Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Postgame Pod: Auburn defeats Nevada 75-69

Transcript

Postgame Pod: Auburn defeats Nevada 75-69 · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

0:00
[music]
0:08
Welcome back everybody [music] here to
0:09
the postgame pod at Auburn Undercover.
0:11
Nathan King joined by [music] Patrick
0:13
Bingham here inside of Neville Arena for
0:16
the very last time. This will be our
0:17
last uh postgame pod from the old uh
0:20
from the old Neville as Auburn
0:22
basketball's home schedule obviously
0:24
went a few games longer than initially
0:27
expected, but they get the right outcome
0:29
in all three of those games and their
0:31
final one tonight. Uh final home game of
0:33
the season taking down Nevada 75-69
0:37
to punch their ticket to the NIT
0:40
semifinals. Uh they will face Illinois
0:43
State next Thursday. They now get eight
0:45
days off. Illinois State kind of on a
0:47
bit of a unexpected run. They've taken
0:49
down the number one seed Wake Forest and
0:51
they took down number two seed Dayton
0:53
earlier today. Both of those games on
0:55
the road. So, they are not a metrically
0:57
good team, but they're a team that's
0:58
just catching fire.
0:59
>> But, you know, we've seen that before,
1:01
>> have we?
1:02
>> In football.
1:04
>> Illinois State went on a tear. They were
1:06
not even a nationally ranked seed in the
1:07
FCS playoff team
1:09
>> and they won uh several straight games
1:12
including a upset over North Dakota
1:14
State. played Montana State in the
1:16
national championship game and Christian
1:19
Clemente pulled it out and
1:21
>> he Christian ended up having a great
1:22
night, but I think his I think his
1:24
nerves were ripped to shreds uh through
1:26
most of that one. So hopefully for for
1:27
Auburn fans sake that doesn't happen.
1:29
But uh yeah, Patrick, I mean this was
1:30
another one where much like the Seattle
1:32
game felt like Auburn was a lot more
1:35
settled in from the beginning. It felt a
1:37
little bit more like a standard game as
1:39
opposed to like Steven Pearl has
1:41
mentioned that first game against South
1:42
Alabama. Yeah, they were disappointed.
1:44
It was two days after selection Sunday.
1:46
Uh the building was like, "Wait, why are
1:48
we here? Like this is this a real game?"
1:50
Like it it it definitely fell flat. Um
1:52
the last two games haven't felt that
1:54
way. It's felt much more just kind of
1:55
like business as usual. Um Auburn coming
1:57
out and and leading by as many as 15 in
1:59
the first half, excuse me, 17 in the
2:02
first half of this game. There was one
2:03
point where it really looked like they
2:04
were going to crack it open. They led by
2:06
16 in the uh in the second half. And uh
2:08
really the MVP for Auburn, it started
2:10
with Philip Yovic. They had eight points
2:12
very quickly and it became very apparent
2:14
Nevada had good size. They looked a
2:16
little bit more like a prototypical you
2:19
know solid team whereas Seattle had some
2:22
deficiencies there. South Alabama had
2:23
some deficiencies but they just I mean
2:25
Elijah Price their center just could not
2:27
could not hang with Philip Yoic. This
2:29
was a This was another game where
2:31
Patrick, we've talked about this. This
2:32
has been our talking point over and over
2:34
again, but you kind of had it with Sway
2:36
the last game. And now this one was
2:37
like, "Hey, here's your shiny here's
2:39
your shiny freshman who has a lot of
2:42
potential. Here's him doing some good
2:43
things in one of the final games of the
2:45
season that you wouldn't have had an
2:47
opportunity to do if you didn't accept
2:48
the opportunity."
2:48
>> And honestly, in a position you don't
2:51
really want to put them in even in the
2:52
future, just being the true five.
2:54
Correct. I mean still up a little bit
2:55
more obviously but I mean even still in
2:57
an ideal world you would have more of a
2:59
true five but again yes I think
3:02
obviously he was the player of the game.
