Hang a Banner: Auburn is the NIT Champion

Indianapolis is currently the epicenter of the basketball universe. If you think it’s because of tonight’s National Championship, think again. The real prize was awarded on Sunday night when Auburn won the most prestigious tournament in all of sports, the NIT.

When Bruce Pearl announced his retirement days before practice was set to begin, he handed the Auburn basketball program over to his son, setting the stage for a story tailor-made for an ESPN 30 for 30. Steven Pearl lived out his dream by taking the Tigers to heights never seen before in program history.

Auburn played the toughest schedule in the history of basketball. Did they win many of those games? It’s irrelevant. What matters most is how they finished.

“I’m really proud of these kids,” Steven Pearl said just before the confetti fell. “They found a way to stay together, beat five pretty good teams, and ended up finishing the year with a win and a championship, so incredibly proud, and incredibly grateful.”

Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

He added, “They showed what Auburn Men are all about.”

The Auburn Men playing for the younger Pearl lost eight of their final ten games of the regular season. Did they miss the NCAA Tournament? Yes. Did they blow a 21-point lead in the NIT championship? You bet your sweet butt they did. But Auburn didn’t quit on Steven Pearl, and Auburn fans shouldn’t either.

The Tigers actually turned a 21-point lead into a 5-point deficit with under a minute to play. Instead of getting out a dagger, Tulsa was whistled for a 5-second violation. Kevin Overton buried a three on the ensuing possession to tie the game and force overtime. They pulled away with a 92-86 win over the Golden Hurricane to secure the NIT Championship.

Bruce Pearl got the Auburn Tigers to the Final Four twice in six seasons. You know what he never did? Win an NIT Championship. That’s the kind of greatness you can expect from Steven Pearl. It’s time to hang a banner and hand Pearl a lengthy contract extension.