PHOTO: Auburn coach Bruce Pearl sends a hilarious threat to those who can't guard on his squad

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has never been one to mince words, and his latest message on social media might just be his funniest yet. Pearl jokingly issued a warning to anyone who cannot hold their own in his team, posting a photo on X of two people enjoying a water tubing adventure.

In the picture, however, both were struggling to hold on to the tube. The man on the right seemed to be holding on for dear life as the speed of the tube almost flung him across the water.

Bruce Pearl wrote in the caption:

“This how imma treat you if you can't guard!”

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The post caught the attention of college basketball fans for its humour. It is indicative of the kind of energy and culture Pearl wants to foster at Auburn.

Auburn proved once again that it can compete with anyone on both ends of the floor, finishing the 2024-25 season with a 32–6 record and claiming the SEC regular-season crown and a Final Four spot. Offensively, they averaged 83 points per game. But it was their commitment to team defense that really powered key wins in SEC play, allowing only a 69.4 points average.

Since arriving in 2014, Pearl has completely transformed Auburn into a perennial NCAA Tournament contender. The Tigers’ Final Four run in 2019 and 2025 remains a high point in his career. Pearl’s consistency in keeping the program nationally relevant has earned him wide praise.

Bruce Pearl seals commitment from Serbian big man Filip Jovic

This offseason, Pearl has been busy reloading his squad through the transfer portal. Auburn lost key players due to graduation and the NBA draft, creating a need for a roster overhaul.

However, they have added several impact players like Keyshawn Hall, KeShawn Murphy and Elyjah Freeman, who are all expected to contribute immediately.

On Wednesday, he added another piece of the puzzle with the commitment of 6-foot-9 Serbian forward Filip Jovic from KK Mega SuperBet in the FIBA Europe League.

Jovic averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22.1 minutes per game this year.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder