Bruce Pearl recalls how Auburn 'bitch slapped' Purdue last season while previewing this year's matchup

For the second straight season, Auburn and Purdue are set to take place in a “neutral site” game. Last year saw Birmingham play host, only for Indianapolis to get the honor on Saturday. Matt Painter will be going up against a new head coach, facing Steven Pearl instead of Bruce Pearl.

The elder Pearl recently recalled the 2024 showdown, saying Auburn “bitch slapped” Purdue. Even so, Painter appeared to be grateful for the challenge as he prepared his team for Big Ten play and eventually the NCAA Tournament.

“We bitch slapped Purdue last year in Birmingham,” Pearl said Wednesday via OutKick. “Matt couldn’t have been more gracious… He said ‘BP, we needed that.’ He said ‘My guys need to see, in December, what a Final Four team looks like. And now we know what we’ve got to do.’ He was such a professional… There’s a lot of Purdue kids that came back that went home for Christmas last year pissed off because Auburn beat them.”

Now, Pearl believes revenge is going to be on Purdue’s mind. A lot of players from last year’s team returned to West Lafayette. Making sure the same feeling does not come to fruition could play a role.

There are other areas where Purdue forecasts as the better team in the matchup. Pearl laid a few of them out, really honing in on where the two rosters stand, from an age perspective. Purdue is one of the more experienced programs out there, while Pearl helped build a younger squad.

“I’d say Purdue gets the advantage,” Pearl said. “They’ve got the experience of their backcourt. I think their size and physicality on the inside will be a difference in a matchup against Auburn. Auburn’s got a nice, young roster… Freshmen and sophomores have a hard time winning against grown men. So, that will be the challenge.”

Purdue enters with just one loss on the season, dropping a home game to Iowa State. Auburn is 8-3 but all three losses are to teams currently ranked inside the top 10. Picking up an elite resume win would be a major boost for the Tigers just a couple of weeks before diving into the SEC.

No official prediction came from Pearl on Saturday’s game. If he is not able to attend the game in person, Peacock has the streaming rights. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.