3:03
I think the moment for me was you know
3:05
Auburn was maintaining as you said that
3:07
10 to 15ish point lead most of the game
3:10
and then about 10 to sevenish minutes in
3:13
the second half remaining. Nevada kind
3:15
of comes back. They start making shots.
3:17
some fouls don't get called Auburn's way
3:20
and it's kind of like, oh, is this like
3:23
where we kind of finally see this team
3:25
revert back to old form. We've seen some
3:27
second half collapses or when things
3:29
don't go Auburn's way, that's kind of
3:30
when things can start to crumble and
3:32
they were able to make shots down the
3:34
stretch and pull out a win.
3:35
>> Yeah, I mean, like you mentioned, things
3:37
got dicey late game. Uh there were
3:39
consecutive turnovers for Auburn here in
3:42
the here in the back court. Uh Nevada
3:44
made five of their last seven threes in
3:46
the game. Before that point, they had
3:48
only made five threes all game and they
3:50
made five in very quick succession. They
3:52
actually really they made five of their
3:54
last six because it was like a it was a
3:56
heave at the end of the game that went
3:57
like way high off the backboard. So we
3:59
won't really count that one, but that's
4:00
like like you said, Patrick, that's kind
4:01
of what we've come to expect from this
4:03
Auburn team. I thought Elijah Freeman
4:05
did a really good job closing out. He
4:06
had eight points in the last four
4:07
minutes of the game. um some nice drives
4:09
to the basket for him. But but really
4:11
the defense and and we've seen this
4:13
before where it's like they play well
4:15
for a lot of the game and then have
4:16
collapses toward the end. But holding
4:18
Nevada, which is a pretty solid offense,
4:20
a team that we've we've known to to
4:22
shoot the ball pretty well. Um they hold
4:24
them seven points under their season
4:25
average. Look, anything you can do, they
4:27
held them under their season average for
4:29
three-point shooting. Like anything you
4:30
can do at this point if you're Auburn
4:31
defensively that's under an opponent's
4:33
average. I know that that's kind of a
4:34
low bar to clear. Obviously, if the
4:36
opponent hits the average of their
4:37
threes, that's probably a win.
4:39
>> Exactly. And I thought Auburn really
4:41
played a solid game defensively
4:43
>> all throughout. Uh Philip Yovic, the
4:45
biggest thing for him was, we talked
4:46
about it in the leadup to this game, he
4:48
can't get into foul trouble because
4:49
Elijah Price draws so many fouls. That's
4:51
just what he does. Uh he didn't Yoich
4:53
didn't get into foul trouble. Sway
4:55
really wasn't in foul trouble. And so,
4:56
uh that front court was able without
4:58
Kesha Murphy to to show out. And Todd
5:00
Pedford had a had a good game. Uh six
5:02
assists. He had two turnovers. They were
5:04
both late in the game, but did a good
5:05
job of uh of orchestrating things. And
5:07
Elijah Freeman once again playing all 40
5:09
minutes
5:10
>> for Auburn. I thought Stephen in the
5:12
post game, he sort of walked back some
5:14
of his cuz he got on to Elijah for
5:16
defense, some something he did
5:17
defensively, and then the post game, he
5:18
was like,
5:19
>> I'm now sort of realizing that he was
5:20
probably just standing up because he had
5:22
played all 40 minutes for the for the
5:24
second straight game. But look, Patrick,
5:26
we we've talked about this before, but
5:28
like this was the desired result was to
5:31
get three home games, not just for the
5:33
revenue aspect of things of getting
5:35
extra home games, but you know, giving
5:36
yourself an extra opportunity to go out
5:38
on your home floor and and have some fun
5:39
games down the stretch of uh you know,
5:42
what was an otherwise disappointing
5:43
season. And now you're two games away
5:46
from from from playing for a result that
5:49
you didn't want to be in the first
5:51
place. You wanted to be in the NCAA
5:52
tournament. But I really do think and I
5:55
hesitate to like say this and and and
5:57
you know people would would maybe
6:00
overreact and and and I know there are a
6:02
lot of people that you were kind of out
6:04
on this team when they didn't make it to
6:05
the NCAA tournament, but it definitely
6:07
feels like the vibes have shifted in the
6:08
past few games and that was always going
6:10
to happen if you started winning some
6:11
games.
