As Auburn’s 10-point lead in the second half gave way to an epic collapse that might cost the Tigers a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament, there were some interested viewers watching the game.
One was former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who, if you have been hiding under a rock, is the father of current Tigers’ head coach Steven Pearl. The elder Pearl took to Twitter to complain about what he thought was a lack of fouls called on Tennessee in the second half, as the Volunteers went to the free-throw line 27 times to Auburn’s 15.
“There's Rim Protection and there's what's been allowed to happen in the last 10 minutes,” Pearl tweeted.
Johni Broome calls out Auburn players for being no-shows
It didn’t take long for a former Pearl disciple to chime in with his thoughts.
“Some people didn’t show up ready to play,” Johni Broome responded to Pearl’s tweet.
Some people didn’t show up ready to play 🤷🏽♂️
— Johni Broome (@JohniBroome) March 12, 2026
If there’s anyone who knows about showing up to play, it is Broome, who in his last season at Auburn earned SEC Player of the Year and All-America honors while leading the Tigers to a SEC regular-season title and trip to the Final Four. Broome also had success in the SEC Tournament, winning the title in 2024 as Auburn defeated Florida in the final.
Not showing up to play was one of Auburn’s main faults this season, as it seemed the Tigers never really clicked on all cylinders except for maybe a few games. On Thursday, with a double-digit lead in the second half, the Tigers couldn’t respond to Tennessee’s best punch, with the Vols going on a 20-0 run over just more than a six-minute span.
While Broome didn’t single anyone out, there are a number of players who had an off game, including third-team All-SEC selection Keyshawn Hall, who finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting.