.Auburn Tigers’ head coach Bruce Pearl was left fuming after his team’s 93-91 overtime loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The main source of his frustration was the lack of calls on his star player, Johni Broome, who had an impressive 34 points on 15 of 28 shooting.
Pearl took issue with the fact that Broome, a player of the year candidate, took 15 or 16 of his first shots inside the paint without getting fouled once. He emphasized that a big man in the post getting shots in the paint should draw fouls, but Broome only went to the free throw line five times in 43 minutes of play.
While Pearl stopped short of saying that the lack of calls in the paint were the reason for the team’s loss, he acknowledged that it was a factor. He pointed out that Alabama shot 24 free throws to Auburn’s 17, making five more than the Tigers. This disparity in free throw attempts has been a recurring theme in the two teams’ meetings this season, with Alabama having gone to the line 10 more times than the Tigers.
Pearl’s concerns extend beyond the officiating, however. Auburn’s recent performances have been a cause for concern, with the team having taken their foot off the gas since securing the SEC regular season title. They have lost their last two games, including the overtime defeat to Alabama, and have been outrebounded in both contests.
The Tigers’ rebounding woes are a particular concern, especially given their upcoming SEC Tournament matchup. They were mauled on the boards by Texas A&M, who had a 41-25 advantage in rebounds, including 24 offensive rebounds. Alabama also had a plus-seven rebounding edge over Auburn.
Despite these concerns, Auburn still enters the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed and regular season champion. They have a double-bye and won’t play again until Friday, when they will face off against Ole Miss, South Carolina, or Arkansas.
However, the ultimate test for this Auburn team will come in the NCAA Tournament. With five regular season or conference tournament championships in the last eight years, the Tigers are expected to make a deep run in the tournament. Failure to do so will likely lead to questions about whether the team took their foot off the accelerator too quickly.
For now, Pearl and his team will have to regroup and refocus ahead of their SEC Tournament matchup. They will need to address their rebounding woes and find a way to get Broome more involved in the game, both in terms of scoring and getting to the free throw line. If they can do that, they may be able to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and prove their doubters wrong.
