What many expected to be a cakewalk became a grind for the SEC regular-season champions. Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers narrowly beat Ole Miss 62-57 in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. Auburn’s escape came after blowing a 10-point lead late, with Johni Broome’s 23 points and 14 rebounds, per ESPN, staving off a Rebels upset led by Malik Dia’s 17 points and 4 steals, per NCAA stats. But it wasn’t just the result that had fans buzzing—it was the post-game conference that stole the spotlight.

“I got bigs that can go out there and guard guards. I got bigs that get out there and guard guards. My guards aren’t p-ssies,” said an emotional Bruce Pearl in the post-game conference after watching his side almost bottle a 10-point lead with 3 minutes to go. Aired live on ESPN, Pearl’s unfiltered rant followed a game where Auburn’s 36.4% shooting and 7 turnovers in the final 10 minutes, per ESPN box score, nearly cost them against a No. 7-seeded Ole Miss squad projected for the NCAA Tournament.

It quickly became a major talking point among fans, and they made sure to voice their opinions on social media. Let’s take a look at some of the fan reactions to Bruce Pearl’s comments.

Fans not impressed by Bruce Pearl’s comments

While most of the fans took the Bruce Pearl quote as a joke, there were a few who didn’t appreciate the comments and they made their voice known. One fan took to X to call Bruce Pearl “classless” for his comments. They said, ” wow bruce pearl is so classless!
i understand now why cbm is such a dirty player!”

Chad Baker-Mazara has been one of Auburn’s standout players this season, averaging 13 points and 3 rebounds per game. However, his on-court behavior has sometimes left the team in a tough spot. CBM was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul on Alabama’s Chris Youngblood with over 10 minutes left in their season-ending loss to Alabama, 91-93. But this wasn’t his first ejection–he was also thrown out last year against Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which ultimately cost Auburn the game.

CBM also took to social media, calling out fans by saying “rent free” before deleting the post. Fans quickly labeled him as immature, and rightfully so. This led some to call out Bruce Pearl for encouraging this type of behavior, accusing him of promoting CBM to do the dirty work. However, what fans may not fully understand is that Pearl’s comments weren’t about encouraging dirty play. He was actually emphasizing how his players aren’t afraid to go after 50-50 challenges–showing grit and toughness–rather than advocating for unsportsmanlike conduct.

There were fans who openly called for CBM’s suspension as well. One fan took to X, saying, “He needs to be suspended for the next game!!! That is uncalled for and a horrible example for our youth!” Another fan added, “Bruce Pearl needs to apologize!”

While his comments didn’t sit well with fans, Bruce Pearl showed some quick wit in handling the situation. He acknowledged his mistake but joked, “ESPN…Disney’s not writing my check right now,” Pearl said. “Auburn is. I can get away with that.” His response may have lightened the mood but a few fans are still far from happy and their reaction shows.

Whether or not Bruce Pearl faces a fine from the SEC remains to be seen. As for what’s next for the top-seeded Tigers, all eyes will be on their game against the winner of Tennessee and Texas tomorrow at the Bridgestone Arena. Will Auburn bounce back from the controversy and keep their SEC tournament title hopes alive? Stay tuned.