: Moment of truth here for Auburn, Bruce Pearl/other stuff

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Auburn Basketball

Goodman: Moment of truth here for Auburn, Bruce Pearl

Updated: Feb. 19, 2024, 8:26 a.m.|

Published: Feb. 19, 2024, 7:53 a.m.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl speaks with players before an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina. The Tigers have five games left before the SEC tournament. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)AP

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By

Joseph Goodman | jgoodman@al.com

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This is an opinion column.

______________________

The SEC was shut out of the Final Four in 2023, but there are a handful of teams in the league this season that can make extended runs in the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn remains in that group despite the knee injury to forward Jaylin Williams, but the moment of truth for this team is here after its surprising loss to Kentucky. That it can even be characterized as a “surprising” loss speaks volumes to the state of basketball in Auburn and the SEC.

With three weeks left in conference play, the top of the SEC standings look like this: Alabama (18-7, 10-2), Tennessee (19-6, 9-3), South Carolina (21-5, 9-4), Auburn (20-6, 9-4), Florida (18-7, 8-4) and Kentucky (18-7, 8-4).

Alabama’s next five games are against teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament. That’s tough. Auburn’s slate isn’t as bad, and the Tigers have a full week off after the reality check by Kentucky. What happens between now and Saturday’s game at Georgia could define the rest of the season for coach Bruce Pearl’s talented team.

Edited February 20 by aubiefifty

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al.com

Bruce Pearl explains why he thinks Jaylin Williams' knee injury wasn't more serious

Updated: Feb. 19, 2024, 1:58 p.m.|Published: Feb. 19, 2024, 1:46 p.m.

~4 minutes

Auburn's Jaylin Williams injures knee against Kentucky

By

Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

In terms of knee injuries, Auburn’s Jaylin Williams appeared to have among the more serious ones Saturday night in the 70-59 loss to Kentucky.

The silver lining on an otherwise disappointing night was the fact the forward’s injury wasn’t as ugly as it looked. The school announced Sunday it wasn’t in the season-ending category and on Monday, coach Bruce Pearl spoke with AL.com about the situation before speaking at the Birmingham Tip Off Club.

Pearl said he didn’t have a timetable for when Williams (averaging 13 points, 4.7 rebounds a game) would be back on the floor after Sunday’s MRI. He’s just amazed Williams’ knee survived such a brutal confluence of events.

“I think it’s a real tribute to Jaylin and our strength coach, Damon Davis because that thing came down really awkwardly and pivoted. But the fact he’s so well-trained and the fact he’s really and truly been under the care of a great strength coach allowed that thing … the muscle was able to take over.

“If it was me, I would have broken it right and half and it would have ripped everything apart.”

The injury occurred when Williams drove the baseline in the second half of Saturday night’s game. He jumped to dunk the ball but was blocked at the rim by 7-foot Wildcat Ugonna Onyenso.

Williams landed awkwardly as his right knee appeared to buckle on impact with the Neville Arena hardwood. It didn’t look good as Williams was helped to the locker room without putting any weight on his injured leg.

That made Sunday’s news a bit of a boost after an otherwise disappointing night.

“Yes, surprised and pleased,” Pearl said Monday. “Obviously pleased for Auburn basketball just to get him back later in the year and pleased for him just that it won’t be setting him back in his career at all.”

On the topic of the loss itself, Pearl said Auburn played well enough defensively to be in position to win.

“We missed some shots we would normally make or need to make and open shots,” Pearl said. “Holding them to 20 points below their average, holding them to only four 3-pointers when they average eight or nine, it was still the way to beat them defensively. We did fine there but our offense let us down and that’s my responsibility.”

It ended a 17-game home-court winning streak for an Auburn team coming off Neville Arena wins over Alabama (99-81) and South Carolina (101-61).

“I mean, you’re playing Kentucky,” Pearl said. “You know Big Blue Nation needed that one and they had lost three games at home. Look, it was a big game for both of us. For us it could cost us the ability to win the championship. But I’m really happy with our team.

“Our kids were picked in the middle of the league and they’re playing up at the top still but we’re going to be challenged right out without one of our top players in Jaylin Williams.”

Auburn returns to the floor at 5 p.m. CT Saturday with a road game at Georgia.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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al.com

Auburn falls one spot in AP top 25 after loss to Kentucky

Updated: Feb. 19, 2024, 12:09 p.m.|Published: Feb. 19, 2024, 12:07 p.m.

2–3 minutes

Bruce Pearl shakes John Calipari's hand after Auburn's loss to Kentucky, Wildcats leave court

After Auburn’s worst performance at home this season, the Tigers fell one spot in the Associated Press poll released Monday, and are now ranked No. 14.

Auburn was ranked No. 13 last week, and beat now-No. 20 South Carolina by 40 at Neville Arena before losing to now-No. 17 Kentucky by 11 on Saturday.

Auburn is now 20-6 overall this season and 9-4 in the SEC — two games back of the conference leader, Alabama. Before the loss to Kentucky, the NCAA Selection Committee revealed Auburn as a projected No. 4 seed in its mid-season bracket reveal.

Of Auburn’s six losses, five of those teams are either ranked or receiving votes. Mississippi State is the only exception.

The biggest Auburn news from the last week though surrounds the health of star forward Jaylin Williams. Williams suffered a knee injury in the second half of Auburn’s loss to Kentucky, which the school confirmed will not end his season. It is unclear exactly how long he will be out for. No diagnosis has been announced.

Chaney Johnson — who transferred to Auburn before this season from Division II Alabama-Huntsville — will likely start in Williams’ place.

Auburn does not have a mid-week game this week, and is off until traveling to face Georgia on Saturday in Athens, Georgia.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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