In the chaos of March Madness, there’s no time for sugarcoating- especially when talking about Bruce Pearl. Auburn’s fiery leader has a reputation for holding his players to sky-high standards, but sometimes, his “motivational speeches” come wrapped in a reality check with a side of laughter. Just ask Johni Broome if you want.

After the senior forward led his team to the Elite Eight with a game-high 22-point contribution, Broome was taking a lot of pride in his team’s starting lineup. “We have the best frontline in the country…We take pride in each matchup that we go against and we’re going to bring it every night,” he said. However, he also praised his teammates for stepping up when he couldn’t be at his best.

“Denver went on a 10-0 run by himself. Tahaad went on a 10-0 run by himself. Just guys like that who can create shots, it takes the load off of me. I wasn’t playing my best game today, but I had my guards come through and take big shots.” Cue Bruce Pearl, who was having none of it. After hearing this comment from Broome, the HC interjected with a compliment that was not a compliment to begin with. “Wait a second. You had a triple-double today. Look at the stats.” Seems like the coach had a different view of the stats and pointed it out during the press conference, which even caught the players by surprise.

The 6-10 forward knew his stats and was not falling for it. But his teammates beside him at the conference, Jones and Pettiford, started reading the stat sheet to confirm what they missed. Bruce Pearl then removed any confusion, saying, “Scored 22 points, he had 16 rebounds, and missed 11 shots. You had a triple double.” The HC and three of his players started laughing as the criticism was valid.

He truly is a coach who can turn the stat sheet into a lesson with just two words. Back in January, after a win over Tennessee, he pulled the same move, calling a triple-double on Broome’s 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 missed shots. “I think the team really respected their leader for putting it on the line,” he further said. That blend of humor and tough love? It’s Pearl’s secret sauce, and he’s cooking up something big for the Elite Eight. In order to improve, the 65-year-old laid down the message for the team.

“The deal was we turned the ball over a little bit. We made some mistakes, and I let them kind of jaw at each other a little bit and then go, ‘Hey, man, we’re good. We’re in a great spot. You guys are just pushing each other.'” Bruce Pearl continued, ” I love the energy. I love the pace. Just slow down a little bit with the ball. We’re just rushing.”

Pearl’s not just tweaking the offense—he’s got a vision. Earlier this season, he hinted at spreading out the scoring to make Auburn ‘more dangerous,’ a strategy that could turn Broome’s dominance into a team-wide threat against Michigan State.

But don’t sleep on Broome’s roots. Pearl loves to remind everyone that Broome has gone from being overlooked to being unstoppable. “I think you’ve gotta remember where he came from, and that just doesn’t get talked about enough. He was a 3-star… he’s not fast enough, he’s not quick enough, not good enough. All he’s done his entire career is prove people wrong,” Pearl said back in November after the Maui Invitational, where Broome earned MVP honors with 21 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks against Memphis. That chip on his shoulder? It’s why he’s Auburn’s anchor now.

How Bruce Pearl and co. staged a comeback from the jaws of defeat

The Tigers knocked the No. 5 seeded Michigan Wolverines 78-65 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This confirms the third time in program history that the Tigers have gone to the Elite Eight. It was the frontcourt of Auburn who stepped up on the important day and took the challenge head-on. They were successful in out-rebounding the Wolverines 48-33 and holding Goldin to just 10 points.

The team grabbed 19 offensive rebounds; apart from Johni Broome’s game-high 22 points, he also had the game-high rebounding total with 16 rebounds. His presence in the paint—grabbing rebounds, altering shots, and battling for position—kept Auburn within striking distance, clawing back to a 30-29 halftime lead. It wasn’t flashy, but it was foundational.

Dylan Cardwell chipped in with nine rebounds to his four points. The first half was deeply competitive as neither team managed to amass a lead of more than four points at any time. Michigan took a 27-23 lead on a 3-pointer from Nimari Burnett with 5:22 to play in the first half. But Auburn came back to claim a 30-29 lead at halftime.

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The Wolverines fought back hard with a 10-0 run to retake the lead in the second half. However, thanks to the contributions from Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones, they were able to stretch their lead to 59-50. After that, Michigan could never come closer, and ultimately, it was the Tigers who won. Next up, they face Michigan State and would hope to repeat Bruce Pearl’s 2019 Final Four run.