“We’re good”: Bruce Pearl brushes off questions about Chad Baker-Mazara's ejection vs Alabama ahead of SEC tournament

Bruce Pearl cut a frustrated figure on the sideline as the Auburn Tigers lost their regular-season finale to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The loss was highlighted by Chad Baker-Mazara’s ejection after he elbowed Chris Youngblood, receiving a Flagrant 2 foul.

Ahead of the SEC tournament, Pearl was asked about Baker-Mazara’s status. The veteran head coach kept his response brief:

"We’re good."

Pressed further, he added:

"Don’t you think my conversations with him should be my conversations with him? Regardless of if it is a retaliation…it is unacceptable. But I am not going to talk to you about my conversations with all my players."

This isn’t Baker-Mazara’s first ejection. The Auburn guard was thrown out of last year’s first-round game against Yale in the NCAA tournament, a game Auburn lost.

Baker-Mazara is averaging 12.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He has scored 20 or more points three times in the 2024–25 college basketball season.

His talents were on full display in Auburn’s recent back-to-back wins over the Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcats. The senior guard dropped 22 points in both games.

What's next for Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers?

Bruce Pearl has guided Auburn to the No. 3 ranking in the AP poll. The team is playing phenomenal offensive basketball and could have secured a No. 1 seed heading into March Madness if not for a late-season collapse.

Bruce Pearl's ultimate goal is to bring a national championship to Auburn — a feat he has yet to achieve in his lengthy coaching career. Even with a stacked roster in 2019, the Tigers fell short, reaching only the Final Four.

Auburn was the best team in college basketball for most of the 2024–25 regular season, losing just four games, two of which came in the final week.

Up next for the Auburn Tigers is the SEC tournament, where Auburn will face an as-yet-undetermined opponent.