NCAA Men's Championship: Final Four Monday, April 1, 2019 Minneapolis, Minnesota Bruce Pearl Auburn Tigers our opponents over to get some offense out of our defense. THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to this year's Final Four coaches media Q. Hi, Bruce. I was actually just wondering, on teleconference. We have on the line waiting Coach Twitter last night, you kind of caused a bit of a Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers, champions of the social media stir with all the GIFs of you and your Midwest Regional. Without further ado, we'll turn it reactions on the sideline. People thought that was over to question and answers. really interesting. I'm curious, number one, if you've seen that, and number two, how much that Q. Good afternoon, Coach. I'm curious, as you've personality or high energy plays into your had a chance to maybe look at Virginia a little bit, coaching. you guys with your three-point shooting BRUCE PEARL: Yeah, I haven't seen it, but you talk propensity, then with the pack-line defense, how do about my facial expressions or my mannerisms or you see that matchup playing out? things like that? BRUCE PEARL: Yeah, Mike, thanks. Honestly, we got back last night, and we've just had a little bit of time this Q. Exactly. Just like the kind of high-energy morning to begin to look at Virginia. So I know that just reaction you have. from a standpoint of defensively they allow just 29 BRUCE PEARL: Yeah, come to practice, and that's percent shooting from three, they've got big guards and exactly what it is, or come watch me before a Division II so they're able to extend enough defensively to exhibition game. When the clock starts and the game challenge shots. is on and we're practicing or playing, that's who I am. The buzzer sounds, and I'm -- it shuts down. But for 40 You know, we don't see the pack line as much in the minutes or however long we're going to go, it's going to SEC as they do in the ACC. So I know it will be a real be intense. It's going to be the same. My guys don't challenge for us. Sometimes we play against teams see any difference in a big game or small game or that do a lot of switching, take away the three ball, and game in March -- or in this case it's going to be April. you've just got to find other ways to be able to score. My son often tells the players: Listen, try not to pay too Q. Yeah, hi, Bruce. Kind of like flipping that much attention to how he's saying it but listen to what previous question around, obviously, Virginia, he's saying. known for its defense, but offensively their efficiency numbers are up across the board this So, yeah, I guess I kind of let it all hang out. year. I think they're second in the country in offensive efficiency. Any thoughts on what kind of Q. Obviously, a breakthrough season for both the makes them a better offensive team this season Auburn program and for you. I'm just curious if than maybe in years past? there's anyone you've leaned on maybe for advice BRUCE PEARL: Well, I think they've got some great on how to handle the atmosphere of the Final Four balance, and they do have a number of guys that can -- the logistics, the planning, everything going into and will shoot the three ball with great percentages. I it -- and how to approach it with your team. mean, Guy and Hunter and Jerome, those guys will all BRUCE PEARL: You know, Kevin, I haven't talked to shoot it and shoot it with pretty good percentages. anybody that's been to a Final Four yet, specifically They do a really good job of getting to the free-throw about that. My approach is going to try to be to just do line, and they convert at 74 percent. They're an what we do, keep it the same. We've been to the SEC excellent free-throw shooting team. They value Tournament in Nashville, and that had a real possessions. atmosphere to it, and the first and second round in Utah, in the regional finals in Kansas City, and I just And probably the most important thing, they only turn think the routine that we try to keep, the pace we try to the ball over nine times a game, and we are a defense keep from when we practice, the media, the hotels -- that kind of -- or a team that relies on being able to turn you know, you're busy, and the kids are busy. You just

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 18:26:00 GMT page 1 of 4 kind of grind like you do all season long. have had the advantage in some ways because Kentucky's got a great backcourt, but that experience So my thought would be, again, as far as our best way definitely was able to play itself out. to prepare is to not do anything different. Now, today, because we traveled in last night, today we're going to Q. Coach, I'm looking back through some old have a 3:00 meeting, kind of set the tone for the rest of records here and trying to determine if you the week. The guys will do some rehab, but it will be a coached against Tony as a head coach or an day off today. assistant and if you had any other kind of relationship with him, maybe recruiting-wise, et We won't practice at all. I probably won't talk to them cetera. at all about Virginia or the teams in this tournament. BRUCE PEARL: No, I don't think I've played against Just because I'd like to let their minds kind of relax a him. When I say "think," that's just because I'm 59 and little bit. We don't play until Saturday. When you're in I forget things, but I don't think we've coached against tournament play, these turnarounds are quick. So each other. I was a head coach at the University of they're really used to processing information in a short Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and, of course, Dick is a legend period of time. in Wisconsin basketball for sure, all those years, I believe at Stevens Point, and one of the very first I'm afraid, if I told them anything about Virginia today, it videotapes I ever bought was Dick Bennett's man-to- would be lost by Saturday. So, yeah, just try to do what man defense. And believe it or not, it was about we always do, and I'd say that's the best way for the pressuring the ball at the nine or putting in the box, players to handle it. keeping it in the box, sending everything to the baseline. Q. Congratulations on being a first timer -- to helping Auburn be a first timer to the Final Four. And then many years later, he completely turned that BRUCE PEARL: Thank you. around and created the pack-line defense -- sending at middle, getting into gaps, not extending catches quite Q. There have been several teams in recent years, as much. It was a complete and total reversal. I first timers. What do you think is behind that? adopted his first tape, and in many ways still keep And do you think it has anything to do with the some of those same principles. I would say Dick one-and-done phenomenon creating a little more Bennett taught me, through clinics and tapes, a lot of parity in college hoops at the highest level? how we try to guard even still to this day. BRUCE PEARL: I got asked this question a little bit when I was in Kansas City, and I think the best way for The other thing is Dick's daughter Kathi was a head me to explain it is that on every McDonald All- basketball coach in Evansville, at the University of American's AAU team, and sometimes on several of Evansville. I had been at Southern Indiana for a few the high school teams, there are more good players on years prior to her getting there. For one reason or their teams than just those kids. There are more another, we bumped into each other in town early on, players that are taking it seriously, that are getting their and I just -- recognizing the family and some of the body developed, that understand the value of a connection there, we became friends. I hope in some personal trainer or a skill coach. ways I tried to make her transition to Evansville a smoother one even though we were at different schools So, yes, there is more parity because there are more and still stayed in touch a bit over the years. good players, and so you're able to see, for example, my team. When we play against Kentucky and we play So I would say some combinations of Evansville and against P.J. Washington, for example, our kids have Milwaukee, there are some distant connections played against him before at lots of different levels, and between the Bennetts and the Pearls, and tremendous he's -- you know, like he did yesterday, has gotten the respect going this way. better of his matchup. Q. Bruce, it might be hard to address in a But our guys aren't intimidated in the sense that, take it conference call setting, but can you describe when the other way, Jared Harper or , my two Jared and Bryce kind of separately came on your guards -- more so in Jared's case because he played radar, to the point now -- I think you saw that Jared at a little higher level in the AAU circuit. He's played said we're the best backcourt in the country last against all those great guards in the different levels of night. competition. So therefore, his experience yesterday, BRUCE PEARL: Well, starting with Bryce, Bryce was my backcourt's experience yesterday -- Bryce Brown, a ranked someplace in the mid-300s as far as a high senior; Jared Harper, a junior -- I think we may not school prospect was concerned. My assistant, Harris

