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MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONALNovember 21, 2018Bruce PearlMalik DunbarBryce BrownLahaina, Maui, Hawaii Auburn - 73, Arizona - 57 MEGAN GODFREY: We'll start with an opening statement from coach. BRUCE PEARL: Again, you can't help but just be honored to be in this field, in this incredible tournament. And then really proud that you represented. Our fans represented and traveled so well. Our families were here. Our kids learned a lot about ourselves and the possibilities for our basketball team. We got a lot of room to get better. We beat a historic program tonight in Arizona. I told my guys that Sean Miller gets his guys to play as hard as anybody out there and to me they're one of the better ball screen defensive teams we would see all season long. So we had to find a way to beat them without ball screens. And the last thing I'll just say I'm really proud of these guys. Bryce broke the all time record for 3-pointers at Auburn. Wesley Person is probably who he surpassed, I would guess, and then Malik Dunbar led our guys off the bench. We outscored them 33 to 4. But that's the key to our success is when we go to the bench and we don't drop off, which I know we're capable of, and tonight we showed it. I just, I like the way the guys too -- because the guys who were on the bench are everybody's favorite. They're just everybody's favorite. And fact that those guys stayed ready, stayed right, and made a huge difference in our win is very much appreciated. MEGAN GODFREY: Questions for the players, please. Q. For both you guys, just tell me what was it like playing in the Maui Invitational, something you probably watched growing up. And then did it live up to what you guys thought it would be? BRYCE BROWN: Yeah, it was a very exciting tournament. Just by watching other teams, playing in it, growing up watching it, I just feel like it was a good turning point for our team and letting us know where we could hang with certain teams. As you know we hung in there with Duke, beat two very good programs. So it just let's us know where we are as a team and I feel like it can only, it's only up from here. MALIK DUNBAR: The same. I just feel like it was a blessing to be here, blessing for the opportunity, a blessing to play at -- some top teams and so that we can stick with the best teams and show what we're capable of. So I'm just appreciative to be here for real. Q. Y'all aren't even a hundred percent yet with Purifoy on his way coming back. How much confidence do you get knowing that this team's going to get another guy that can help the team in a couple weeks? BRYCE BROWN: He stretches the floor for us, good facilitator, has good court vision. He does nothing but help us. Just brings us depth and allows us to be a better team. MEGAN GODFREY: We'll take questions for coach. Q. Coach Odom just talked about the football team, and but you've been trying to build this brand in basketball. What does it feel like to kind of begin and shed some light on here before the Iron Bowl? BRUCE PEARL: Let me tell you something. Auburn is a football school. Auburn is a football school. Auburn is a football school. And I'm proud of that. We're pretty good in men's basketball too. Pretty good in women's basketball. Soccer team's terrific. We win in golf, tennis, swimming, baseball, gymnastics, I'm probably leaving several teams out. So for me -- the equestrian was the national champion last year. To bring Auburn's men's basketball back to credibility on campus is really gratifying right now. We have got a good team, we'll see what we can do, see where we can get better. I'm happy for the lettermen, I'm happy for guys like Charles Barkley who can sit there on a prime time night last night and watch Auburn battle Duke -- and we didn't play well, we played hard, and learned a lot about our team. Beat a historic program, beat two historic programs in Xavier and Arizona. If you look over the last 15 years, Xavier and Arizona are probably two of the Top-10 programs in the country. And Auburn basketball just beat those teams. So that's, we're very proud. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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