KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With still more than a minute remaining on the game clock Friday inside Sprint Center, Bruce Pearl motioned to his bench for Cole Blackstock, Will Macoy and Myles Parker.
Auburn played Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Saturday and North Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Friday. And against two of the most storied programs in all of college basketball, a team that has never reached the Final Four was able to check walk-ons into the game to salt away double-digit victories.
The Tigers are now one away from that first Final Four, having hammered the Tar Heels 97-80 to reach the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history and first time since 1986.