Auburn HC Bruce Pearl: 'We need more balance'

The number one Auburn Tigers went in Arkansas on a 19-game winning streak Tuesday night. Facing a deafening crowd and a motivated Razorbacks squad the Tigers took Arkansas to overtime where they would eventually fall 80-76. After the game Coach Bruce Pearl had this to say.

Opening Statement

Arkansas played well they played hard. I thought we played well defensively. We held AK to 34% shooting but sent them to the line 32 times. We didn’t get there but 17 ourselves and we didn’t convert. Walker Kessler was amazing with 7 blocks. Obviously, Jabari made some good shots and Wendell was a tough cover, but we turned it over too much. Arkansas did a good job turning us over they got points off their turnovers. For us, it’s always the sum of our parts when we play well, and when we don’t, which has been the last two games, we don’t need two or three guys to carry us, and tonight that’s what we looked like. We need more balance, and we didn’t have it for some reason. We need a couple of other guys to contribute that’s when we’re at our best.

On getting Jabari Smith in the flow of the game early

Jabari got 16 shots, but we got to do a better job getting him in some play-making situations where his assist-turnover ratios have a chance to be better. It was loud in here and it was tough to communicate, in the first half we never got on the same page. Allen Flannigan paid some point guard tonight. It was a position he played some last year. It was tough but I got to look at if playing him at one and the wing if that’s too much because he’s our starting wingman.

On KD Johnson’s struggles

He obviously one of our best players. We definitely need him at both ends of the floor to be successful.

On the SEC race down the stretch

There are a lot of good games in our league, and we know we don’t have a margin for error. We don’t see Kentucky losing much. We worked hard to put ourselves in this position.

On the last play at the end of regulation

We had a play set up and Wendell could’ve gotten downhill with the ball screen but chose to pull. If he makes it we win.

On the atmosphere and being worthy of storming the court

I was proud to be number one. We haven’t lost since November. We understand the prize on our head, it's very difficult on the road. Congratulations to Arkansas. It’s hard to believe we’re the first number one team to come in here. We worked pretty hard to put ourselves in this position, but it was tough.

On the key getting offensive flow in the second half

We made a few shots, but we were much more organized with the offense in front of our bench. We weren’t in the first half. That’s on me and my point guards to do a better job of getting us organized. We had some advantages in the half-court that we didn’t take advantage of. Give Arkansas credit for turning us over 19 times. They scored 24 off turnovers we scored 10.

Auburn Basketball will face Texas A&M Saturday at Neville Arena.