Tigers stuck on NCAA Tournament loss

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247sports.com

 

Tigers stuck on NCAA Tournament loss We'll be talking about Yale all fall

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

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ALEXANDER CITY, Alabama — It's going to take quite some time for the Tigers to get over how their season ended. 

But it may be best for their motivation if they don't.

No, the sting from Auburn's NCAA Tournament loss to Yale hasn't subsided for Bruce Pearl. As he works to retool his roster this offseason, it's a regret he just can't avoid feeling.

"Defensively, we could be really, really good next year," Pearl said Monday at his annual Fore the Children golf fundraiser. "Older and tough and physical. We've just got to do a better job of guarding without fouling."

He then jogged his memory a bit before shaking his head.

"We can't foul Yale 25 times and expect to win an NCAA Tournament game," Pearl said. "By the way, I'm still stuck on that in case you haven't noticed. I'll be stuck on it all year long. We'll be talking about Yale all fall. We've got to own it."

After an impressive SEC Tournament title, the Tigers quickly went from a popular pick for a deep run — or at least to give top-seeded UConn a battle in the second weekend — to a stunning first-round exit. Yale won 78-76 in Spokane, Washington, despite owning a 10-point lead with 7:35 remaining. 

In those final seven minutes and change, though, Auburn shot 3-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-7 from the foul line and committed six turnovers. Both Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams had their shots blocked after offensive rebounds in the final seconds, and K.D. Johnson missed a potential game-winning triple at the buzzer.

"It's just something we have to live with, something we have to own," Pearl said. "Something that's going to stick in our craw."

Given the No. 4 seed in the East Region on Selection Sunday, Auburn was one of four top-5 seeds that were upset in the opening round, joining No. 3 Kentucky, No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 5 Saint Mary's.

Yale was eviscerated by San Diego State in the next round, 85-57, before UConn did the same to the Aztecs, 82-52, on the Huskies' way to a second straight national championship.

As painful as the loss was, Pearl knows the potential challenge that awaited Auburn in the Sweet Sixteen — UConn at the Boston Garden — was monumental. The Huskies beat San Diego State and Illinois by a combined 55 points to advance to the Final Four.

"We should have beaten Yale," Pearl said. "We could have and perhaps should have maybe gotten San Diego State. We would have liked to have gotten UConn. I don't know, keeping the Yale loss in perspective, it may have only meant two more wins. UConn was maybe one of the best teams historically. They were a dominating, dominating champion. So it would have been hard to beat them in the Sweet Sixteen. That'd have been a really tough matchup. So putting that in perspective, the Yale loss could have cost us a couple of wins and an opportunity to go play UConn. UConn was better than everybody, maybe by a long shot."

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al.com

In Ja'Heim 'Turtle' Hudson, Auburn found the 'right fit' to add to its frontcourt

Updated: May. 21, 2024, 12:54 p.m.|Published: May. 21, 2024, 10:50 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn Basketball

Why Bruce Pearl thought Ja’Heim ‘Turtle’ Hudson was the right piece to add to Auburn’s frontcourt

Bruce Pearl gives offseason updates on Auburn Basketball during his charity golf event Monday

Despite having only been a part of the Auburn basketball program for less than a week, SMU transfer forward Ja’Heim Hudson has already earned himself a nickname in the Tigers’ locker room.

Hudson goes by the name “Turtle,” Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl revealed Monday during a brief meeting with the media ahead of his Fore The Children Golf Classic at Alexander City’s Willow Point Golf & Country Club.

“He’s got a little head that sits on top his shoulders — he’s got these big shoulders,” Pearl said. “I like those guys. Guys that are 6-7 with short heads, they’re actually 6-8 or 6-9. It’s those 6-9 guys with the big hair, long necks and the big head, they’re actually 6-7.”

Hudson, with his “little head that sits on top his shoulders,” is listed at 6-foot-7 and committed to Auburn as a transfer out of SMU on May 17.

Last season was Hudson’s first and only with the Mustangs as he first started his career with two seasons at Georgia State.

In his sophomore season at Georgia State, Hudson was good for an average of 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game — which included an eight-point, 11-rebound effort at Auburn on Dec. 14, 2022, in a game the Tigers won 72-64.

At SMU, Hudson averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

Hudson having two previous stops under his belt meant Pearl and Auburn’s coaching staff were able to do plenty of research before bringing in Georgia-bred forward.

The reports were favorable.

“The last three coaches he played for said, ‘He was my favorite. One of my favorite student athletes,’” Pearl said. “‘One of my favorite teammates, one of my favorite kids. Hard worker.’”

And while all of those traits are undoubtedly important, Pearl said he was really looking for the perfect piece to compliment Auburn’s pre-existing frontline, which is set to return a trio of veterans in Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson next season.

“Those are three seniors that are good, that are going to play,” Pearl said. “And I wanted to bring in somebody that wasn’t afraid to compete with them but that wasn’t going to feel like they were entitled. Turtle knows he’s going to play every night. What kind of role is he going to play? That’s going to be up to those four.”

With former Auburn forward Jaylin Williams out of eligibility, the Tigers will be pressed to replace his production next season. Williams, Auburn’s all-time winningest player in program history, averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2023-24.

When Williams went down with a knee injury last season and missed a handful of games, Pearl turned to Johnson, who is expected to make a leap as the former Alabama-Huntsville transfer enters year No. 2 with the Tigers’ program.

However, whether it be Johnson or Hudson who steps into the shoes previously filled by Williams, if Auburn learned anything last year, it’s that having depth can carry a team a long way.

And in Hudson, whether he ends up being a piece of Auburn’s main rotation or a depth piece, what matters it the piece fits well with the program.

“It’s just sort of the right fit and I’m really excited about what he brings. He brings some toughness to us. He can get downhill. He can shoot the 3-ball a little bit,” Pearl said.

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