I just hate that the high dollar coaches get away with manipulating the part-time refs. Just once I'd like to see every actual foul get called. Auburn strategy, like many of our other SEC opponents is to keep pushing, hacking, and hitting after the fouls pile up and dare the refs to keep blowing their whistles. Auburn was called for 9 fouls to 3 on TN. Pearl then screamed at the refs relentlessly to call the game equally at both ends while pointing out the discrepancy in called fouls. Refs were afraid to continue whistling Barn and make the difference even more one-sided which gave Barn a free pass to hack, push, chop, and grab even more. A few games need to be called with 50 versus 15 foul totals without repercussions to correct this.
CRB's strategy is to limit fouls and to keep the opponent off of the foul line until as late in the half as possible. Pearl is fine with that as it skews the perceived lack of fair treatment by the refs and staying off of the foul line isn't as big of a problem when you're a poor foul shooting team.
When the foul total is 3 to 9 in your opponent's favor and you've been getting the refs to hear your complaints, then you can start sending your best free throw shooting guards into the paint and expect the refs are now looking to call fouls to even up the foul totals. Refs need to be trained to tune out guys like Pearl demanding that they even up the called fouls. TN teaches their players to NOT foul. Pearl teaches his players to gain an advantage by disrupting dribblers and pushing smaller post players away from the basket. Only calling entire games by the rules and allowing huge foul total discrepancies will end this type of garbage basketball. It's amazing that by playing high disciplined, low fouling defenses puts that team at a disadvantage.
Refs and the SEC administration need to fix this but they probably won't touch it as long as the offices are in Birmingham. Physical basketball is always the style of play that the very best Alabama teams have embraced.