Steven Pearl's star is beginning to shine blindingly bright in the college basketball world. What Bruce Pearl's son has accomplished has buried the "nepotism" label and has made the narrative that Auburn Tigers hoops are a family-run operation.
Dusty May admitted on Thursday that he saw Steven on the recruiting trail more than Bruce. Steven is the modern-day workhorse. Bruce is the social media provocateur and evangelist of Auburn athletics.
Steven's star is shining, but it's about to take off if AU can finish the job and reach the Final Four/championship game.
The Athletic's Joe Rexrode implied that Steven can be the future of the program -- an unspoken rumor among the fanbase that's been made real by one of the biggest and well-connected publications speaking it into existence.
"And though nepotism naturally invites questions about the competence of the person with access to a coveted situation simply through blood ties, the questions have changed over the course of the best stretch in Auburn men’s basketball history," Rexrode wrote. "As the No. 1 overall seed Tigers prepare to take on No. 5 seed Michigan in the South Regional semifinals on Friday in Atlanta, then perhaps No. 2 seed Michigan State or No. 6 seed Ole Miss with a trip to the Final Four on the line, they go like this:
"How much of this program’s success can be traced specifically to the work of Steven Pearl?
"Should he be the one to take it over when his 65-year-old father eventually decides to retire?
"There’s no coach-in-waiting designation from Auburn at this point, but it’s possible the Pearls could be like the Meyers, the Bennetts, the Drews and others in being granted a father-to-son succession plan. Once Vito Corleone had to relent and let Michael run the family business, he put him in the best possible spot to succeed."
Steven has seen his name linked to the Murray State opening during this hiring cycle. He's aced his audition for a head coaching role, if he's looking for one not on the Plains.
If he's in-waiting for the Tigers job, he'll be the first one to know he's next in line at Auburn from his father.