auburn.
— Florida center Colin Castelton has “had his way with us” since he’s been in the league. (Two big games last year, even against Walker Kessler.)
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— More on Castelon: “I’m tired of him kicking our ass.”
— “Very proud” of Florida head coach Todd Golden for his work as a student-athlete…talked about telling Golden he’s “way too smart” for coaching when Golden asked him about the coaching profession.
— On Johni Broome facing Castleton in his first SEC game: “It’ll be a great matchup.”
— The West Coast trip “was helpful.” The win over Washington moved Auburn 20 points in the NET, Pearl says.
— On Wendell Green Jr. getting back to his healthy, confident self: “Most guards wouldn’t have played the USC game.”
— Tre Donaldson “had a really good trip” and “solidified himself” as the backup point guard for now.
— Chance Westry might be his best position, but too much to ask him after coming back from surgery to put the ball in hands and making him run the show. Pearl says he probably asked too much from Westry, too soon.
