Bruce Pearl and the 25th-ranked Auburn men’s basketball team traveled to Arkansas on Saturday afternoon to begin SEC play, and the Tigers left with the Razorbacks’ most lopsided home loss in program history, defeating the Razorbacks 83-51.
Here’s everything Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman said in his frustrated post-game press conference.
What happened in the second half that caused things to get away?
“We are rather disheartened with the performance from players 1 through 14 tonight. Despite having a fantastic crowd, it’s essential to grasp the challenges presented by the SEC—its intense competition, physicality, and the strong will to win. Credit must be given to Auburn; they decisively outplayed us. Unfortunately, our team does not reflect the competitive and defensive standards we’ve meticulously built over the last four years. The commitment to loose balls is also lacking. In light of this, we need to assess and address our current situation. Some players had opportunities but failed to capitalize on them. Our passing accuracy fell short at 165 passes, below our target of 200. The foundation we thought was special has not been upheld by this group of players. Consequently, we must strive to make the best of our current situation and work towards restoring the tradition we’ve built.”
Was there anything positive in a game like this? At least in the first 20 minutes?
“I thought we did well in the first half.” We weren’t great, but we played well enough to give ourselves a chance. I didn’t play well at the end of the first half. “Just the competitive fiber wasn’t there for 40 minutes.”
Inaudible question
“We discussed it several times. They’re the type of team that will put you on the line. They do allow rim shots while being excellent rim protectors. Again, I thought we played pretty well, decently, okay, whatever adjective you want to use… survived… the first 16 minutes. Following that… I mean, I’ve coached for a long time and I don’t recall ever having a home game like this. Since I’ve been coaching, whether in the minor leagues or elsewhere, we’ve had fans who paid big money to see the game, people who drove long distances… it’s practically a packed house.”
On Arkansas’ pattern of not closing out the back quarter of a half
Understanding the significance of the matter has been extensively emphasized. The concept of winning is repeatedly underscored—have you become accustomed to achieving victory? Is winning an inherent part of your character? Recognizing the crucial nature of actions such as diving for a loose ball in the final two minutes of a half is essential. The opponent, Auburn, boasts a roster filled with experienced players who have secured numerous victories. Notably, players like Jaylin Williams performed admirably. Initially, we effectively contained Johni Broome in the first half, but his dominance became apparent in the second half, making it seem like we were reluctant to defend him. Some of the statistics, particularly the plus-minus values for our team members, were unprecedented and disappointing from a competitive standpoint. As a competitor, the outcome leaves me disheartened. Beyond expressing disappointment, it’s challenging to articulate additional sentiments, except to highlight the distinction between the competitive nature displayed in practice and the dynamics of actual games.
Are you confident things can be fixed?
“How could I possibly know?” All I know is that I need to talk about and address them.”
On Auburn being dominant in the paint
“I simply didn’t think… Paint points come in two varieties: they come off dribble drives and they come off post-ups. They harmed us in both ways. I’ll take you all the way back to Year 1. That bunch realized that we had to guard the three, and even if we lose 28-1 on the glass or whatever, we still have a chance to win because they understood. On either side of the ball, this bunch has no idea what its identity is. So we just have to keep trying to figure it out and talking about it. I’m not sure if it will be resolved.”
On Saturday being the most lopsided loss in Bud Walton
“Ever? Or during my tenure?”
No, ever
“That’s a pretty daring statement.” And it’s true. I’m not sure what that signifies in that locker room. I understand what it means to me. I am familiar with the program’s history. I have a great deal of respect for everyone who has coached or played here. That’s a bold claim.”
On the impact of Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara
“Was it mentioned that they run a pick-and-roll on the right wing for him to get to the middle and shoot his pull-up jump shot?” Yes, it was mentioned at least a hundred times. But he still went to his sweet spot, and I felt he played incredibly hard and aggressively.”
Is the struggle of Arkansas’ offense a result of Arkansas’ struggling defense?
“Yeah, I certainly believe that if you can generate some offense, it helps on the other side of the ball.” We played poorly on both sides of the ball. Since I’ve been here, I’m presuming the 165 passes are an all-time low.”
How deflating is it that Auburn’s bench could be so impactful?
“Their bench has an impact every night.” So, no, we never discussed Broome having zero points and what we’d do if he did… Just stick to the gameplan and the pattern of what we did in the first half. And perhaps the outcome would have been different in the second half.”
On what he sees in Arkansas’ struggling transition defense
“We’ve encountered challenges defensively across the board. Whether it’s struggles with pick-and-rolls or the impact of shot selection on our transition defense, the deficiencies were evident. When you lose by 30, each player could identify a different aspect, and they would all be accurate. We performed poorly in various areas – be it transition defense or individual player performances like Johni Broome in the second half. The bottom line is, we were subpar, and significant improvement is imperative for us to compete in this league. We need to become more competitive and elevate our overall performance. In summary, our play was substandard in multiple facets, and there’s a lot of work ahead to address these issues.”