$14 million worth Lane Kiffin mocks Bruce Pearl's Auburn after devastating 78-76 loss against Yale: "Good luck guys"
The No. 4 seed Auburn Tigers continued a first round of upsets in the NCAA Tournament when they slipped to a narrow 78-76 loss to the No. 13-seeded Yale Bulldogs on Friday.
Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, who is worth $14 million per Celebrity Net Worth, took a cheeky shot at coach Bruce Pearl's team on X after the loss.
"Good luck guys," Kiffin posted on X.
The Auburn collapse
The Auburn Tigers had a bit of a wobble in the middle of the season before rallying to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament title and receive a No. 4 seeding.
After Selection Sunday, coach Bruce Pearl complained about the distance the team would travel to play its first game, 2,400 miles from Alabama to Spokane, but the Tigers were still massive favorites for the clash.
The Tigers seemingly had the win in the bag with 7:27 remaining when they had a 10-point lead before things started going awry for them.
During that period, which cemented the devastating loss, there were six turnovers from the Tigers, who also committed six fouls. Meanwhile, the Yale Bulldogs seemed to find a second wind and went on a 20-8 run that won them the game.
Yale guard John Poulakidas had one of those nights that made unknown players household names overnight, finishing the encounter with 28 points, two rebounds and two assists.
After the game, both the Tigers players and coach conveyed their shock at how the win had slipped out of their hands.
“Just shock,” Auburn center Dylan Cardwell said. “(I) Just (feel) shock, not really being able to understand how much we under-accomplished. Just shock, really.”
Bruce Pearl revealed his disappointment at the result during his postgame news conference, crediting the Bulldogs for a game well played.
“It’s tough to reflect on the season when you just went through one of the most disappointing losses in your career,” Pearl said. “This team has done so many great things. I’m so proud of them.
“Listen, this was not — it's funny, I heard Jay Bilas say some things today. Give Yale credit for making those plays,” Pearl said. “This has nothing to do with us not taking them seriously. Nothing. They outplayed us in many categories, they made shots, they guarded us. They know how to fall. They know how to get the whistle to blow. I mean, the whistle blew a lot.”
In three of their last three NCAA Tournament appearances, the Auburn Tigers have not advanced past the second round, and for the reigning SEC champions, it's starting to look like a worrying trend.