LEXINGTON | Steven Pearl didn’t pull any punches. Neither did Dylan Cardwell.

The Auburn assistant coach and senior center both expressed frustration with their team and teammates after Auburn’s 83-63 win over Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The interviews took place on the Auburn Network postgame broadcast.

“About the only positive is that we won the game. That’s about it,” said Pearl. “It was embarrassing, honestly. To come out in an NCAA Tournament game with that energy and that effort, that’s why we lost last year. We’ve got to be so much frickin’ better than we are right now.”

Pearl singled out both Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara for their poor effort. Broome had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but had just one assist, no blocked shots and turned the ball over three times. He was also just 4 of 9 on free throws.

Baker-Mazara had five points on 1 of 9 shooting along with two rebounds, three assists and two turnovers.

“Johni and Chad have to be better. They have to be better in all aspects of the game,” said Pearl. “And if they’re not, we will not win. I would imagine that Coach is going to challenge them really hard right now because they just didn’t bring it tonight, and I have no idea why. No idea.”

The Tigers have failed to make it to the Sweet 16 in their last three NCAA Tournament appearances. As a No. 4 seed last year, AU lost to No. 13 seed Yale in the first round.

No. 9 seed AU lost to No. 1 seed Houston in the second round in 2023 and No. 2 seed AU lost to No. 10 seed Miami in the second round in 2022.

Cardwell, who joined Auburn in 2020, the year after the Final Four team, is hungry to make his own deep run into the tournament.

“We’re just not playing hard. We need to play harder and more aggressive. When we’re clicking, when we’re playing hard and not slopping through stuff, no one can beat us,” said Cardwell. “You’ve got the option of going out as the best team in Auburn history or the biggest bust in the country. I don’t know what these guys want to be remembered for, but at some point it’s got to click.

“What’s it going to take? What more is it going to take? I don’t want to look back when I’m 40, I’m 50, I’m 60 and be like, ‘Dang, I wish I got past the first weekend. I wish I’d played in the Final Four.’ We’re a great team. We’re one of the greatest teams in the country. That’s why we’re the No. 1 overall seed. We’re not playing like the No. 1 overall seed anymore. We’re not playing like that anymore. And I don’t know what more it’s going to take for us to get there. We have all the Kumbayas, all the prayer meetings, we have all these things, but what’s it going to take for somebody to buy in?”

Auburn will play No. 9 seed Creighton in the second round Saturday at Rupp Arena.