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A spirit that is not afraid

'When you come to Auburn, you come to be a champion': Auburn basketball assistants thrilled for future of program

<p>Steven Pearl. Auburn men's basketball vs Dayton on Saturday, December 8, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. Photo: Wade Rackley /Auburn Athletics&nbsp;</p>

Steven Pearl. Auburn men's basketball vs Dayton on Saturday, December 8, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. Photo: Wade Rackley /Auburn Athletics 

Auburn basketball's assistant coaching trio of Ira Bowman, Wes Flanigan and Steven Pearl was made available to the media Monday morning. 

Below is a full transcript of their comments on the Tigers' 2018 season, their respective paths to The Plains and the future of the Auburn program under Bruce Pearl. Quotes courtesy of Auburn Athletics.


Assistant Coach Ira Bowman

On the transition to Auburn…

“It’s been great. Coach Pearl is unbelievable. I’ve learned so much in this short period of time. The environment here has been so conducive to get better and learn. I’ve enjoyed it so much.”

On what drew him to Auburn…

“When you get an opportunity to work for a Hall of Famer like Coach Pearl and an opportunity to coach in the SEC with a team that has the opportunity to do really well – I felt like it was something I couldn’t turn down.”

On his thought process of the pieces on the team coming in…

“I had a previous relationship with Jared Harper and I kind of knew who he was and spent some time in the same recruiting circles. I saw Chuma Okeke once, too. I knew, physically, some of these guys had a chance to be really good. I felt like I hopefully would have the opportunity to put some of the things I’ve learned and give them some of the guidance I’ve received to help them become more complete players.”

On getting to work with Jared Harper…

“It’s been great. I saw Jared play for the first time in eighth grade and I may be one of the first people to offer Jared. I’ve always known before he got to this level the type of player he was and that there was something there. He’s a competitor. He has game. He has the moxie of understanding the moment. I’m fortunate and I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with him each day.”

On how different Jared looked since last time he saw him…

“I had seen him all the way up to his junior year. It was just a matter of his body maturing. People usually count smaller guards out. I just felt that he had that chip on his shoulder to be able to compete and be successful wherever he was going to be at. From the family, I knew he was a kid that was going to work. That’s important. When you get to certain environments and knowing the type of background a kid has, you know if he will be successful or not.”

On how he got in touch with Coach Pearl…

“I met Coach Pearl a while back and I’ve watched him from afar. In recruiting circles, he knew a couple of people that I knew. I couldn’t pass down the opportunity to work for a Hall of Fame coach. It has exceeded my expectations in the short period of time that I’ve been here. The opportunity to work with him each day is going to build me and hopefully put myself in position to run a program one day.”

On leaving his alma mater Penn…

“It was a tough choice. When I went to my alma mater, they were struggling. I was fortunate to be a part of putting them back in a position to be successful. We won our league title last year and we recruited well enough that I feel like the infrastructure was set for it to continue to put Penn back where it is now. They’re doing well. I was comfortable in the sense that I accomplished what I came there to do. This was something that I felt like opportunity-wise was something that was best for me moving forward.”

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On his impression of Auburn basketball…

“I’ve been really impressed with the level of engagement with the people in administration. Outside, if you look at Auburn, it’s a football school. When you come to Auburn, you come to be a champion. Football in the SEC market is a big deal, but I also feel like Auburn has allocated so much for the success of the basketball program. It’s been better than what I expected.”

On what he feels are his strengths in coaching…

“As a coach, you want to be as well rounded as possible. I’ve ran the defense at a lot of places I’ve been, but I’ve also worked with Steve Donahue who is considered one of the top-five offensive minds. He was the National Coach of the Year three or four years ago. I’ve learned so much from him. I don’t want to be a Jack of all Trades, but I want to get in where I fit in. I want to supply where there’s a need. I would like to think that I’m as good offensively as I am defensively, but I’ve also been good at player development. I’ve taken that task of making people better and not having the player be the same as a freshman to a senior. Between offense, defense and player development, I think I bring a little bit of all of them to the table.”

On Auburn’s creative uses of its forwards…

“College basketball usually mimics professional basketball in the sense that there’s been this trend to be more position-less basketball. We have a couple of the best big men in the country – a shooting 5-man in Anfernee [McLemore] and one of the dinosaurs in Austin Wiley who is physical, competes and runs the floor. It’s been unique in mixing those parts. Then you have a guy like Chuma Okeke who is very versatile. He can play on the wing and post up. It’s been good to work with the differences, but we do use them a little differently – even when you look outside the SEC, how people traditional 4-men or traditional 5s.”

