It took Coach Pearl a couple of years to figure it out. But once he led his team to the big dance in 2018, they never looked back. Auburn has made six March Madness appearances since 2018, including two Final Four appearances.
Coach Pearl rose to the challenge and opened the eye of a tiger, giving the Auburn faithful a sense of pride not seen before in its history. Fresh off a close battle with the Florida Gators, it appeared Auburn was ready to run it back and run the table in the SEC.
42 days before the season, Bruce Pearl announced his retirement, leaving Auburn fans in disarray.
Make Me Proud Son
The saying, “basketball runs in my blood,” has become cliché. However, fans of the War Eagle hope that is true, as the program has now been taken over by Bruce Pearl’s son, Steven Pearl.
If there is anyone who can continue the culture Bruce built, it would be his son, who has been attached to his hip. Steven played for his pops at the University of Tennessee before becoming one of his assistants at Auburn in 2017.
The 38-year-old has never been a collegiate head coach. The prince now takes over the kingdom his father has built.
The Sophomore Spotlight
Steven Pearl is not returning the same squad that just made the Final Four. Pivotal pieces Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell are now in the NBA, and Chad Baker-Mazara transferred to USC.
Coach Pearl will turn Tahaad Pettiford to lead the streak of tigers. The six-foot-one guard was originally in the NBA Draft pool before withdrawing from the draft. Now Pettiford has the opportunity to build upon an exciting freshman year campaign.
When the battery of the Auburn offense stalled, Pettiford was called in to be the spark plug. The freshman averaged 11.6 PPG and 3.0 APG while playing 22.9 minutes a night.
Two points equal two points, and three points equal three points about the end of the day. However, Pettiford’s ability to hit a tough shot or a much-needed bucket flipped momentum back to Auburn during dry spells.
A Barrage of Transfers
With plenty of holes on the roster, Auburn went to the local transfer market and filled up its shopping cart. Four marquee transfers will make an instant impact for the Tigers.
Keyshawn Hall was the diamond in the rough for what was an underwhelming UCF 2024-25 campaign. The six-foot-seven forward averaged 18.8 ppg while shooting 42.7% from the field.
What is better than one Keyshawn who can score double-digit points a night and grab seven rebounds a night? TWO Keyshawns who can do that. KeShawn Murphy was Josh Hubbard’s right-hand man last season, averaging 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
Pair that with D2 transfer Elyjah Freeman, a six-foot-eight forward who scored 18.9 points per game while shooting an impressive 58.7% from the field. Coach Pearl has surrounded Pettiford with three tall, athletic forwards who can score points, defend the perimeter and grab rebounds.
Looking for a bigger role with the Tigers is Texas Tech transfer Kevin Overton. The junior guard looks to provide experience next to Pettiford.
Is Unfamiliarity a Pro or a Con?
There are so many questions about Auburn that they may not know the answers to early on. Will Coach Pearl continue the same schemes as his father? Will a completely new roster be able to hang in a competitive SEC?
These questions make Auburn an intriguing team to watch out for this upcoming season. There is an argument to be made that this team has the highest ceiling and the lowest floor, just because it is unknown what to expect from this team.
Red flags surround the Tigers. Yet the green flags are just too good to ignore. The pressure is on for Coach Pearl to continue his father's legacy. The Pearl legacy continues in Auburn, and whether it soars or stumbles, one thing is certain: the Tigers’ next chapter won’t lack intrigue.