The Auburn Tigers find themselves in a tough spot, having lost five straight games, with the latest setback against Mississippi State. Once a top-seeded team in last season's NCAA Tournament, Auburn is now grappling with the possibility of missing out on the 2026 tournament altogether.
Auburn's struggles have been marked by a pattern of sluggish starts, forcing the team to play catch-up far too often. It's a challenging position, trying to claw back from significant deficits instead of maintaining a steady pace throughout the game.
First-year head coach Steven Pearl, who stepped into the role following his father Bruce Pearl's retirement, expressed his frustrations post-game. While he highlighted the team's slow starts, there was a notable absence of self-reflection in his comments.
"If we continue to have slow starts, we are not going to win any games," Pearl stated. "We've got to make a decision on how we're going to start games.
We can't wait until we're down 18 to start playing desperate. We've got to play desperate when it's 0-0."
Pearl's remarks underscore a critical point: players need to jumpstart their performance from the get-go. However, it's also essential for Pearl to guide and motivate his team through this slump. The question remains whether he is effectively addressing the issues or simply placing the onus on his players.
With five games left in the regular season, Auburn faces a pivotal moment. They need to turn things around quickly to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The path forward demands a collective effort from both players and coaching staff to break this losing streak and regain their competitive edge.