Charles Barkley joined the broadcast during Auburn basketball’s latest win over Oklahoma. The Tigers Hall-of-Famer raved about Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who has led Barkley’s alma mater to the No. 1 ranking in college basketball.
“We’re never gonna be outcoached,” Barkley said during the broadcast. “Bruce Pearl is one of the best X-and-O’s coaches I’ve ever been around. He makes so many great in-game adjustments.”
Barkley’s comments mirror the overwhelming support and praise Pearl has received from Auburn’s players, staff members, and fans throughout his tenure with the Tigers. In his 11 years as head coach, Pearl has reinvented Auburn basketball and transformed the program into a college basketball powerhouse.
This season marks the first time Auburn has been a unanimous No. 1 in the AP Poll, and the Tigers have achieved this feat for four straight weeks. Before this season, Auburn had held the No. 1 ranking for three total weeks in program history.
Pearl’s squad demolished the Sooners 98-70, moving to 21-1 on the season and 9-0 in SEC play. Auburn currently owns 13 Quadrant 1 wins, tying last year’s Alabama team for the SEC record with more than a month of basketball left to play. The Tigers need five more Quad 1 wins to break the single-season record.
After his team’s dominant win, Pearl discussed Auburn’s upcoming blockbuster matchup with Florida. The No. 6 Gators own a 19-3 record, but they have sustained their three losses against SEC opponents.
“The beautiful thing about the game is that it’s not ‘one size fits all,’ Pearl said. “Florida is a completely different team than Oklahoma, so we’re gonna do some things different. We’ll figure out what we need to do in our package against what they do. Again, it’s all about matchups.”
Pearl should have his team well-prepared as always ahead of the Florida matchup. Earlier this season, he became the winningest head coach in Auburn history. The Tigers had suffered five consecutive losing seasons before Pearl joined the War Eagle family.
Pearl and his players will return on February 8 when they host the Gators at Neville Arena.