Assistant Coach Wes Flanigan

On the transition from head coach at Little Rock to assistant coach at Auburn…

“I think it’s back in a normal role for me. I’ve spent so much of my career being an assistant and giving recommendations. My whole responsibility now is trying to help Coach Pearl, our staff and our players become better each and every day. I’m comfortable in this role.”

On if he has a position group he works with…

“For the most part, right now, I work with the big guys. The forwards. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with both guys. Perimeter guys and the bigs. I’m comfortable with either one. We have a great frontline. I think we’re deep, we’re talented and we’re big. I think we are possibly one of the best frontlines in the country. I’m excited to work with them each and every day.”

On all of the guys trying to shoot from the outside…

“Coach Pearl gives all of our players the freedom to do those kind of things. When you watch basketball, the game has changed. Big guys have to show their ability to step out and make those kind of shots. We consistently work with those guys each and every day. That’s something we focus on. Because of the way the game has changed, and because of the way that we play, we love to shoot the 3-point shot. We have guys that are capable of making them, so we want to give those guys the freedom to do so.”

On what it means for him to be back at Auburn…

“It’s changed a lot. The people haven’t changed. You still have great people here, but it’s changed a lot. There’s a lot of new people, but there’s a lot of changes from the facilities standpoint. The league is a dominant league from an all-sports standpoint. From a support and basketball standpoint, Coach Pearl has done an unbelievable job cultivating the culture from the fans. To see our fans supporting this team, our media work as hard as they have, it’s something that is refreshing for a guy like myself. We had some good teams when I was here. We weren’t great, but we had some good teams. I think Coach Pearl has done a heck of a job here. To see that we’re a top-10 program, and for Coach Pearl to give me a chance to come back, I am able to come back and give back to a place where I worked so hard when I was a player. We didn’t get to achieve some of the things I wanted to when I was a player, but if I can now do it from the bench, coaching, it’s still gratifying.”

On being back at his alma mater where there has been success…

“It means a lot. Obviously, you work so hard as a player. When I was here we didn’t have great success, but we were successful. We had some postseason teams. You work so hard, and from the outside looking in, for the last 17 years I’ve followed the program. I’ve followed the football program. There’s still that feeling when Auburn wins or when they lose. To be back here now, with Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, some of the guys that have helped this program get to where it is now, being a part of it is great.”

On what makes Jared Harper a good point guard…

“He’s so smart. When he’s out there on the floor, it’s just like having another coach out there on the floor. He helps our guys through so many things, offensively and defensively, simply by just communicating. When Jared [Harper] leaves here, coming from me someone who thought I was one of the better point guards here, but when it’s all said and done, Jared Harper will probably leave here as one of the best point guards who ever played in Auburn history. He’s a guy who’s worked hard to get to this point. He’s not one of the guys that came here with all accolades. He’s a guy that always gets knocked on because of his size, but he’s one of the best point guards in college basketball right now. I guarantee you, when it’s all said and done due to the championships and the numbers, he’ll be able to leave here as maybe the best point guard who has ever played here.”

On the defense…

“We’ve started to guard the ball a little better. We obviously started to work on the chemistry. Working together and communicating is a huge part of it. I think that our guys feed off of the crowd and the enthusiasm in the building. When we’re as aggressive as we were on Saturday and we’re active with our hands, we’re as good as anybody defensively. It all starts with our energy and our effort. You have to extend the effort, and I think that’s something that our guys are buying into.”

On how conditioning has improved…

“I think from a conditioning standpoint, we’ve played our way into shape. I think Coach Pearl is big on not over-working our guys in the offseason. Not over-training. I have said this from the jump, I didn’t think we were in great shape. We want to be in the best possible shape we can be in for January and February and not be broken down. I thought looking back on my career as a head coach, maybe I over did it with my guys. I had a young team. You’re trying to coach at every position because you don’t really have guys who understand what it takes to be successful in college basketball. I look back and I have some regrets. I think our guys from an experience and a depth standpoint, we’re able to slowly play our way into shape. I think we’re ready to roll now.”

