For only the third time this season, head coach Bruce Pearl and his Auburn basketball team have suffered a loss. The Tigers lost in November to Duke and dropped a game at home against Florida last month, but this game was the hardest to watch, by far.
It became very clear how important senior guard Denver Jones is to this team after he missed the game due to a soft tissue injury. The Tigers struggled for most of the game, letting Texas A&M snap up 24 offensive rebounds in the 83-72 loss and turning the ball over 13 times.
Although the Tigers have already won the conference and have likely locked down a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, their performance last night left a lot to be desired.
Pearl on Denver Jones' absence, per Auburn Rivals:
"We really, really missed his defense and missed his leadership. He couldn't go. I mean, it wasn't like we were saving him. If he could have played, he was going to play. He was a game-time decision, and I was hoping that he could play through the pain."
Pearl on Texas A&M's rebounding, per Auburn Undercover:
"Again, we just could not keep them off the boards. We didn't. Obviously, it's a big part of their strategy. It's a big part of the way they space the floor. It's a big part of how they get downhill. Those aren't just 'Oh, they just happened to get a few good bounces tonight.' There's strategy in where your backside guys are and when our guys are diving in certain actions. That's a great, great strategy. And the other thing we didn't do is we didn't get out and run at all. We didn't take advantage of any fast-break opportunities. The difference in the game tonight was, obviously, rebounding."
Pearl on the Tigers' struggle against the Aggies' physicality, per AL.com:
“The scouting report’s out. The best way to beat Auburn is to hit them in the mouth. And we’re either going to be able to handle the physicality of the play, or we’re not. Tonight, we just couldn’t handle it.”
The Tigers will return to action and look to pick up one last conference win this Saturday when they host Alabama on the Plains.