Pearl, Auburn Basketball looking to "Impress" on Monday night

Head Coach Bruce Pearl shakes hands with assistant Chuck Person following the win at UAB on December 3. (Photo: Auburn Athletics)

Auburn Men’s Basketball returns to the court on Monday following a nine-day hiatus to face Boston College inside Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden. Head Coach Bruce Pearl compares Boston College to his own team, in the way that the Eagles also have a set of young guys getting it done for them. It all starts with Sophomore Jerome Robinson, who averages 20.1 points and five rebounds per contest. “Robinson is a terrific guard,” Pearl said of the Raleigh, North Carolina native. “He is the best guard that we will have played to this point. He is good for 20 (points) a night, and he is a tough cover.” One of the keys to Auburn’s success this season has been tempo, and Pearl says Boston College is a team that could slow down the fast pace, due to the Eagles being a team that controls the clock. However, teams that run a fast-tempo offense tend to have an upper hand. “The quicker we shoot it, the more possession there will be in the game. I think the more possessions there are in a game, that’s to our advantage.” The game with Boston College will be special for Pearl and the Tigers alike, in different ways. For Pearl, he gets a chance to battle his Alma Mater. For Auburn, it will be the first time in program history that they will have played a game at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Their opponent will have no effect on Pearl, however, he knows that competing in the prestigious venue is a step in the right direction for the program and that his players need to play on a high level to get a win over an ACC team. “The Garden is the mecca of basketball,” Pearl said of the venue. With the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden in one of the most famous cities in the world, Pearl wants his players to understand the importance of competing on a big stage. “Those people know their game,” Pearl said of New Yorkers. “It is like going to Kentucky. They know basketball at Kentucky. If you show up, and you play like a clown, and you don’t play together, they are not easily impressed. They (New Yorkers) are not easily impressed in the Garden. Let’s go out there and try to impress them.” Auburn battles Boston College inside Madison Square Garden on Monday at 5:30 P.M.