On what has stood out to him being back at Auburn…

“Just the excitement in the program. I don’t think you can say anymore that Auburn is just a football school. You have equestrian winning national championships and other teams that are competing for national championships. I think this is because of the SEC Network. That’s where it’s changed. Whereas back in the day, all they talked about was football. I think the SEC Network has done an incredible job taking our athletic programs to another level from a national media standpoint.”

On what has stood out to him with the basketball program while being back…

“It all starts with Coach Pearl. His excitement and his commitment, not only to basketball, but his commitment to excellence. Recruiting the right student-athletes like Jared Harper, Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer, all of these guys who have been in the program that have worked to get us to this point. Their work ethic. He’s recruited guys who exemplify who he is and what he stands for. They’re hard-workers and tough guys. I think that’s a big reason we are where we are.”

On Bruce Pearl and how he sells the program…

“It all starts with him putting us in positions to help sell the program. When you bring guys like Marquis Daniels and myself back, there’s obviously a connection with us and the fan base. Also the connection between us and the players now. Ira Bowman being an NBA guy and being able to come here. It brings some value to our program. It’s something that has helped our program reach another level. Auburn is capable of reaching that level.”

On if Marquis Daniels enjoys being back…

“Him and I both do. We’ve spent a lot of time together as former players. Being here, and being able to say we’ve been there and done that with those guys in the locker room. It’s something that those guys don’t take for granted and it’s something that Coach Pearl doesn’t take for granted bringing us back. Marquis [Daniels] was an unbelievable player. He’s obviously over-qualified for the role that we have him in, but to have him in that role only helps our staff and this program.”

Assistant Coach Steven Pearl

On improvements before SEC play…

“I think some of that got exposed against Dayton. We need to show a different level of toughness, especially when SEC play comes around. There are some really tough teams in our league. You look at Tennessee last night going into there and hitting Gonzaga in the mouth and just applying pressure for 40 minutes. Those are the types of things you have to do in league play. You have to be a good rebounding team. We got outrebounded by 10 by a good rebounding team in Dayton. So I think a little bit of our toughness got exposed, which we’ve shown in the past that we’re a pretty tough team. We’ll continue to get tougher as the year goes on.”

On Austin Wiley getting better on the boards…

“Austin is a great offensive rebounder. Defensive rebounding, he’s always been so big that he’s been able to gobble up rebounds in space. I think as he gets more games underneath him, he’ll be better. He’s a big part of it. Horace, Anfernee, our bigs have got to do a better job of throwing the first punch and establishing their presence in there. But I think as we start playing better teams with NC State on the road, UAB at a neutral site, Murray State coming in here – these teams will all test our toughness and help us going into league play.”

On what Danjel Purifoy brings to the team…

“Danjel played some 4 his freshman year. He learned the 3 this summer. So to be able to play both positions is very key. His ability to shoot the ball in our offense is important. It really stretches the floor depending on what position he plays. He’ll definitely bring an offensive component to the table whichever position he plays. And then defensively, he’s got some work to do if he’s going to play the 3 to be able to guard smaller players – and at the 4, he has to match the physicality of a tougher, bigger 4. He brings versatility to the table, which is always beneficial.”

On Austin Wiley coming off the bench…

“He’s the ultimate team player. That’s why the guys all love him. I don’t think coming off the bench really bothers Austin at all. And part of that, too, is I think Austin recognizes that we start well with our current starting lineup, and we did all of last year. Anfernee has a different dimension. Anfernee can stretch the floor when he makes shots. He’s a great rim protector. And we play a little faster in the beginning. So to be able to go up 51-32 in the first half against Dayton, who hasn’t given up over 60 points in their last five games, that says a lot about how we start games. We were up 14-3 against them. It was a quick start. So Austin knows that we start well with who we have in there, and he’s all about the team winning. So I don’t think it bothers him at all. He’s going to play 20 minutes, whether he starts or comes off the bench.”

On the 10-deep rotation…

“The best part about it is in most of our games, there hasn’t been the big drop-off when you go to the bench, which is the case with some teams. We’ve been able to sustain a level of competitiveness off the bench. You look at the Arizona game, and our bench saved us. If we didn’t have J’Von and Malik and Horace and those guys coming off the bench, we don’t win that game. So to be able to go to your bench and know that you’re going to get a consistent level of play, it’s really comforting as a staff. They didn’t play that well in this last game, but to know they have the ability to play well of the bench, it’s good.”

