Auburn's coach criticizes team's lackluster tournament performance
Auburn men’s basketball began its March Madness journey with an 83-63 victory over Alabama State. However, the team did not play at its best. Auburn, who recently won the SEC championship, struggled with shooting. They made only 31.4% of their three-point attempts and missed 14 free throws. Associate head coach Steven Pearl, who is Bruce Pearl’s son, expressed strong criticism during a postgame interview. He described the team’s energy and effort as disappointing. “It was embarrassing,” Pearl said. He noted that this low energy could lead to problems in their upcoming games. Auburn star players Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara did not perform well, combining for just 6 out of 18 shooting. Baker-Mazara shot only 1 out of 9. Meanwhile, Miles Kelly helped the team with seven three-pointers in under 30 minutes. Pearl emphasized that Broome and Baker-Mazara need to step up for the Tigers to advance in the tournament. He stated, “If they are not better, we will not win.” Looking ahead, Auburn will face Creighton, and Pearl mentioned the need for improvement before that game. The next challenge for the Tigers comes on March 22.