"We helped our league": Bruce Pearl acknowledges being "concerned" about grueling schedule but clinches stunning win over ranked Purdue
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl spoke about how he was nervous about the difficulty of his team's schedule after his second-ranked team dominated the No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers 87-68 on Saturday. But he also said the schedule helped the Southeastern Conference, which has five teams ranked in the top seven, with the win.
“We beat a good basketball team, but we beat a great basketball program,” Pearl said. “I’m really proud of our league. I was concerned about the toughness of our schedule. If we couldn’t handle it, we could’ve hurt our league. But we didn’t. We helped our league, and that matters to me a great deal."
Last season, he realised he needed to make a change. He needed to build a tougher nonconference schedule to better prepare his team for deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s game proved that his plan is working, as the Tigers beat Purdue 87-69 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
The win gave Auburn (11-1) six victories against top-tier quad-1 teams. The Tigers are 4-1 against teams ranked in the AP Poll. Eight SEC teams are ranked in the top 17. Plus, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Missouri are the top vote-getters outside of the Top 25.
Bruce Pearl's plan working for Auburn Tigers
Bruce Pearl and the Tigers' success against Purdue (8-4) came down to strong defense. The Boilermakers were held to just 39.0% shooting, including 34.8% from 3-point range. Auburn also capitalized on Purdue’s 12 turnovers, turning them into 23 points, and won the defensive rebounding battle 27-20.
"We stuck to our defensive plan and made things tough for Purdue," Pearl said. "They’re better shooting 3s than 2s, so we forced them into tough 2-point shots. They made some, but they missed enough for us to control the game."
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, Auburn has the 11th-toughest overall schedule and the 10th most challenging non-conference slate. Their 11-1 record against this competition is the best in the nation.
Bruce Pearl and the Tigers will take a brief break before hosting Monmouth on Dec. 30 for their final nonconference matchup. SEC play tips off on Jan. 4, when Auburn will host Missouri.