6:11
>> Yeah. And I think that I mean we can
6:13
obviously sit here and make every joke
6:15
of how the season's ending in
6:16
Indianapolis and they're playing April
6:18
basketball and this that and the other
6:19
and all of those things are true, but
6:21
objectively I I I think it it's one of
6:24
those where it's like yes, this team is
6:26
this team in a lot of ways. The defense
6:28
had it struggle. I mean, Steven's kind
6:29
of been more candid about that in a lot
6:31
of our like availabilities with them.
6:32
Like, yeah, we're not ever going to be
6:34
Houston's defense with this team. Like,
6:37
we kind of know who we are. or we know
6:39
our shortfalls. But at the same time,
6:40
it's like while this wasn't an NCA
6:44
tournament team and while this team was
6:46
almost certainly, even if they had made
6:47
the field, not going to go on some crazy
6:49
run, like you are making the most of it.
6:52
It's ending positive. That doesn't make
6:54
up for everything, right? It it's a
6:56
little bit like a bowl game to me where
6:57
it's like,
6:58
>> yeah, does this ultimately matter?
7:00
Probably not, but does it
7:03
>> help if you win and you leave everyone
7:04
with a positive taste in your mouth
7:06
going into the off season? I mean, yeah.
7:08
And so I think that's just kind of the
7:09
mindset. And then of course the revenue
7:12
and just we talked about this a few game
7:14
minutes ago, but like you know,
7:16
Sebastian said like I'd be bored and you
7:18
know when you're kind of thinking about
7:19
the potential and not to say like he's
7:21
transferring or anything, but like you
7:22
know when you're doing nothing and all
7:24
those ideas can come in your head versus
7:26
as Stephen just keeps saying like we're
7:27
just going to go hoop. We're just going
7:29
to keep practicing. We could still be
7:30
around our guys and around our team. at
7:32
this point, even if they lose in
7:34
Indianapolis, I think three home games,
7:37
three wins, like it's been a success.
7:39
>> I I I would agree. I think at this and
7:41
especially with what you've put on
7:42
display with the young guys, I mean, we
7:44
keep coming back to that with all the
7:46
guys who have the potential to return to
7:47
the team. Even the elephant in the room
7:49
of the Tahad Pedifer question, you know,
7:50
does he turn pro? Does he come back to
7:52
Auburn next season would like to come
7:54
back pretty clearly post
7:56
>> and of course, of course, of course
7:57
you'd like him back. And so you
7:59
obviously have that and then now like
8:00
you said getting an opportunity to make
8:02
a trip. You know you you you're you're
8:04
not playing for the same trophy that you
8:06
wanted to play for previously in
8:08
Indianapolis, but you're still having an
8:10
opportunity with your team to to close
8:12
out the season strong and uh and I you
8:14
know they they made some March memories
8:15
and now it's like they're going to have
8:17
an opportunity to be playing in April. I
8:18
mean they're one of the last teams
8:19
playing and um we'll see what they're
8:21
able to do against Illinois State. It is
8:22
it is it is pretty awesome that uh and
8:24
Steve Alford, Nevada's coach who's a
8:27
legend in the state of Indiana was
8:28
talking about how cool it is just to be
8:29
able to play at HLK play at HKL
8:31
Fieldhouse where the movie Hoosiers was
8:33
shot and the movie Hoosiers is about HKL
8:34
Fieldhouse. Like that's that's crazy for
8:36
them to have that opportunity to do
8:37
that. The Final Four will be in town at
8:39
the same time. And and I think it'll
8:41
kind of give Auburn a, you know, they'll
8:42
be able to do what they're doing while
8:44
also looking across the street and
8:45
thinking, okay, that's that's what we
8:47
want. We want to get back to the NCAA
8:49
tournament um next season. And so, uh,
8:51
Patrick, it's been a fun ride this
8:53
season here in Neville Arena. Certainly
8:55
some certainly some ups and downs. At
8:56
the end of the day, Auburn finishes 14
8:58
and four, um, at home. And the the
9:01
number is 20. They get 20 wins for a for
9:03
a fifth straight season. And that's not
9:05
been an insignificant number in their in
9:06
their history.