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 18:26:00 GMT page 2 of 4 Adler, at the time, had seen Bryce sort of off the Thanks to him and Bryce and several others, we've beaten path on a very lower level AAU team, and he become competitive. said to me, I think this kid is a lot better than what he's rated. So we invited him to come to our elite camp, Q. Coach, I'm curious with the veteran makeup of which was going to be -- and, of course, that invitation your roster, obviously, that's a big help. How has it goes to everybody, but he took us up on it. been an impact for you in this tournament? BRUCE PEARL: Mike, I think the biggest impact, as far I didn't like him when he first saw him, I loved him, and as our roster is concerned, before Chuma went down, I had already offered the scholarship at his position to a we were playing ten guys double-digit minutes. Now, young man named Jacob Evans, who was down in Chuma was probably playing 32, 33 minutes. He was Louisiana, and we were competing with LSU and our and still is our most valuable player. But then when Cincinnati and a few other schools for Jacob, but I he went down in the game against , we couldn't offer Bryce a scholarship that I'd promised to got down to nine -- and when I say "got down to nine," somebody else. some people think nine's a lot, but it isn't for me. I've always played nine, ten guys double-digit minutes. I But I told Bryce and his family in August, I said, I don't think it makes for a healthy locker room. And when think we're going to get Jacob, but I'm not going to pull your guys begin to trust and rely on each other, it the offer. Would you consider waiting a little while and makes you, I think, a little bit more of a dangerous see how that thing plays out? Because I promise you, team. if he doesn't take it, I want you to take it. Bryce had agreed to not sign with anybody else until we were able That said, if Bryce Brown and Jared Harper as to let him know what we were going to do, and a few experienced guards don't step up and really have two weeks later I offered him that scholarship because great games, we don't have a chance to get by a really Jacob Evans went to Cincinnati and was a great player good Kentucky team. and had a great career. So their experience -- and the last thing I'll say about So, yes, I'd like to give Harris Adler credit for seeing experience is this: Last year, when we got down to him, liking him, and I'll take some credit for loving him. seven scholarship players and we had a number of key injuries, we got destroyed by Clemson in the second And then Jared Harper, my assistant, Tony Jones, at round, and we just were absolutely unable to be the time, had seen Jared first, and Tony -- Tony's competitive, and our guys, from that moment forward, brother Bill had played for me at Iowa, and we had our goal this year was unfinished business. smaller guards at Iowa -- B.J. Armstrong, they were familiar in my days at College, John Bagley, When Auburn goes to the NCAA Tournament for the Michael Adams, smaller guards, and he said, I think first time since 2003 a year ago and wins a regular you're going to like this kid. season championship, which only happened for the third time in school history, you wouldn't think the kids So I went to see him play late in his junior year in high would be talking about unfinished business. You'd school, and I loved him. He was great. And I told Tony think they'd be slapping themselves on the back and that, If we don't get him now, he won't make it through pretty proud of what they had accomplished. It was the summer. Others will see it. Let's try to get this historic a year ago. Not this group. done. And so the reason sometimes some of the kids that are So we brought Jared into Auburn and had a visit, and I coming in at freshmen haven't been able to advance just asked him point blank, I said, Do you think past a certain round and not get to the Final Four, win Kentucky, Florida, or Georgia -- three other schools he a National Championship, is because they don't have probably would have loved to have gone as a kid from the experience of having not gotten there. , or even probably Georgia Tech -- are going to offer you a scholarship? And he said, No, probably Virginia had the experience of not getting there a year not. And I said, Well, I am, and I want you to be my ago. That experience has helped them grind through point guard of the future. this tremendous run they've had. That experience we had a year ago of not being able to advance through I think because he realized he may not get offered by the tournament helped us as well. those other schools, who were bigger and better than us at the time, and he said, All right. I'm going to take THE MODERATOR: Coach Pearl, thank you for your this. I'll take you at your word. And I promised him, if time. Safe travels to Minneapolis. We'll see you in a he came, we probably could be competitive. few days.

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 18:26:00 GMT page 3 of 4 BRUCE PEARL: We're very excited about being able to represent the SEC in the Midwest region.

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