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Auburn Basketball: Bruce Pearl’s Foundation is Firmly Set

By Nathan Deal

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When Bruce Pearl accepted the head coaching job at Auburn, he knew the tall task ahead.

The Auburn basketball program, one of the least successful in SEC history, had been plagued by roster turnover and poor coaching decisions by the previous head man, Tony Barbee. Fan support for the program was at an all-time low, and the Tigers hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003.

Mar 12, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl during the first half of the second round against the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The roster was obviously not good enough to compete for an SEC title right away. Beyond K.T. Harrell, an All-SEC caliber talent, Auburn’s roster left a lot to be desired. The Tigers’ roster was the second-shortest among major conference teams (ahead of only Oklahoma State) and depth was a serious issue.

But Bruce Pearl wasn’t intimidated. He wanted another chance to coach basketball, and a major SEC school was willing to give him a chance, despite his past NCAA issues. He accepted the challenge, and has worked endlessly this season attempting to lay the foundation for a program that wants to compete with Kentucky in the SEC.

As the losses piled up, so did unfortunate circumstances. Antoine Mason‘s father, former NBA player Anthony Mason, passed away. Injuries cut the seasons of Matthew Atewe and Tahj Shamsid-Deen short.

Off-court circumstances devastated the team. The seemingly uninspired play of some players led many to believe this team had already given up on this season, and that the program was already focused entirely on the future.

RELATED: Did Tony Barbee Block You on Twitter Today? Probably.

And despite all of this, Bruce Pearl is the coach of a team that is in the midst of an awe-inspiring SEC Tournament run.

The Tigers, despite their lack of size, depth and overall talent, have won two SEC Tournament games in the past two days against Mississippi State and Texas A&M (teams that beat Auburn by a combined score of 229-187 in three games in the regular season).

Antoine Mason has played with poise and confidence in the wake of his father’s passing. Cinmeon Bowers has become a more selfless player, as evidenced by his pride in Devin Waddell‘s performance against the Bulldogs in the first round. Alex Thompson, who made just four 3-point baskets in the regular season, went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc en route to 16 points against the Bulldogs. K.T. Harrell, the Tigers’ most reliable player, scored 25 points in the win against A&M and has scored 44 points in two SEC Tournament games.

Auburn has won with offense, draining 3-point baskets in crucial moments in both games.

Auburn has won with defense, with late stops against Mississippi State and a dominant second half against Texas A&M that saw the Aggies limited to just 15 points in the first 18:08.

But most of all, Auburn has won with heart. Despite all of the reasons that Auburn could legitimately be considered the worst team in the SEC this season, they’ve played intensely inspired basketball in the SEC Tournament. Bruce Pearl’s enthusiasm has provided a spark in Auburn’s players that has led to what has been, to this point, a perfect storm in Nashville.

This for a program whose last SEC Tournament win was March 13, 2009, when Jeff Lebo was the head coach and Auburn Arena didn’t exist.

Only time will tell how much longer Auburn can sustain this run. A showdown with LSU looms large, and if Pearl’s squad pulls out another impressive, program-changing win, a showdown with (most likely) #1 Kentucky awaits.

But whether the Tigers have reached the end of their inspired run or not, the fact that it’s March 12 and this Auburn basketball team, in the shape the program’s currently in, is still in SEC contention speaks volumes about the culture change Bruce Pearl is constructing.

It is unlikely that Auburn’s run will continue much further, but the 2014-2015 Tigers should be remembered not for having a losing record, but for overcoming difficult circumstances, tragedies and on-court losses by continuing to play with heart and exemplifying Bruce Pearl’s passion and drive.

Next: Will Muschamp, New Auburn Defense 101

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