There was heartbreak all over Alabama on Saturday when Jahmai Mashack buried a 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Tennessee Vols over the Crimson Tide in dramatic fashion. Well, no one was upset about it over in Auburn. Instead, people were over the moon.
With the Vols taking down the Crimson Tide, it clinched the SEC regular season title for the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. A video went viral of the players singing Rocky Top after Mashack's unreal shot, which was pretty dang funny.
Not only that, but Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl wasted no time in getting on the phone and telling Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes that he was elated UT was able to pull things off. Via ESPN's Peter Burns, Pearl shared that he had a special message for Barnes and his players too:
"I was singing.....IT'S GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOL!!.....I called Rick Barnes 10 mins after their game to thank him" - @coachbrucepearl
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) March 3, 2025
On him & his team's reaction on the team bus after watching Tennessee beat Bama to clinch regular season title for Auburn#SECThisMorning pic.twitter.com/TlU5nQ469I
Bruce Pearl called Rick Barnes after Tennessee helped Auburn win the SEC regular season title
While we wish Tennessee would have won the regular season title, all we can do is tip our hats to Auburn for getting the job done. At least they're showing Tennessee love and Pearl showed a bunch of class by calling Barnes, right?
Pearl and his players can enjoy this moment, but with the SEC Tournament around the corner, the Vols are going to be ready to make a splash. With the victory over Alabama, Tennessee is now the No. 4 team in the country and in a position to capture the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Had a loss to Alabama been posted, that potential No. 1 seed likely would have been wiped off the table. Mashack made sure that didn't happen, however, as his clutch play down the stretch helped propel the Vols to a memorable win. Even Dick Vitale had to post on social media to show Mashack and the Vols some love.
As for Pearl and the Tigers, the team's focus is on winning the SEC Tournament and then to go on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee will have something to say about that. Yes, Pearl calling Barnes was cool to see, but the next time these two programs meet, the Vols will be ready to wipe away any excitement the Tigers are still feeling.