Full disclosure: I've become a Bruce Pearl fan.
I hadn't interacted with Auburn's coach in years. But I'm beginning to realize why schools keep hiring him. Yeah, yeah, I know he wins. But he plays the part well.
I called him a "jolly rogue" heading into Sunday's Midwest Region final. What I like most about him is that in any discussion about his coaching abilities you have to mention his NCAA issues.
If Pearl doesn't like it, he at least tolerates it. His background is part of his brand. But, good golly, can the man coach.
Auburn was probably the least likely team to come out of the Midwest Region considering, well, Kentucky, North Carolina and Houston were there too – all higher seeds.
Then, Pearl and Auburn had to play the championship game without its best inside force.
The Tigers are a team of destiny. Don't be surprised if they win it all. Wait, here's why they will win it all:
1. Jerod Harper and Bryce Brown are the best backcourt in the country: That's not me talking, that's Harper and Brown themselves.
Harper brought up the subject on the court Sunday after Midwest title game. Brown then agreed. They might not be wrong.
A couple of guys who weren't exactly top-100 prospects are fueling the Tigers. They are the heart and soul, the top two leading scorers and best ball handlers.
If Auburn is going to beat Virginia, Harper and Brown must outplay Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. I suspect they will.
To the naked eye, there are no two guards quicker down the court than Harper and Brown. That was important Sunday when Kentucky made the decision to guard the three. Pearl wisely let his guards run to the basket.
Harper scored 13 of his 26 points in the overtime. Brown threw in 24. Together, they scored 50 of Auburn's 77 points because they had to.
In the tournament Brown is averaging 18.2 points, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from the field. Harper is right behind at 17.5 and 6.5 assists.
Together, they are accounting for 42 percent of Auburn's points in the tournament.
2. Auburn can play any style: Going into the Kentucky game, there was a lot of talk about tempo.
Kentucky was going to keep it a half-court game, which was true. Except that Auburn rebounded from an early 30-20 deficit to take the game into overtime at 60-60.
That marked the first time all season the Tigers had scored 60 or less and not lost. They were totally comfortable jamming the lane and playing quality defense against the Wildcats.
Auburn will be more than comfortable playing Virginia's half-court style. The Wahoos will have to make shots against Auburn's suddenly formidable defense.
3. Auburn has weathered the loss of Chuma Okeke: So far. Auburn's best frontcourt force blew out his knee Friday.
That left the heavy lifting to guys like 6-foot-11 Austin Wiley and 6-7 Anferee McLemore. They gummed up the lane just enough to throw off Kentucky.
Auburn remains 334th in defensive rebounding (22.3 per game). It is underperforming in the tournament (20.5).
There will have to more offensive production against Virginia but if the Cavaliers want to play that style – see Kentucky – Auburn can adapt.
4. The Tigers are a team of destiny: Auburn comes into the tournament as the hottest team. The Tigers have won 12 in a row, on the way winning the SEC Tournament, knocking off those bluebloods and getting to their first Final Four.
Sunday was typical of their run -- Auburn was outshot, outrebounded and pummeled in the paint by Kentucky.
Didn't matter. Auburn is No. 1 nationally in steal percentage. It is top 10 in percentage of points from beyond the arc.
Against Kentucky, the guards got hot late and that was that. This just seems to be Auburn's time. It's not a traditional basketball school but, under Pearl, has put resources into hoops.
In this tournament, the Tigers snuck one out by a point against New Mexico State, then blew out Kansas and North Carolina.
Auburn isn't going to be intimidated by the moment. Bigger arena, bigger stakes, sure, but Pearl and the Tigers are on a roll.
5. Crank up the Pearl Jam: Auburn's coach is a force of nature, never turning down an interview.
His week in Minneapolis is going to be epic. Pearl's presence reminds me of Jim Valvano's invasion of Albuquerque in 1983. Pearl will take over the town, if not the Final Four.
Wow, the Sports Illustrated headline from back then, even fits: "How King Rat Became the Big Cheese."
That's great for the media but there's something else going on with Pearl right now. He coached Bill Self, Roy Williams and John Calipari off their feet in consecutive games.
Pearl was at his best Sunday, playing without Okeke. He correctly assumed Kentucky would go out to the arc to guard the 3-pointer. Auburn ended up tying for its second-fewest threes this season (seven). The Tigers adjusted, shooting 45 percent from inside the arc.
Get ready: You've never heard "War Eagle" before this loud at a basketball game.
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