"Nobody played Georgia tougher": Tigers NCAAB HC Bruce Pearl praises Hugh Freeze and massive fanbase at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl recently sang the praises of Tigers football coach Hugh Freeze. While discussing Auburn's great home-court advantage, he also talked about Freeze's first season coaching after being hired in November 2022 following Bryan Harsin's dismissal.

During an appearance on "College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein," Pearl highlighted how Freeze's first season was not an overall success, but his team showed flashes of strong coaching.

"Hugh Freeze in his first year, they (Auburn Tigers) struggled," Bruce Pearl said. "They had Alabama ... we were going to win that game. Nobody played Georgia tougher, both times in Jordan-Hare Stadium."

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Pearl, who led Auburn basketball to a strong 14-2 start, lamented the football team's November Iron Bowl loss to Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide their 50th victory in the matchup. The Tigers took a 24-20 lead into the fourth quarter but failed to score a touchdown in the final frame and blew their lead, falling to Alabama 27-24.

Bruce Pearl also shed light on how the Tigers were the toughest competition all season for the then-No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs when they played at Jordan-Hare Stadium in September. Though Auburn finished the season 6-7, it led the then-reigning national champions 10-0 after the first quarter before blowing the lead and losing 27-20.

Despite losses to Alabama and Georgia, Pearl said these tight games demonstrated Freeze's ability to maximize the squad's potential. While discussing Freeze's first season coaching the Tigers, the 63-year-old further shed light on Auburn's spirited fanbase and intimidating home advantage at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"The environment here is just so conducive," Bruce Pearl said. "And the spirit and the support of the Auburn family, it's just as good as anywhere in the country, and that gives us a great opportunity."

Auburn football went 5-7 in 2023, only slightly improving from its 2022 season under Bryan Harsin. The Tigers last had a winning season in 2020 with Gus Malzahn. However, a resurgence can be led with Hugh Freeze at the helm, aided by the team's formidable home advantage at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Bruce Pearl predicts competition to get tougher for the Tigers as they get into the thick of SEC play

Auburn Tigers HC Bruce Pearl

No. 13 Auburn men's basketball has gotten off to a tremendous start this season, going 14-2 in its first 16 games and riding a nine-game winning streak. However, coach Bruce Pearl anticipates tougher competition ahead as the Tigers dive into Southeastern Conference play, beginning with a matchup against Vanderbilt on the road Wednesday night.

"Our next four games, I would anticipate all four of them being much closer and us being involved in situations that we’ve hardly been involved in this year," Pearl said Monday. "Those are the kinds of things we’re preparing for."

While Auburn has fared well against its next four opponents in recent years, going 23-17 over the past 10 matchups, Bruce Pearl knows each game presents unique difficulties. Vanderbilt, in particular, has been a challenging venue for the Tigers, who are just 2-4 at Memorial Gym under Pearl and 2-8 over their last 10 trips to Nashville dating back to 2008.

After the Vanderbilt contest, Auburn will return home to face No. 22 Ole Miss on Jan. 20, which will be a reunion with former Auburn forward Allen Flanigan and his father Wes, who played for the Tigers in the 1990s.

Auburn will then hit the road again, first heading to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama, followed by a matchup against Mississippi State, who won against a then-top-five Tennessee squad at home last week.