"His big a** is gonna be on the block": Bruce Pearl ponders how he would use Shaquille O'Neal as compared to Johni Broome if he coached the LSU legend

Basketball has changed over the years, as gone are the days when the likes of Shaquille O'Neal would bully himself into the paint and break apart rims just like that. Instead, nowadays, centers are just rendered to stretch the floor with their shooting ability rather than simply overpowering defenders in the post.

However, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl made it clear that if he ever had the chance to coach an all-time dominant force like O'Neal, he wouldn’t follow the modern trend — he’d take full advantage of the LSU legend’s brute force in the paint.

While discussing how he utilizes his current star center, Johni Broome, Pearl was asked how he would deploy someone like Shaq in today’s game.

"Oh, I'd find a way. I have—I have Johni Broome right now, and we're going to find ways to get him inside and run our offense accordingly," Pearl said on Dan Patrick Show (10:20 onwards).

"So, oh no, no—you give me Shaq, and his big a* is gonna be on the block, and good luck! The only way you're gonna stop him is to Hack-a-Shaq him."

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Bruce Pearl wins 4th SEC Coach of the Year after leading Auburn to program record wins

Bruce Pearl led Auburn to a 27-4 overall record and 15-3 in the SEC play. The 27 wins are the most the program has won in a season. It could have been 28 if not for the overtime loss to Alabama in the regular season finale.

Ahead of the start of the SEC Tournament where Auburn is the No. 1 seed, Pearl was recognized as SEC Coach of the Year over Florida coach Todd Golden, who also finished with a similar 27-4 record.

Bruce Pearl, who has been with the program as the coach since 2014-15, will now look forward to winning his third SEC championship with Auburn. He previously won it in 2019 and 2024.

The top seed Auburn has double byes in place for the SEC Tournament, and the team won't be in action until Friday as the rest of the games unfold. Auburn faces one of Ole Miss, South Carolina or Arkansas to kick off their March Madness run.