Best of Midnight Madness: Bruce Pearl crashes a lecture at Auburn

Midnight Madness produces some memorable moments each year, so The Dagger is chronicling the best ones from this October’s lineup. If you spot something we missed, let us know here or here.

An Auburn professor received an assist from basketball Bruce Pearl this week while lecturing his class about marketing and branding. Pearl crashed the lecture with players, cheerleaders and the marching band in tow to promote next week’s “Pearl Jam,” Auburn’s cleverly named Midnight Madness event. The appearance from Pearl served two valuable purposes: It provided a first-hand illustration of marketing and branding for the class and it generated buzz on campus and via social media for the basketball program. Auburn has a chance to be competitive in the SEC this season thanks to the return of K.T. Harrell and the arrival of Niagara transfer Antoine Mason and junior college prospect Cinmeon Bowers, but it’s next year that the Tigers will probably truly arrive. Between Pearl’s recruiting and his showmanship, Auburn basketball will be fun to watch going forward, and really when was the last time anyone could say that?

More from the Best of Midnight Madness series:

• North Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks performs ‘I will always love you’
• Bill Self recreates Andrew Wiggins’ infamous draft day outfit
• Clemson student sinks $25,000 half-court shot
• Costume-clad Tubby Smith crashes motorcycle
• Drake’s appearance at Kentucky includes cringe-worthy air ball
• Mercer’s Ike Nwamu leaps over teammate, throws down big dunk
• New Mexico coach shaves his head for a good cause
• Memphis guard throws down off-the-glass, between-the-legs slam
• Fresno State guard sinks five straight half-court shots
• Bruce Pearl crashes a lecture to promote Auburn’s Midnight Madness