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On Thursday the Auburn Tigers will play the winner of Tuesday night’s First Four matchup between the Alabama State Yellow Jackets and the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash.
Alabama State is the champions of the SWAC and St. Francis is out of the Northeast Conference. Auburn was rewarded with the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will begin their journey in Lexington, Kentucky. The Tigers are looking to bounce back after losing three of their last four games against Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee. They did get a 72-67 win over Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers lost on Saturday to the Volunteers in the semifinals.
Here is a rundown of the possible opponents that Auburn could face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Before this season, Alabama State had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011. That year they lost to UT-San Antonio 70-61 in the First Four. They are in the same spot this time around. Alabama State won the SWAC Tournament by defeating Jackson State 60-56 to clinch a spot in the dance. They were led by senior guard CJ Hines with 20 points who was four for six from the three-point line. During the season, Alabama State finished fourth in the SWAC with a 12-6 conference record and entered the NCAA Tournament with a 19-15 overall record. Hines led the way through the season averaging 14.4 points per game. Their next two leading scorers Amarr Knox (14.3) and TJ Madlock (12.6) are also guards. Madlock was second in the SWAC with 7.2 rebounds per game.
The St. Francis Red Flash are from Pennsylvania and play in the Northeast Conference. They will enter their First Four matchup with a 16-17 overall record. They defeated Central Connecticut for the Northeast Conference Championship 46-43 to clinch their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991. They were 8-8 in conference play during the regular season to finish fourth. They are coached by Rob Krimmel who is in his 13th season with the school. Guard Riley Parker leads the team with 13.4 points per game and shoots 40% from the three-point line. He also leads the team with 3.4 assists per game. St. Francis finished fourth in the Northeast Conference by averaging 71.1 points per game. They were fourth in rebounding at 34 per game.
Whether the Tigers play Alabama State or St. Francis, they should be heavy favorites going into the game on Thursday. For Auburn, it is more about how they play and less about the opponent in the game. The Tigers have lost to some of the best teams in Alabama and Tennessee, plus a solid team in Texas A&M. Rebounding has been an issue for the Tigers, and they lost that battle against Tennessee 35-27. Auburn will need to show dominance against teams they are by far more talented than. A quick start regardless of the opponent is pivotal. Whether the Tigers play the Yellow Jackets or the Red Flash, Auburn should win by 40 points or more.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn NCAA Tournament prediction, pick for March Madness first round
Continue reading...
Alabama State is the champions of the SWAC and St. Francis is out of the Northeast Conference. Auburn was rewarded with the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will begin their journey in Lexington, Kentucky. The Tigers are looking to bounce back after losing three of their last four games against Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee. They did get a 72-67 win over Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers lost on Saturday to the Volunteers in the semifinals.
Here is a rundown of the possible opponents that Auburn could face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Who are the Alabama State Yellow Jackets?
Before this season, Alabama State had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011. That year they lost to UT-San Antonio 70-61 in the First Four. They are in the same spot this time around. Alabama State won the SWAC Tournament by defeating Jackson State 60-56 to clinch a spot in the dance. They were led by senior guard CJ Hines with 20 points who was four for six from the three-point line. During the season, Alabama State finished fourth in the SWAC with a 12-6 conference record and entered the NCAA Tournament with a 19-15 overall record. Hines led the way through the season averaging 14.4 points per game. Their next two leading scorers Amarr Knox (14.3) and TJ Madlock (12.6) are also guards. Madlock was second in the SWAC with 7.2 rebounds per game.
Who is the St. Francis Red Flash?
The St. Francis Red Flash are from Pennsylvania and play in the Northeast Conference. They will enter their First Four matchup with a 16-17 overall record. They defeated Central Connecticut for the Northeast Conference Championship 46-43 to clinch their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991. They were 8-8 in conference play during the regular season to finish fourth. They are coached by Rob Krimmel who is in his 13th season with the school. Guard Riley Parker leads the team with 13.4 points per game and shoots 40% from the three-point line. He also leads the team with 3.4 assists per game. St. Francis finished fourth in the Northeast Conference by averaging 71.1 points per game. They were fourth in rebounding at 34 per game.
Auburn Tigers vs. Alabama State/St. Francis prediction: March Madness first round
Whether the Tigers play Alabama State or St. Francis, they should be heavy favorites going into the game on Thursday. For Auburn, it is more about how they play and less about the opponent in the game. The Tigers have lost to some of the best teams in Alabama and Tennessee, plus a solid team in Texas A&M. Rebounding has been an issue for the Tigers, and they lost that battle against Tennessee 35-27. Auburn will need to show dominance against teams they are by far more talented than. A quick start regardless of the opponent is pivotal. Whether the Tigers play the Yellow Jackets or the Red Flash, Auburn should win by 40 points or more.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn NCAA Tournament prediction, pick for March Madness first round
Continue reading...
