He is meeting with reporters via Zoom to discuss ... (regular) stuff.
It's a season wrap-up call. Just consolidating one of the great seasons in AU history.
I'll update that stuff here — once we begin.
******
He's just getting back from the Final Four.
He's fired up for Walker Kessler getting the National DPOY award. "That was quite an accomplishment. Really, really happy for Walker."
After the ceremony, Walker thanked BP and told him that he was going into the draft. "I think it was hard for Walker; he was very torn about coming back ... or going in. He's put himself in a good spot."
"The recognition that Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith have gotten on a national level ... were out of reach for Auburn basketball (before this year). It was Jabari Smith at Auburn, who was right up there with (Chet Homlgren and Paolo Banchero) getting that attention and the awards."
He argues that the SEC wasn't overrated. He notes that UK beat both UNC and Kansas this season. "I think we should have gotten more than the six teams in."
He knows people will ask why more SEC teams didn't get to the Sweet 16. He thinks it was the SEC grind. He says that was a big factor for his team. "The grind was grueling. The other three games we lost were a court storm at Arkansas, a court storm at Florida and Tennessee. We never got a huge second wind — that I know we got in '19."
"This team was very special. We had the best front line in college basketball. We took full advantage of them. I'm really proud of our guys for what they did during the course of the regular season."
On Jabari: "He felt it necessary to see me and tell me that he'd made that decision. Everything he does, he does the right way. He felt it was the right thing to do — and wanted to know what I thought about it."
"I couldn't look Jared Harper and Bryce Brown in the eye when I recruited them that I could get them to the NBA and win championships. We hadn't done that yet. That's the foundation we've built. Now we've got to rebuild. We're rebuilding."
On Devan: "Devan just found himself in a position where everybody was coming back and what was going to change for Devan? I think he wanted a more significant role. I appreciate Devan. I understand his decision. If it's best for the student-athletes, that's what's best. I hope he gets a bigger role at his next stop."
On his team's biggest needs: "The biggest thing is on the front line ... how can we complement Dylan, Stretch and Jaylin? (Jaylin) competed with Jabari, but Jabari was the best player on the floor every single night. That was obvious to everybody. I have one scholarship available on the front line. We passed on some very good players who I didn't think complemented that. I think Dylan is a really, really good NBA prospect. I think he'll take another step next year, another big step."
"We've got to improve our shooting. If we'd shot better, we'd have gone much further in the tournament. We shot like shit."
On Miami: "Miami and Texas A&M proved to be buzz saws. If this team did peak (in January) ... did it peak too soon or did it peak in time to win those important games? We worked so hard early to be good enough to win, we ended up peaking at the end of January or early February. Miami was good. What I would have done offensively, I'd have somehow figured out a way ... and they started hot ... but we had to make sure we didn't turn it over. We had to hang in there early. Miami did some things to disrupt us with the ball-screen defense. And for the first time this season, Jabari and Walker had off nights. We weren't good enough, I wasn't good enough, to overcome that."
On Jabari and Walker being ready for the NBA: "Jabari will go in as the best jump-shooting big in college basketball during the last 10 years. He'll get stronger as he gets older; he's 18. Just wait until he's 19. Wait until he's 20. He's the first NBA All-Star I've had. He's an NBA All-Star. Walker's going to jump in there and he'll be able to defend anyone. He will shoot better in the NBA. He needs to improve on his low-post game, there isn't much low-post game in the NBA."
It's a season wrap-up call. Just consolidating one of the great seasons in AU history.
I'll update that stuff here — once we begin.
******
He's just getting back from the Final Four.
He's fired up for Walker Kessler getting the National DPOY award. "That was quite an accomplishment. Really, really happy for Walker."
After the ceremony, Walker thanked BP and told him that he was going into the draft. "I think it was hard for Walker; he was very torn about coming back ... or going in. He's put himself in a good spot."
"The recognition that Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith have gotten on a national level ... were out of reach for Auburn basketball (before this year). It was Jabari Smith at Auburn, who was right up there with (Chet Homlgren and Paolo Banchero) getting that attention and the awards."
He argues that the SEC wasn't overrated. He notes that UK beat both UNC and Kansas this season. "I think we should have gotten more than the six teams in."
He knows people will ask why more SEC teams didn't get to the Sweet 16. He thinks it was the SEC grind. He says that was a big factor for his team. "The grind was grueling. The other three games we lost were a court storm at Arkansas, a court storm at Florida and Tennessee. We never got a huge second wind — that I know we got in '19."
"This team was very special. We had the best front line in college basketball. We took full advantage of them. I'm really proud of our guys for what they did during the course of the regular season."
On Jabari: "He felt it necessary to see me and tell me that he'd made that decision. Everything he does, he does the right way. He felt it was the right thing to do — and wanted to know what I thought about it."
"I couldn't look Jared Harper and Bryce Brown in the eye when I recruited them that I could get them to the NBA and win championships. We hadn't done that yet. That's the foundation we've built. Now we've got to rebuild. We're rebuilding."
On Devan: "Devan just found himself in a position where everybody was coming back and what was going to change for Devan? I think he wanted a more significant role. I appreciate Devan. I understand his decision. If it's best for the student-athletes, that's what's best. I hope he gets a bigger role at his next stop."
On his team's biggest needs: "The biggest thing is on the front line ... how can we complement Dylan, Stretch and Jaylin? (Jaylin) competed with Jabari, but Jabari was the best player on the floor every single night. That was obvious to everybody. I have one scholarship available on the front line. We passed on some very good players who I didn't think complemented that. I think Dylan is a really, really good NBA prospect. I think he'll take another step next year, another big step."
"We've got to improve our shooting. If we'd shot better, we'd have gone much further in the tournament. We shot like shit."
On Miami: "Miami and Texas A&M proved to be buzz saws. If this team did peak (in January) ... did it peak too soon or did it peak in time to win those important games? We worked so hard early to be good enough to win, we ended up peaking at the end of January or early February. Miami was good. What I would have done offensively, I'd have somehow figured out a way ... and they started hot ... but we had to make sure we didn't turn it over. We had to hang in there early. Miami did some things to disrupt us with the ball-screen defense. And for the first time this season, Jabari and Walker had off nights. We weren't good enough, I wasn't good enough, to overcome that."
On Jabari and Walker being ready for the NBA: "Jabari will go in as the best jump-shooting big in college basketball during the last 10 years. He'll get stronger as he gets older; he's 18. Just wait until he's 19. Wait until he's 20. He's the first NBA All-Star I've had. He's an NBA All-Star. Walker's going to jump in there and he'll be able to defend anyone. He will shoot better in the NBA. He needs to improve on his low-post game, there isn't much low-post game in the NBA."
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