Overview
- Auburn beat No. 15 Arkansas 95-73 on Jan. 10, ending an 0-2 SEC start and improving to 10-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
- Pearl secured his first victory over a ranked SEC opponent as head coach and labeled it a must-win to avoid a 0-3 league hole.
- John Calipari praised Pearl after the game, saying he wants him to succeed because he has a son coaching, though not against Arkansas.
- Pearl highlighted earlier wins over Oregon’s Dana Altman and St. John’s Rick Pitino, giving Auburn three victories over Hall of Famers.
- Elevated after Bruce Pearl’s Sept. 22 retirement, the 16-games-in head coach urged his team to stay level with Missouri and South Carolina up next.