SEC Basketball

Pearl dreads Tennessee return

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl answers a question during a news conference at the Southeastern Conference NCAA men's college basketball media day in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is excited about his return to the Southeastern Conference. He's worried, though, about his evitable return to Tennessee.

The former Vols coach hired earlier this year to turn around the Tigers said it will be an emotional visit when Auburn plays at Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 31.

Pearl coached six seasons at Tennessee from 2006 through 2011, leading the Vols to the NCAA tournament each year. He was fired in 2011 and placed under a show cause penalty after lying to investigators about violations involving a cookout at his home for junior prospects and their families. Pearl's three-year show cause penalty imposed by the NCAA expired in August and he's full-speed ahead at preparing for Auburn's season.

That includes what he anticipates to be a heart-tugging tour of his old campus where he made many good friends.

"I get pretty attached to different things," Pearl said Wednesday at SEC media day. "There were a lot of five o'clock in the mornings walking into the office when nobody else was there. Lot of times you're the last guy to leave the building and you become attached to the trash can, you become attached to the hallway.

"I know it will be emotional, just from the fact that I love that place and care about it so much," he said.

Pearl went 145-61 in six seasons at Tennessee, winning the SEC championship in 2008. He said his greatest accomplishments were earning the respect of Tennessee's two national championship coaches in former women's coach Pat Summitt and ex-football coach Phillip Fulmer.

"I'm part of the Auburn family now and I will do the best I can to represent Auburn," he said. "But in some ways, I'll still be a Vol for life."


GOODBYE MARSHALL: Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy enjoyed the ride with former Rebel star Marshall Henderson.

"He's a guy that brought great energy to everything that he did. He's a guy that when it felt like leather, he was going to shoot it," Kennedy said. "We've had to get other people accustomed to other roles. Marshall was good for Ole Miss, Ole Miss was good for Marshall."

Maybe not always.

Henderson, who was the Rebels leading scorer at 19 points a game last season, drew his share of controversy for his on-court antics. He was suspended three games by the school for his "total conduct" last year. Yet, Kennedy said Marshall will be remembered for his fiery play during two years at Ole Miss, the first in 2012-13 when he was the SEC tournament MVP in the Rebels' surprise run to the crown.

Henderson is currently playing basketball in Qatar, something "he seems to enjoy," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said Henderson brought increased interest to Mississippi basketball which has helped coaches in recruiting. "Did remarkable things from a numbers standpoint, but also really transcended our program," the coach said.


CLOSE COACHES: South Carolina coach Frank Martin said it was good to have another good friend in the league fraternity with the addition of Donnie Tyndall at Tennessee.

Martin remembered in 1997 when he, Tyndall, Alabama coach Anthony Grant Gamecocks assistant Matt Figger all worked summer camps for another pal in Florida coach Billy Donovan.

"Here we are, 17 years later and we're all in the same league," Martin said. "That's what's fun for me."

Martin said all of them fed off Donovan's energy and vision and used to build successful careers in the game.

Of course, it wasn't all work. "I can't tell you the stories between he and I," Martin joked, "or he and I are going to go back to working summer camps and not coaching."

Tyndall, just across the room from Martin, laughed at his friend's word. "I will tell you one story when we went out a couple of nights after camp, it wasn't Frank who bought the wings and beer, I can assure you," Tyndall said.