Auburn’s fall from grace was something that no one saw coming. The Tigers, who were once deemed majestic, hovering above everyone else, are now a shell of their former selves, groveling in the mud, and will now have to get things in order before facing Mark Pope’s Kentucky.

With a 14-12 record and a consecutive five-game losing streak, Auburn is fighting to stay in contention. Now that is raising some big-time questions as to whether Steven Pearl is the right man for the role. Basketball analyst Rob Dauster feels that there is a certain level of disconnect that the players feel with Steven.

“I like Stephen, man, but I don’t know if these players necessarily will fight for him the way they fought for Bruce. This feels like a spot where Kentucky can kind of figure it out and get right,” Dauster said on the Field of 68 podcast as he gave his honest opinion on the matter.

“Bruce Pearl retires at the absolute last minute, leaves Auburn no choice. If they wanna retain the guys they’ve gotten and brought in, obviously. And this was like if you were skeptical of this move, this is exactly why, because now we’re sitting in a situation where Auburn’s 14 and 12,” his co-host John also seconded his opinion and further added on how Auburn’s twist of fate came about with the coaching change.

The transition has been anything but smooth, derailing a team that looked like a contender just a season ago. Mind you, this was the same team that made it to the Final Four last season, and here they are now, unsure what the future holds for them. Kentucky coach Mark Pope must be counting his lucky stars because after two losses, he now has a clear chance to get back in the win column.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Bruce Pearl’s abrupt retirement left Auburn without time to find a suitable replacement. Steven worked as an assistant under his father at the time, and that played a huge role in his getting the job. Auburn athletics director John Cohen announced Steven Pearl’s appointment with a five-year contract, ushering in a new era for the program.

But now Steven will have to prepare himself to get his squad up and running against a very game Mark Pope, who is also desperate to get a win.

Steven Pearl Looks To End Winless Drought Against Kentucky

When your back is against the wall, you are in desperate need of a miracle, and Steven Pearl certainly needs one to stay on course. The Tigers are now in the midst of a five-game losing streak, coming off their 91-85 loss to Mississippi State. Obviously, keeping high morale is a challenge in this situation, but Pearl is an exception.

“This has been a resilient group. We had a great practice [Thursday]. If you were in the building, the energy was like we had won five in a row. It’s commendable. I think they’ve done just a good job of blocking out the noise and trying to stay present in what we’re doing and recognizing that there are a lot of things that we’ve got to get better at,” Pearl said on how the team is keeping up.

Well, the team needs that confidence after everything that it is going through right now. Last season under Bruce Pearl, this same team was standing at 24-2 at this point, making it a strong claim for championship contention. This year, this team is far from being its usual best.

Internal disciplinary issues, most recently with Keyshawn Hall, and inconsistency in performances have all made things difficult for Steven Pearl.

Mark Pope’s season has in no way been perfect either, but it has been far better than what Pearl Jr has been able to do with his team. Just like Steven, Mark also had to navigate new roads at Kentucky in his second year with the college program.

Kentucky’s best player is preseason conference player of the year Otega Oweh, who averages a team-high 17.4 points per game this season and is shooting 48.1% from the floor. Oweh is averaging 22 points in his last five conference games, as Kentucky has gone 3-2 during that stretch.

Oweh is one player that Pearl has to monitor closely. Steven already did his homework on the threat and revealed his plans. “I think he shoots 75% inside the paint, which is pretty impressive. So, we got to do a really good job of trying to limit his touches around the rim and got to try and keep him out of the paint as best we can,” says the Auburn coach.

Making plans is one thing, but executing them is a whole different story, and that is what is bothering the Tigers this year: implementing their plans.