9:07
>> Five straight 21 seasons. That's the
9:09
longest stretch in program history by
9:11
far. I think the only other ones were
9:13
like three. Yes. Uh, the 14 home wins
9:15
for Steven in his first year is the most
9:16
by any Auburn head coach by at least
9:19
five. So, all in all, it again, it's
9:22
like, you know, it was even funny. I was
9:24
making the stat. I'm like, "Well, does
9:25
the NIT games like really even count?"
9:27
And I'm like, "Well, all these other
9:28
coaches had the opportunity to make this
9:29
tournament, too." And um, you know,
9:32
overall, again, it's like it just it
9:34
winning can't hurt.
9:35
>> Yeah.
9:36
>> In any fashion.
9:37
>> Exactly. You've definitely seen the And
9:39
and and I we sort of watched it happen
9:41
uh in live action on our message board.
9:44
Uh, you know, people saying like, "Oh,
9:45
you know, I'm out on this team. I'm not
9:47
the NIT doesn't matter. I'm not going to
9:49
be watching. And yet during and after
9:51
games, people come and talk about this
9:53
team again. And and after this game in
9:55
particular, you're seeing a lot of
9:56
people get really I mean Todd said it
9:58
after the game, you know, like our goal
9:59
is to go win the whole thing and and try
10:00
to hang a banner. Like you see people
10:02
start to get excited again because
10:03
they're like, "Oh, hey, maybe this was a
10:04
decent idea." You and I talked about it
10:06
when they accepted the bid. It was like
10:08
you had to avoid disaster. You had to
10:09
avoid
10:10
>> South Alabama or I mean just even
10:12
losing. I think we you and I said after
10:13
that last game it was like okay now
10:15
you're on like equal footing where it
10:17
feels like you made the right decision.
10:18
Losing one of the first two games would
10:19
feel bad. Now you're in a position where
10:21
it's like okay I hesitate to say it's
10:23
all gravy from here because you know
10:25
obviously
10:25
>> you don't want to lose Illinois State.
10:26
>> You don't want to lose to Illinois State
10:28
but at the same time like you have you
10:30
have accomplished almost all the goals
10:32
you set out in this tournament other
10:34
than the fact that you know they still
10:35
got to go try to win a banner. I just
10:37
hope they don't have to wait in those
10:38
TSA lines uh waiting to get on the
10:41
flight to Indianapolis.
10:42
>> It is. Yeah, it is. It is going to be it
10:44
is going to be crazy to see what that's
10:45
like. Uh we will not be there for the
10:47
semis, but if Auburn makes the I I will
10:49
at least be there if Auburn makes the
10:50
title game. So, it'll be it'll Yeah,
10:52
it'll be crazy to see like what the town
10:54
is like if we're able to go like it'll
10:55
be crazy to see like final four. I think
10:57
it's a great idea. I think it's a
10:58
wonderful idea to put it all in one
10:59
place.
10:59
>> And even someone asked the Nevada coach
11:02
about it and he was I think he actually
11:03
played at Indiana. I looked that up
11:05
afterwards. But he was like honestly
11:07
like it's just the it being in Indiana
11:09
and them doing it with the final four.
