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The Auburn Tigers have arrived in Lexington, and have completed its first practice inside Rupp Arena ahead of Thursday's NCAA Tournament opener with Alabama State.
Before the Tigers hit the floor for practice, head coach Bruce Pearl fielded questions from the media. Last season's early exit from the NCAA Tournament was a key topic from Wednesday's press conference, and Pearl is using last season's loss to Yale as an example of why it is important to stay focused on the task ahead instead of dwelling in past failures.
"We talked about our exit from the tournament last year in the 4-13 game against Yale, we talked about it this morning. Yale outplayed us," Pearl said Wednesday. "We shot 50% in the game. Typically that's good enough to win. We fouled them too much. We turned the ball over late, crucial moments, and we didn't make free throws at the end. And as a result, we lost the game. Anybody can have that one shining moment."
The same lesson can be taught for past successes as well. Auburn has been one of the best teams in the country this season, resulting in an SEC regular season championship, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the best resume in the country. Pearl is proud of his team's success, but wants them to have a short memory as the tournament begins.
"That's in the past right now," Pearl said. "We are six wins away from achieving what our real goal is, which is to win the national championship. We recognize that at any stop, including tomorrow, we could lose. We're going to do everything we possibly can to not."
The Tigers open NCAA Tournament play on Thursday at 1:50 p.m. CT against in-state foe Alabama State. The game will be broadcasted live on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn's Bruce Pearl discusses importance of staying focused