On Chuma Okeke’s development as a sophomore…

“Chuma has a crazy ceiling as far as his potential. He’s a great player. He’s not playing well right now, but that’s just a little slump that he’s going through. The biggest thing with Chuma is that he’s so unselfish. He’s a little too unselfish at times. He’ll sometimes catch the ball and not even look at the basket. He’s looking to find a teammate. Chuma is so talented that he needs to be a little more aggressive getting to the basket, making open shots. But that’s the biggest thing. His role offensively is going to change. He has to be a little more aggressive. And when he’s making shots and doing his thing offensively, we’re a tough team. He’s a third or fourth high-level option for us. I know that Chuma will be fine. These next couple games, he’ll play well. He’s a very important piece for us. He does a lot for us offensively and defensively.”

On Bryce Brown’s career at Auburn…

“I’ve been here since day one with Bryce. Me and Bryce have gone on a roller coaster together because his first two years – he had a good freshman year but had some maturity issues as a sophomore. He learned from all of his mistakes, and he’s really come back to be really good. Obviously, second-team All-SEC last year and was on the Wooden watch list last year. So to kind of see him grow as a young man and as a player, it’s been really rewarding as a coach. There were times early in his career where Bryce didn’t know what he wanted to do. We went to a crossroads a couple times, and Bryce just did an amazing job of fighting through those things. And to see him having the success that he’s having now and to grow up the way he has, it’s really cool. I’m really proud of Bryce. He’s really developed a ton as a basketball player.”

On Jared Harper’s career at Auburn…

“Coming in as an undersized kid, not getting many SEC offers, being overlooked because of his size – the coolest thing about Jared is he walks out on the floor, and he thinks he’s the best player every night. It doesn’t matter who he’s playing against. Kyrie [Irving] could be out there, and Jared’s going to think he’s going to play better than him. That says a lot about Jared and the type of kid and the kind of player he is. But to evolve from his freshman year, to see his body change – he’s literally a walking muscle, a 5-8 walking muscle, and he’s out there playing great for us. He really makes everything run offensively and defensively. It’s just amazing how much better certain guys play when he’s on the floor with them because defensively, he is our point guard out there. He understands the system as well as anybody out there, just pointing guys in the right direction, telling guys what to do. He just kind of makes everything run for us, and to see his progress over time, it’s been really cool.”

On Jared’s dunk against Xavier…

“I was (surprised), too. Obviously, I’ve seen Jared in practice dunk the ball. I remember his freshman year he tried to dunk on Luke Kornet at Vanderbilt. That didn’t end so well. It just shows that he’s not scared. I think the first dunk of his career was in the first half of that game. He might have had one last year. He went up there in the first half and dunked it, and the second half I guess it just gave him the confidence late in the game – playing in Maui on that stage, and we’re up one point in overtime – and he goes and dunks on three guys that are 6-7, 6-8. I was on the bench, and I just kind of grabbed Wes next to me and said, ‘Wow.’ It was an amazing play.”

On working with your dad every day and being part of this…

“The coolest part is seeing how it’s evolved. This is our fifth year, and to walk into the film room day one and see what we had there, you had K.T. Harrell and that was about it. You had a bunch of really tough kids like Malcolm Canada and Tahj Shamsid-Deen, but to see where it’s all come from – it was a mess when we first got here, and then over time, we’ve just kind of built it up. So to see the progression of Auburn basketball and to do it with the fan base and how amazing that they’ve been to us, showing up when we weren’t any good, and evolving to now when we won an SEC championship last year and are ranked top 10 in the country right now – but to do it with your pops is cool. We did it at Tennessee together, and now doing it as Auburn has been pretty special. The coolest part is we have a staff where everybody is family. We’re all very close. It’s been fun to do it with these guys.”

On mindset when BP took over at Auburn…

“Obviously, it’s one of the tougher jobs in the SEC. It’s one of the tougher jobs in the country. But you look at all the different things that Auburn has – the football team, the facilities, the fan base, the geography and being close to Georgia, you have a ton of talent in the area – there are tons of pieces to make it work. You just have to have the right guy, and Coach has done an amazing job building programs his entire career. Doing it at Southern Indiana and Milwaukee and Tennessee and now Auburn. It really took a special individual like Coach to come in here and do it, but Auburn has the pieces to be successful in basketball.”


Nathan King | Sports Editor

Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.


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