On Saturday, the Auburn basketball program continued its disappointing 2025 season with a home loss against the rival Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 96-92. The Tigers led this game by four heading into the locker room for halftime, but ultimately, their inability to get stops down the stretch of the second half cost them a chance to defeat their rivals.

It was a big game for Alabama star Aden Holloway, who scored 15 big points in his team's win, and after the game, Auburn head coach Steven Pearl got 100% real on his team's lack of defense against Holloway and the Crimson Tide down the stretch of the game.

“We're standing straight up out of our stance, get nailed on a pindown and then foul a 3-point shooter. Just unacceptable. Can't do that if you want to win basketball games… Too casual, too lackadaisical,” said Pearl, per The Next Round on X, formerly Twitter.

A lack of defense has become a theme for Auburn so far throughout this season. Currently, the Tigers sit at 14-9 and are not ranked in the top 25 in the country.

Article Continues Below

Pearl is the son of former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who left following last season's run to the Final Four. While Auburn was expected to take a step back this year after losing considerable talent to both the transfer portal and the NBA Draft this past offseason, it's still been a disappointing season on the plains relative to expectations, with some fans wondering whether the younger Pearl is truly the long-term answer at head coach for the team.

Still, there is plenty of time for Auburn to turn things around as the season continues, as well as the prospect of them putting together a strong run in the SEC Tournament next month.

In any case, Auburn will next take the court on Tuesday night for a big home game against Vanderbilt.