Jimmy Dykes of the SEC Network has been on the Bruce train longer than most pundits I've heard. Here's what he had to say on the SEC and Auburn as guest yesterday with Peter Burns (dat name doe):
Dykes on the brutal SEC:
“The teams that come out of this SEC league this year are gonna be battle tested, it’s been a brutal two months, and I think they’re gonna be ready to make some really good runs in March.” (Note: don't underestimate the value of this when AU lands, say, a 2 seed. #deeprun)
Burns:
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, so let’s start at the top with these Auburn Tigers. They’re nothing short of fantastic. Bruce always laughs at me and asks, ‘when are you guys gonna start taking Auburn basketball seriously’? It’s been that chip on the shoulder thing, and they’ve responded to it. Fate keeps throwing an avalanche of bad things at them, and they just seem to get even stronger. What makes this Auburn team so resilient, and amazing?
Dykes:
“Yeah, they don’t have a breaking point. Or we haven’t had the breaking point yet at least. They’re very resilient, and it has to start with Bruce Pearl. He’s as resilient a head coach as we have in the college game. They’re a bunch of tough-minded kids that were either under-recruited a little bit, or Bruce has TOLD THEM that they were under-recruited a little bit (laughs). They play with that chip on their shoulder, and the DUDES ARE REALLY GOOD. That’s a very talented team.”
“I was just breaking down some of their stuff at KenPomm, and they’re in the top 2-3 of the league basically in ALL of the offensive stats, and all the defensive stats. This is not just a team that can score, they can really turn you over, and harass you. They’re team speed is unbelievable. I used to go watch AAU teams in the summer prior to my time coaching at Arkansas. They remind me of a really fast AAU team who doesn’t have a post player, and they would just run people out of the gym. That’s how they play.”
“Bruce and I were texting this morning, and Auburn is ONE WIN AWAY from being the SEC Champion and the No. 1 seed in St. Louis. That is a phenomenal story, regardless of how you feel about Bruce and the off-court things going on. That is a phenomenal story, and a phenomenal product that he’s putting on the floor right now.”
Burns:
“I think it’s phenomenal, and a tip of the cap to the Auburn fans. The Jungle was rocking."
Dykes on the brutal SEC:
“The teams that come out of this SEC league this year are gonna be battle tested, it’s been a brutal two months, and I think they’re gonna be ready to make some really good runs in March.” (Note: don't underestimate the value of this when AU lands, say, a 2 seed. #deeprun)
Burns:
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, so let’s start at the top with these Auburn Tigers. They’re nothing short of fantastic. Bruce always laughs at me and asks, ‘when are you guys gonna start taking Auburn basketball seriously’? It’s been that chip on the shoulder thing, and they’ve responded to it. Fate keeps throwing an avalanche of bad things at them, and they just seem to get even stronger. What makes this Auburn team so resilient, and amazing?
Dykes:
“Yeah, they don’t have a breaking point. Or we haven’t had the breaking point yet at least. They’re very resilient, and it has to start with Bruce Pearl. He’s as resilient a head coach as we have in the college game. They’re a bunch of tough-minded kids that were either under-recruited a little bit, or Bruce has TOLD THEM that they were under-recruited a little bit (laughs). They play with that chip on their shoulder, and the DUDES ARE REALLY GOOD. That’s a very talented team.”
“I was just breaking down some of their stuff at KenPomm, and they’re in the top 2-3 of the league basically in ALL of the offensive stats, and all the defensive stats. This is not just a team that can score, they can really turn you over, and harass you. They’re team speed is unbelievable. I used to go watch AAU teams in the summer prior to my time coaching at Arkansas. They remind me of a really fast AAU team who doesn’t have a post player, and they would just run people out of the gym. That’s how they play.”
“Bruce and I were texting this morning, and Auburn is ONE WIN AWAY from being the SEC Champion and the No. 1 seed in St. Louis. That is a phenomenal story, regardless of how you feel about Bruce and the off-court things going on. That is a phenomenal story, and a phenomenal product that he’s putting on the floor right now.”
Burns:
“I think it’s phenomenal, and a tip of the cap to the Auburn fans. The Jungle was rocking."
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