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Bruce Pearl to open Auburn career against former team

Montgomery Advertiser
By James Crepea
May 22, 2014

AUBURN -- Bruce Pearl will begin his Auburn coaching career against one of his former teams.

The Tigers will open the 2014-15 season at home against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where Pearl coached from 2001-2005, he told the Montgomery Advertiser on Thursday.

"(Milwaukee was) an NCAA Tournament opponent from a year ago," Pearl said. "That's the thing: How do you upgrade a schedule? You play teams that played in the tournament a year ago."

Milwaukee went 21-14 last season and earned the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, its first trip since 2006, with an improbable run in the conference tournament after finishing fifth during the regular season. The Panthers, a No. 15 seed, were eliminated by Villanova in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

UWM will not be able to reach the same level of success this season though, as the Panthers are ineligible for postseason play after failing to meet the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate (APR) benchmark (930). Milwaukee lost its final appeal of the postseason ban on April 9 as its four-year APR fell to 908 after a 2012-13 score of 852.

Pearl's trying to radically improve Auburn's non-conference strength of schedule and RPI, which were among the worst in the SEC under Tony Barbee. He inherited a slate with just one non-conference game scheduled (at Clemson) for the upcoming season and can't be too picky.

"I'm two games away from being finished," Pearl said of his non-conference schedule.

Pearl said he has six home games and three road games – all of which (Colorado, Texas Tech and Clemson) have been previously reported or announced – and "a couple" of neutral site games he's "working on." He hopes to add two more home games and stressed contracts and dates for the games are not done yet.

Pearl confirmed he has an agreement in place for a three-game series with Middle Tennessee, first reported by AL.com last week, that has the Blue Raiders coming to the Plains this season, with neutral site games at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in 2015 and at the Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham during the 2016-17 season. The Daily News Journal reported this year's game is tentatively set for Dec. 29.

"It's consistent with philosophically the way we'll try to schedule," Pearl said. "I want to play in Birmingham, if not every year, every other year."

Going to Nashville is important to Pearl because it is the site of the SEC tournament for nine of the next 11 seasons.

"I want to take our team, play them on that floor, play them in that arena, stay in that hotel, get them acclimated a little bit," he said. "Middle (Tennessee) is a good enough team that finishes at the top of their league. It makes a lot of sense."

The period between Thanksgiving and when Auburn's spring semester begins in mid-January is when Pearl is looking to schedule neutral site games, which are significant in improving a team's RPI.

Scheduling UAB, who like MTSU is in Conference USA, is also on Pearl's radar – but not in a home-and-home series.

"(UAB coach) Jerod (Haase) has done a great job with that program; his team is ahead of mine right now," Pearl said. "I've said we'll play two (neutral site games) for one (home game). I got a few tweets from some of the UAB fans 'Great we'll play you twice in Bartow (Arena) and once in Auburn' I thought that was great.

"Could we find a way to do something that's creative with twice at Auburn, once at Bartow and once in Birmingham and figure out a way to do it? But I'm not playing them home-and-home because I won't play Conference USA in home-and-home…(I) just try to be fair, try to be consistent."

We keep 100% of the BJCC gate, and I would be agreeable to that.

Would rather travel to Auburn than Troy.

Once at Bartow, once at the BJCC, and twice at Auburn sounds like a great deal. I'd take it all day.

(05-23-2014 02:17 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  Once at Bartow, once at the BJCC, and twice at Auburn sounds like a great deal. I'd take it all day.

I agree...we played 17 times from the early 1980's until 1999 (and lead the series 10-7)...15 years is too long and most expect Au to be MUCH improved in short order...it's not perfect but it's a lot better than traveling to Troy and Chattanooga...or hosting Florida A&M and Newberry.

He's a bit cocky saying that he won't play a CUSA team home and home. I'm sorry, but Auburn couldn't beat the top half of CUSA right now. He needs to come off that perch a little bit. Other than that, I can't wait to beat another in-State school.

(05-23-2014 02:40 PM)BandGrad Wrote:  He's a bit cocky saying that he won't play a CUSA team home and home. I'm sorry, but Auburn could beat the top half of CUSA right now. He needs to come off that perch a little bit. Other than that, I can't wait to beat another in-State school.

May have something to do with what he told MTSU (hence, the original being consistent quote)...

(05-23-2014 02:40 PM)BandGrad Wrote:  He's a bit cocky saying that he won't play a CUSA team home and home. I'm sorry, but Auburn couldn't beat the top half of CUSA right now. He needs to come off that perch a little bit. Other than that, I can't wait to beat another in-State school.

I have no problem with the statement. He admits the UAB program is better than his right now. He is trying to sell Auburn Basketball. When you aren't a top program, you have to pretend you are a top program.

Auburn fans no so little about basketball that they won't know the difference

One at Bartow, two at BJCC and one in Au

(05-23-2014 03:35 PM)mobileblazer Wrote:  One at Bartow, two at BJCC and one in Au

Ill take this option or the first we need some names on the schedule.

Take the deal and beat their brains out.

We don't need to play Auburn. Throw Samford on the schedule, and let's have the battle of Birmingham. Shoot. Add Georgia state or UT.

Bart or BJCC first or get a good buyout as they may backout if things don't go as well as they hope in playing us

Guys this is Auburn. Let me repeat myself this is Auburn we're talking about. UAB doesn't need to do a 2 for 1 or some 2 at their place and a game at the BJCC crap with Auburn for Christ's sake. Either 1 for 1 or nothing. If Pearl and Auburn wants to enhance the visibility of basketball in this state then it shouldn't matter what conference UAB plays in.

I would be all for the Hardwood Classic again if a 1 for 1 couldn't be done. But Auburn doesn't deserve a 2 for 1 one with UAB and never will deserve it!

That was my tweet. Lol.

Get the Bartow game first or build in a guarantee that is so big it really hurts for when they weasel out.

Blazerman: **** off Pearl.

I'd love to see us play Pearl anywhere, if only so that we could blow him the hell out and shut him up

I wonder what Pearl promised TJ Lang to get him to the Plains?

Don't know, but remember he originally signed with Va Tech.
Yep, Va. Tech.

(05-23-2014 06:51 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  I'd love to see us play Pearl anywhere, if only so that we could blow him the hell out and shut him up

You're not going to shut Pearl up. And quite honestly, I like Pearl. That said, UAB has more basketball history and has done more for college basketball this state than Auburn has. And UAB owns a 10-7 record against Auburn.

Other than that, UAB has nothing to prove to Pearl or Auburn. Either they want to play UAB straight up or they don't.