Steven Pearl spoke for just more than two and a half minutes, likely two and a half minutes more than the Auburn head basketball coach wanted to on Saturday night as the Tigers’ season fell so deep into a well that even Lassie couldn’t find it.
“Really disappointed,” Pearl started his press conference off by saying.
That’s how Auburn fans have felt for more of the season, trying to believe that this season wasn’t going to be a bust, no matter how many signs pointed that way. The handling of Bruce Pearl’s retirement and Steven getting the head coach position was on the verge of an athletic department malfunction, and this team and coaching staff kept that momentum going seemingly all season.
Auburn's season felt off from the very beginning
An overtime win against Bethune-Cookman was not the best way to start the schedule. Yet, the Tigers were in the rankings, took then-No. 1 Houston to the breaking point in a one-point loss in Birmingham, and everything seemed ho-hum.
Cracks showed when the Tigers started facing the Michigans and Arizonas of the college basketball world, and the hope of a .500 record in the SEC was at most what Auburn fans expected.
Undisciplined. Unmotivated. Uncoachable?
Every week brought another player being benched for some sort of team violation, the latest KeShawn Murphy for being an eye-popping 20 minutes late for Thursday’s film session. If Bruce Pearl’s players feared him, it seemed the complete opposite of what the players on this team thought of his son.
Auburn needs a miracle now to make the NCAA Tournament, something that seemed like a right under the elder Pearl. And possibly the transition year is a one-and-done season, as another massive overhaul is coming, and Steven can get exactly the players he wants on the roster.
But through everything – calling out players, discipline issues, late-game meltdowns, three-point defense – this season will be considered a disappointment. Let’s just be happy that Pearl sees that.