AUBURN | Bruce Pearl can’t talk about what happens during Sunday’s private scrimmage against UAB Sunday due to ridiculous NCAA rules.

But he can preview about what he wants to see from his team going up against a UAB squad that returns Jordan Walker, who led the Blazers to the C-USA championship and the NCAA Tournament last season.

Walker, a 5-foot-11 point guard, was C-USA Player of the Year in 2021-22 averaging 20.3 points per game. UAB added LSU transfer guard Eric Gaines in the offseason to give the Blazers a talented backcourt.

“They'll play really hard, really physical,” said Pearl. “They're older. I mean, a lot of fifth-year guys. They were an NCAA Tournament team the last year. If Houston doesn't make a gazillion-bajillion threes, that could have been an upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They'll throw the kitchen sink at us, they'll play very aggressively man — like we play — man-to-man. They'll mix in some 1-3-1, they'll mix in some 2-3. Walker, their point guard, has scored 40 points twice, the only college player returning to score 40 points twice. So, easy for me to talk to my guards and go 'quite a challenge.' This guy can really, really score.

"So I mean, it'll be a— we'll learn where we are. We're gonna try to win. We'll probably play at least a couple of halves and we got a lot out of it last year, we'll get a lot out of it this year.”

Pearl is starting to change up practice as the Tigers prepare for UAB and the season opener in about three more weeks. Tuesday’s workout will include officials.

“I'm going to try to make today as game-like as I can,” he said. “I've got three or four more things I've got to teach before practice in order to make this a better scrimmage. So I'm not exactly going to be able to do it. But I'm going to try to play four seven-and-a-half minute games today. Half of them will be best on best, half of them will be us against the scout team.

“I still think I've gotta keep teaching. I've gotta keep on having them understand our system. While I'm doing that, I'm evaluating to see, OK, who starts and who's on the bench? What combinations play better together.”

Pearl added that his team has been battling the flu bug this past week. K.D. Johnson is going to be held out until Thursday while Wendell Green is expected to return today.

He expects Chance Westry to return from arthroscopic knee surgery in three weeks.

Auburn will play UAH in an exhibition game Nov. 2 and opens the season against Georgie Mason Nov. 7 at Neville Arena.