11:10
It's like it's just kind of the perfect
11:12
atmosphere. There's just going to be a
11:13
lot of people there and so it'll be
11:15
interesting to see what it's like. And I
11:16
mean at the end of the day it's again
11:18
like you said it's a chance to go win
11:20
something Auburn obviously has never
11:21
done a lot of teams haven't done and
11:23
hang a banner
11:24
>> and and like Stephen Pearl said at the
11:25
end of the day this team is just going
11:27
out and hooping like like you mentioned
11:29
and he used the word platform and and I
11:30
thought that was kind of the right way
11:32
to look at it. He said, "Look, you know,
11:33
I'm proud of this team for using this
11:35
platform to their advantage. Young guys
11:37
go out and show themselves and prove
11:38
themselves." And look, I mean, he
11:39
admitted after the game, he was like, "I
11:41
told our team, this is more games for
11:43
you to go, you know, put yourself on
11:45
film regardless of what you choose to do
11:47
next season. If you go pro, if you're
11:49
somebody like Todd Pedford, you know, if
11:51
you're if you're Keshan Hall, you're out
11:52
of eligibility and you're going to try
11:53
to turn pro. If you're going to enter
11:54
the transfer portal, like this is your
11:56
chance." So, so go out there and make
11:58
the most of it, trying to motivate his
11:59
team. team and and I felt like these
12:01
last couple games, the energy and all
12:03
that has not been a factor that they've
12:04
really settled in now and obviously they
12:06
can that that goal feels a little bit
12:08
more attainable now that you're just a
12:10
couple games away from it. So, we shall
12:12
see. It'll be it'll be a fun matchup.
12:14
Next Thursday, this team gets a lot of
12:16
rest, which as Pearl mentioned after the
12:18
game is is going to be useful for guys
12:19
like Freeman and Hall who are like in
12:20
Overton who just play almost every
12:22
minute right now because of the
12:24
rotation. Real nice long break for them.
12:27
And uh as as Steven Pearl said as well,
12:29
uh it's typical that they are getting a
12:31
8:30 p.m. Central time uh tip off. I
12:34
can't remember off the top of my I think
12:36
I think it's Eastern time. I think I
12:38
think locally it will be Eastern time. I
12:39
think that's kind of what he was saying
12:41
after the game. Could be completely
12:42
wrong. Um but either
12:43
>> in the Eastern time zone. I think they
12:45
straight up from us.
12:46
>> I don't know, Patrick. That's why I
12:47
[laughter] have no idea.
12:48
>> Geography is not my strong suit. Uh but
12:50
yeah, either way, it's going to be
12:52
another late tip off next Thursday. And
12:53
then if they win that game, uh they
12:55
actually play the we we've mentioned
12:56
this before on the show, but they play
12:58
the championship game in a different
12:59
venue. They play that at the at the
13:01
Yeah. G, which you remembered Gainford
13:03
starts with the G last time where the uh
13:04
where the Pacers play. So, uh, it'll be
13:07
a fun fun game coming up and an
13:08
opportunity for this Auburn team to, uh,
13:10
to continue try to extend their season
13:12
and they're going to be playing into
13:13
April, which is not a sentence I thought
13:15
we would be saying, but, uh, obviously
13:17
that it's turned into a bunch of
13:18
positives for this team here at the end
13:19
of an otherwise, you know, rocky and and
13:21
and and somewhat disappointing season.
13:24
They've able to have been able to have
13:25
some fun here at the end. So, for
13:26
Patrick Bingham, I am Nathan King. Thank
13:28
you guys so much for joining us here on
13:29
the postgame pod. head over to
13:31
auburncover.com
13:33
where in like 9 hours we will be at
13:35
football practice and so uh that'll be
13:38
only the second practice we've gotten to
13:39
see in person so far and so we'll have
13:40
lots of observations up for that if
13:42
you're not a subscriber 50% [music] off
13:44
still you want to read that you want to
13:45
read Christian's recruiting notes all
13:47
that good stuff and continue to read our
13:48
basketball coverage [music]
13:50
we will see you guys over there and
13:51
thank you everybody for listening
13:54
>> [music]