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AUBURN — Auburn basketball is quite familiar with the sting of an NCAA Tournament upset.
Just last season, the fourth-seeded Tigers saw their March Madness hopes dashed one game in, losing to 13-seed Yale 78-76 in the tournament's round of 64 in Spokane, Washington.
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That heartbreaking end to a productive season is far gone now, and much has changed for Auburn, which was named the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Tigers put together one of the best postseason résumés in the sport's history, and they're four days away from just their second appearance as one of the top-four seeds in the big dance.
But the magic of this month is a very real thing and, as Auburn learned a year ago, it's something that sometimes favors David and not Goliath.
HOW TO WATCH: Watch Auburn basketball's NCAA Tournament play here.
Ahead of the NCAA Tournament, here's a closer look at Auburn's draw and five teams that could derail the Tigers' hopes of a national championship.
The Spartans are an understandable favorite to make a deep run. The No. 7 overall seed in this year's tournament, they've been consistent wire to wire, as one of three times with at least 13 Quad 1 victories.
They also have efficient elements to their style of play. Michigan State's one of the better two-point shooting teams nationally. It defends the 3-pointer incredibly well, and while the Spartans don't boast incredible size, they're one of the better rebounding teams in the country.
Auburn wouldn't see Michigan State until the Elite Eight, but if it ran into it, it'd have to play its best basketball to win.
Another team that Auburn wouldn't see until the tournament's semifinal, the Tigers have already gotten their money's worth against the Cyclones.
It took a last-second tip-in from Johni Broome for Auburn to beat then-No. 5 Iowa State 83-81 on Nov. 25 in the Maui Invitational. It took some considerable second-half adjustments for the Tigers to overcome an 18-point Iowa State advantage, as the Cyclones got out in transition and scored at will for a whole half.
It's hard enough to beat any team twice in a season. That's even harder when they were barely beaten the first time.
There's no better pick for an Auburn upset than the Aggies, who the Tigers wouldn't see until the Sweet Sixteen. Since Buzz Williams took over, Texas A&M is 5-2 against Bruce Pearl's Auburn teams, with the latest win coming two weeks ago in College Station.
It's historically a matchup nightmare for Pearl's style of basketball, to the point that his best Auburn team yet couldn't find a way to beat the Aggies.
Another potential Sweet Sixteen matchup, Michigan has soared in Year 1 under Dusty May. And while it lost its final three regular season games, it just breezed through the Big Ten Tournament for May's first conference title at the high-major.
The Wolverines are more than just red-hot, though. Like Auburn, they boast a double-big lineup, and they're flush with familiar faces, including former Auburn guard Tre Donaldson and former Yale big man Danny Wolf, who toppled the Tigers last season.
Could the Bulldogs do it again? After duping Auburn in last year's tournament, the Selection Sunday draw again put Yale in the Tigers' vicinity.
These two wouldn't meet until the Sweet Sixteen, but if Yale could again get hot early, it's a team that would already know the recipe for upsetting Auburn.
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: March Madness: These 5 teams could bust Auburn basketball's bracket
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Just last season, the fourth-seeded Tigers saw their March Madness hopes dashed one game in, losing to 13-seed Yale 78-76 in the tournament's round of 64 in Spokane, Washington.
Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today
That heartbreaking end to a productive season is far gone now, and much has changed for Auburn, which was named the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Tigers put together one of the best postseason résumés in the sport's history, and they're four days away from just their second appearance as one of the top-four seeds in the big dance.
But the magic of this month is a very real thing and, as Auburn learned a year ago, it's something that sometimes favors David and not Goliath.
HOW TO WATCH: Watch Auburn basketball's NCAA Tournament play here.
Ahead of the NCAA Tournament, here's a closer look at Auburn's draw and five teams that could derail the Tigers' hopes of a national championship.
Why 2-seed Michigan State could upset Auburn basketball
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The Spartans are an understandable favorite to make a deep run. The No. 7 overall seed in this year's tournament, they've been consistent wire to wire, as one of three times with at least 13 Quad 1 victories.
They also have efficient elements to their style of play. Michigan State's one of the better two-point shooting teams nationally. It defends the 3-pointer incredibly well, and while the Spartans don't boast incredible size, they're one of the better rebounding teams in the country.
Auburn wouldn't see Michigan State until the Elite Eight, but if it ran into it, it'd have to play its best basketball to win.
Why 3-seed Iowa State could upset Auburn basketball
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Another team that Auburn wouldn't see until the tournament's semifinal, the Tigers have already gotten their money's worth against the Cyclones.
It took a last-second tip-in from Johni Broome for Auburn to beat then-No. 5 Iowa State 83-81 on Nov. 25 in the Maui Invitational. It took some considerable second-half adjustments for the Tigers to overcome an 18-point Iowa State advantage, as the Cyclones got out in transition and scored at will for a whole half.
It's hard enough to beat any team twice in a season. That's even harder when they were barely beaten the first time.
Why 4-seed Texas A&M could upset Auburn basketball
You must be registered for see images attach
There's no better pick for an Auburn upset than the Aggies, who the Tigers wouldn't see until the Sweet Sixteen. Since Buzz Williams took over, Texas A&M is 5-2 against Bruce Pearl's Auburn teams, with the latest win coming two weeks ago in College Station.
It's historically a matchup nightmare for Pearl's style of basketball, to the point that his best Auburn team yet couldn't find a way to beat the Aggies.
Why 5-seed Michigan could upset Auburn basketball
You must be registered for see images
Another potential Sweet Sixteen matchup, Michigan has soared in Year 1 under Dusty May. And while it lost its final three regular season games, it just breezed through the Big Ten Tournament for May's first conference title at the high-major.
The Wolverines are more than just red-hot, though. Like Auburn, they boast a double-big lineup, and they're flush with familiar faces, including former Auburn guard Tre Donaldson and former Yale big man Danny Wolf, who toppled the Tigers last season.
Why 13-seed Yale could upset Auburn basketball
You must be registered for see images
Could the Bulldogs do it again? After duping Auburn in last year's tournament, the Selection Sunday draw again put Yale in the Tigers' vicinity.
These two wouldn't meet until the Sweet Sixteen, but if Yale could again get hot early, it's a team that would already know the recipe for upsetting Auburn.
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: March Madness: These 5 teams could bust Auburn basketball's bracket
Continue reading...
