Auburn men’s basketball will play Tulsa in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) final on Sunday, April 4, following a season marked by determination after missing out on an NCAA tournament bid.
The matchup gives Auburn a chance to finish its season with a championship, which coach Steven Pearl said is the result of the team’s perseverance. “To their credit, these young men have taken full advantage of that opportunity,” Pearl said. “I’m proud of them, I know their families are proud of them, I think their university is really proud of them as well. Incredibly proud of them and everything they’ve gone through this year.”
Pearl said he hopes Auburn’s approach can inspire other teams in similar situations. “Auburn did it the right way,” he said. “They didn’t quit. They kept fighting, they kept playing and they ended their season on a high note. We’re going to look to try to continue that momentum against a really good Tulsa team that presents a lot of challenges. We’re obviously excited about the opportunity.” He added that Tulsa has been strong offensively this year: “This will probably be the best offensive team we’ve played in the tournament,” Pearl said.
Tulsa enters Sunday’s game with more than 30 wins and set a program record for three-pointers made this season—393 total—surpassing its previous record by over 100 shots.
For Auburn players like Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall, playing for an NIT title at Gainbridge Fieldhouse represents both personal achievement and another chance to compete at an NBA venue. “Try to be one of the few teams that ends the season with a win,” Pettiford said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re playing NIT or March Madness, we’re here to win it all so that’s the goal.”
Keyshawn Hall led Auburn with 24 points in Thursday’s semifinal win over Illinois State and is close to reaching 700 points for his season tally—a mark achieved by only two other players in program history.
Kevin Overton also contributed significantly by making all five three-point attempts against Illinois State and maintaining strong shooting throughout four NIT games.
Pearl summed up his feelings ahead of Sunday’s contest: “This is a great opportunity to really change the narrative of your season,” he said.
