“That’s why you go to Auburn” - Rockets star Jabari Smith Jr. heaps praise on Bruce Pearl’s crew following dominant win vs Florida

Houston Rockets star Jabari Smith Jr. heaped praise on Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers after they clinched the SEC Tournament title on Sunday. The fourth-seeded Tigers crushed the sixth-seeded Florida Gators 86-67 in the final at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Smith, who played two seasons with Auburn before being picked by the Rockets in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, tweeted:

"That’s why you go to Auburn."

This was Auburn's third SEC Tournament win in the program's history.

The 12th-ranked Tigers (27-7) trounced South Carolina 86-55 in the quarterfinals before taking down Mississippi State 73-66 in the semis.

Auburn has now confirmed a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will hear their name called out on Selection Sunday for the fifth time in the last seven years.

Bruce Pearl gets emotional after Auburn clinches SEC Tournament title

Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl

Just a few seconds before Auburn's blowout win over Florida in the SEC title game concluded, the cameras panned toward an emotional Bruce Pearl. The Tigers coach explained that his father Bernie's death in August last year was the reason why he teared up.

In an interview with ESPN's Marty Smith, Pearl said:

“How about the way Auburn showed up today? For me, I’ve got to thank my father. I’m just happy for the players. We played great. Florida’s a terrific opponent. That’s why I’m so emotional. I wish he was here.

"He worked hard. My dad worked six days a week. He prayed on the seventh. We didn't have a lot, but we had enough. I thought my dad was, like, the best. So, I wish every kid has that, and that's one of the reasons why I'm hard on these guys."

Earlier this week, Pearl said he expects several SEC teams to reach the NCAA Tournament since the conference has some of the country's best coaches.