Pearl Takes Control of the State

Was Saturday a turning point in the tenure of Bruce Pearl? That’s a question we’ll know in time. What we do know is the 82–77 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa was a turning point in the state.

“There are some places where you win and they don’t count any different in the win/loss column, but they just matter more. Even when I was at Tennessee, it mattered because of the rivalry, particularly in football. Coming to Auburn, it really mattered,” Pearl said.

In this case, it mattered a whole lot. Both programs are getting better and fast. Avery Johnson has been every bit as impressive in rebuilding Alabama. Not since Sonny Smith and Wimp Sanderson stood courtside have these programs looked so…