When college basketball analyst and former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was criticized for his comments a couple of weeks ago against Miami (Ohio), it opened some eyes. He commented that if the RedHawks lost in their MAC Tournament, they might not have been deserving of an at-large bid.
After finishing the regular season undefeated, Miami (Ohio) lost in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament to UMass. However, that loss on Thursday afternoon sparked the debate as to whether or not they should be, with the consensus being that they should be.
Pearl’s comments were centered around the fact that Auburn, which is coached by his son Steven, was 17-16 at the end of the regular season and squarely on the bubble. He caught heat comparing a 31-0 team to a 17-16, which he coached last season. In the end, Miami (Ohio) got in, and Auburn, which lost to Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament, didn’t.
However, after the bracket was released, Pearl was catching some strays from SMU Andy Enfield.
SMU Coach Andy Enfield Throws Shade at Bruce Pearl
Miami (Ohio) at 31-1 was placed into the “First Four” in Dayton and will play SMU out of the ACC on Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. EST. The Mustangs were a bubble team with Auburn on Selection Sunday, but they got the bid over the Tigers. Meeting the media after the announcement of the 68-team field, SMU coach Andy Enfield threw some subtle shade at Pearl.
“I think they deserve to be in the tournament. They went 31-0. Some (Miami critics) just need to be quiet on the air sometimes. I think Miami of Ohio deserves to be there. They’re an outstanding team. They share the basketball. They shoot 3s. And to go 31-0 in the regular season is incredible. And so I have all the respect in the world (for Miami),” said Enfield.
Shots fired. Enfield knows where the RedHawks are coming from. He coached at Florida Gulf Coast and knows how hard it is for schools like Miami (Ohio) to get an at-large bid, never mind go 31-0 in the regular season.
“I coached at Florida Gulf Coast my first head job,” Enfield continued. “You go 31-0 at that level of college basketball, you deserve to be there. We’re certainly not going to take them lightly because they’re not in a power conference. But they’re an outstanding basketball team.”
Bruce Pearl Catching Strays From Across College Basketball
Enfield wasn’t the only one taking subtle shots at Bruce Pearl. UMBC, which won the America East Conference Tournament, took to their X account for a subtle jab at Auburn’s former coach.
The strays kept coming. They will throughout the tournament and beyond. It didn’t help that Pearl was outspoken about his former team with his son at the helm. However, Bruce Pearl is never going to change. It also didn’t help the Pearls that Auburn’s men’s basketball X account kept dropping social media posts throughout the day on Sunday about their résumé.
The 68-team field is set, and Auburn is off to the NIT. We’ll see how things play out, and there will still be subtle jabs for a while. However, Bruce Pearl backed off his stance and said the RedHawks deserved to be in. Funny how things change.
SMU Coach Dunks on Bruce Pearl Over Miami (Ohio) Comments