The Auburn Tigers got the job done in the first game of the NCAA Tournament by defeating the Alabama State Hornets, but not exactly how anyone expected. The final score shows that the Tigers won handily, but the game for much of the first half felt closer than it should've been.
In fact, the Hornets had a chance to take the lead late in the first half. The Tigers wound up going on a 9-0 run to close out the half and won by 20 points, but again, that first half was a lot closer than any No. 1 seed would hope for when facing off against a No. 16 seed.
Given how poorly Auburn played for almost half of Thursday's game, assistant coach Steven Pearl, son of head coach Bruce Pearl, ripped a couple of the team's players after the contest.
“Johni [Broome] and Chad [Baker-Mazara] have to be better. They have to be better in all aspects of the game. If they are not, we will not win. I’d imagine Coach will challenge them pretty hard right now. They didn’t bring it tonight and I have no idea why. No idea,” Steven Pearl said.
Steven Pearl rips Johni Broome, Auburn after slogging through first-round win
Based on how those two individuals played, Pearl has a point. Broome, one of the best players in college basketball during the regular season, had 14 points (down from his regular season average of 18.7) and 11 rebounds. Baker-Mazara had five points (down from his regular season average of 12.4) and three assists. Those two players were Auburn's leading scorers from the regular season, and they were both subpar by their standards on Thursday.
They were able to win the game, and do so comfortably, but that speaks to their talent level more than the effort they displayed. They're supremely talented and can beat any team in the country realistically, but talent alone doesn't win the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers were able to push through the first round without facing any real danger, but their road becomes a lot tougher in the second round, with No. 9 Creighton waiting for them. The Bluejays might be a low-ish seed, but as we saw in their first-round game, they're also supremely talented and must be taken seriously.
For the Tigers to win against Creighton and make a legitimate run at a National Championship, they'll not only need to play well, but will need to play their hardest. That means everyone, including Broome, has to step up.