What's up, folks? Welcome into a special surprise edition of the Locked-on College Basketball

podcast, a daily national college hoop show, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network,

your team every day. I am your host, Annie Patton, joined today by the great Zach Blackerby

of Locked-on Auburn, and you are joining us at the place to get your college basketball content

every single day.

Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime folks, download the GameTime app,

create an account, and use code locked on college for $20 off your first purchase.

Well, big, big news out of Auburn on Monday, the first official day of college basketball practices beginning.

And Bruce Pearl said that is it for me. I am out the door announces his retirement.

We're going to talk all about this decision, the timing of said decision, who is taking over

for Auburn, what it might mean for this roster, especially in the

transfer portal era, where these guys could potentially depart. We're going to get into all of that

and Bruce Pearl's legacy for the Auburn Tigers and college basketball legacy at large. But,

Zach, we got to start with the fact that in some ways this news felt unexpected, but also this has been talked about

for a while. There had been rumors and rumblings and conversations, and Bruce Pearl had talked

about this earlier in the month that he was, he talked about considering a run for Senate

and that he might retire because of that. That is not what is happening. In this case, he is retiring.

He is staying with the Auburn program as an ambassador in the short term,

but it still felt like it caught a lot of people off guard,

especially the timing here being so close to the start of the college basketball season.

So close to the season.

Yeah.

...