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AUBURN — Auburn basketball has been building for this all season long, and now, it has what it worked for — nearly all of what it worked for, anyways.
The Tigers are back in the big dance. It's the fourth-straight season in which they've made the field of 68, and the sixth time in Bruce Pearl's tenure. But this trip is different, as Auburn was named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
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"For me, for us, we sort of feel like that makes us the regular-season national champion," Pearl said. "It is a tournament sport. We're six wins away from winning our first national championship."
Between a nonconference schedule that put the Tigers up against five ranked opponents, and an SEC that secured a record 14 NCAA Tournament bids, Auburn has seen the best of the best. And that's enough for a considerable case it cuts down the nets at this year's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
As the Tigers gear up for their round of 64 matchup with 16-seed Alabama State or 16-seed Saint Francis on Thursday (1:50 p.m. CT, CBS), here are the cases for and against them reaching the ultimate pinnacle.
Take a look at Auburn's schedule. Sure, the ending wasn't pretty, with the Tigers losing three of their final four games, but the whole picture shows just how ridiculous their postseason résumé became.
The three other 1-seeds Duke, Houston and Florida? Auburn has played them. Of the 68 teams that will dance, the Tigers have played 18 of them. That's more than a quarter of the field. And it combined to play those squads for 24 of its 33 games.
When Auburn is at its best, it's incredible in several ways. It defends better than most. It has an offense that can attack its opponents in many ways. It's incredibly deep, and plays fast and physical. But above all else, it has played the best, and it did that more than any other NCAA Tournament team.
The Tigers know what could go wrong, especially of late.
In their latest defeat, an SEC Tournament semifinal loss to 4-seed Tennessee, foul trouble flooded Auburn's rotation. After its SEC championship-clinching win over Kentucky, Auburn's depth went stagnant, and it remained that way for much of its past four games.
As impressive as the Tigers have looked, they've also looked human. They've had bad shooting nights. They've fallen prey to considerable mismatches, whether against Texas A&M or Florida.
Auburn is undoubtedly battle-tested, and that could take it a long way. But like any other team, moments have arrived and the Tigers haven't had answers. And in a single-elimination postseason as unique as this tournament, those moments could come against anybody.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: The cases for, against Auburn basketball winning 2025 NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
The Tigers are back in the big dance. It's the fourth-straight season in which they've made the field of 68, and the sixth time in Bruce Pearl's tenure. But this trip is different, as Auburn was named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today
"For me, for us, we sort of feel like that makes us the regular-season national champion," Pearl said. "It is a tournament sport. We're six wins away from winning our first national championship."
Between a nonconference schedule that put the Tigers up against five ranked opponents, and an SEC that secured a record 14 NCAA Tournament bids, Auburn has seen the best of the best. And that's enough for a considerable case it cuts down the nets at this year's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
As the Tigers gear up for their round of 64 matchup with 16-seed Alabama State or 16-seed Saint Francis on Thursday (1:50 p.m. CT, CBS), here are the cases for and against them reaching the ultimate pinnacle.
Why Auburn basketball could cut down the nets in San Antonio
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Take a look at Auburn's schedule. Sure, the ending wasn't pretty, with the Tigers losing three of their final four games, but the whole picture shows just how ridiculous their postseason résumé became.
The three other 1-seeds Duke, Houston and Florida? Auburn has played them. Of the 68 teams that will dance, the Tigers have played 18 of them. That's more than a quarter of the field. And it combined to play those squads for 24 of its 33 games.
When Auburn is at its best, it's incredible in several ways. It defends better than most. It has an offense that can attack its opponents in many ways. It's incredibly deep, and plays fast and physical. But above all else, it has played the best, and it did that more than any other NCAA Tournament team.
Why Auburn basketball could see its stellar season stopped short
You must be registered for see images attach
The Tigers know what could go wrong, especially of late.
In their latest defeat, an SEC Tournament semifinal loss to 4-seed Tennessee, foul trouble flooded Auburn's rotation. After its SEC championship-clinching win over Kentucky, Auburn's depth went stagnant, and it remained that way for much of its past four games.
As impressive as the Tigers have looked, they've also looked human. They've had bad shooting nights. They've fallen prey to considerable mismatches, whether against Texas A&M or Florida.
Auburn is undoubtedly battle-tested, and that could take it a long way. But like any other team, moments have arrived and the Tigers haven't had answers. And in a single-elimination postseason as unique as this tournament, those moments could come against anybody.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: The cases for, against Auburn basketball winning 2025 NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
