“There’s no question, you either got to win your way in, or lose your way out,” Pearl said on CBS during Selection Sunday. “For me I always say, ‘Okay, we’re going to put one in, who would you take out?’ For me, SMU with a 191 out-of-conference strength of schedule. I don’t know if they should’ve been rewarded. They only won five games away from home. And for me, it would’ve been either Oklahoma or Auburn taking that last spot.”
Bruce Pearl: “Auburn beat 3 champions this year. They beat Florida, they beat St. John’s, and they beat Arkansas. They played the toughest schedule in the country, don’t know if they were rewarded for it.” pic.twitter.com/8aUDmFRBo8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 15, 2026
UMBC’s Josh Odunowo holds the trophy after beating Vermont, 74-59, in the America East Tournament final at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Catonsville, Maryland. TNS
Auburn did not earn an at-large bid at the end of the day.
