The Auburn men’s basketball team has had a historic season this year that included earning a regular season title in arguably the best conference in all of college basketball. Additionally, Bruce Pearl was named the SEC Coach of the Year, but when it comes to how a team is remembered, it all comes down to what happens in March during the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers have earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament after maintaining the top spot in the AP Poll for eight consecutive weeks during the regular season and boasting by far the best resume of any team in the country.
As successful as Pearl has been during the regular season and in the SEC Tournaments in the last five years, his teams have not made it out of the first weekend in the big dance since they made the school’s first Final Four run in 2019. However, it’s a new season now and in March Madness anything can happen. Auburn being the best team in the nation for the last four months doesn’t mean anything when it’s a one-game season and you need to be at your absolute best for six straight games in order to win a national title.
To do that, the Tigers will first have to conquer the South region – the upper left quadrant of the bracket – by getting through some talented teams. While they should be able to handle the No. 16 seed they face in the first round with ease, things immediately get tough in the second round. Slated to take on the winner of Creighton against Louisville, neither result is ideal. With the game being played in Lexington, KY, a matchup against the Cardinals would effectively mean a road game against one of the best teams in the ACC. Creighton on the other hand presents matchup difficulties of their own and it should be a dogfight in either scenario.
If Auburn is fortunate enough to advance to the second weekend for the first time in six years and the Sweet Sixteen, there are a few potential teams who could give them trouble.
Should things play out the way they are expected, it could be No. 5 seed Michigan or No. 4 seed Texas A&M who defeated the Tigers handily just a couple of weeks ago.
The bottom half of the region gets even tougher if Auburn advances all the way to the Elite Eight and there’s a number of teams who could give them trouble.
If all of the higher seeds win, the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo will be a brutal draw. Other teams to look out for include No. 3 seed Iowa State, No. 6 seed Ole Miss, and No. 7 seed Marquette.
It all gets started for the Tigers on Thursday when they take on the winner of Alabama State and Saint Francis.
Fans who want to get a scouting report on the potential first-round opponents can tune into the First Four matchup this evening at 5:40 p.m. CST.
