Overview
- No. 20 Auburn fell 97-68 at No. 2 Arizona, dropping to 7-3 this season.
- Steven Pearl said he “put them in a really bad spot” and called the matchup “too much.”
- He cited three games in three days in Las Vegas, a late ACC/SEC Challenge tip, a single light prep day, and a 9 a.m. practice before traveling; he noted Arizona had a week to prepare.
- Pearl told players to finish finals, then scheduled three practices Wednesday through Friday to prepare for Chattanooga in Atlanta.
- In a transitional year after Bruce Pearl’s offseason departure, the first-year coach said Michigan and Arizona look a tier above the rest.