Where does Auburn fall in ESPN's March Madness second round re-rank?

[ASFN Admin]

Auburn basketball showed struggles at times in its NCAA Tournament first round matchup with Alabama State on Thursday before ultimately prevailing, 83-63.

Auburn struggled offensively by shooting just 45% from the field against the Yellow Jackets and connected on just 56% of their free throw opportunities, marking the fifth straight game that Auburn failed to shoot above 70% from the stripe. Auburn's recent rough patch is an area of concern, which has caused its stock to drop in ESPN's March Madness rankings.

ESPN's Myron Medcalf published his re-ranking of teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament ahead of this weekend's second-round action. Auburn, the tournament's top-overall seed, falls to No. 4 before taking on Creighton at Rupp Arena in Lexington on Saturday. Medcalf says that Auburn's recent struggles continue to show in March Madness.

"Considering its whole season, Auburn fully deserved the overall top seed in this year's tournament. Since March 4, though, the Tigers have dropped to sub-50 marks in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Granted, that's a stretch that included games against Texas A&M, Alabama and Tennessee. But a slow start against 16-seed Alabama State on Thursday, which allowed the Hornets to take a brief lead, showcased the Tigers' recent weakness. In the end, though, a "mediocre game" for Auburn was still a 20-point win. Not bad at all."

Creighton, Auburn's next opponent, remains in the lower tier of the remaining 32 teams at No. 25. The No. 9 seed Blue Jays upset No. 8 Louisville on Thursday behind a strong offensive showing that saw four starters reach double figures in points, led by Jamiya Neal's 29-point effort. Creighton's offense has trended upward lately, which could test the Tigers' defense.

"Ryan Kalkbrenner, 7-foot-1 center and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, is the anchor of a Creighton group that has held its opponents to a 46.1% clip inside the arc, a top-20 mark in the country. But it was the Bluejays' offense -- they are ninth in adjusted offensive efficiency since March 4, per Bart Torvik -- that fueled their first-round win over Louisville, which surrendered its second-highest tally of the season in the process."

Should Auburn win Saturday's game over Creighton, the Tigers would meet either Michigan or Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 next weekend in Atlanta. The Aggies sit at No. 14 while Michigan checks in at No. 16 in Medcalf's recent rankings.

The Tigers and Blue Jays will meet at Rupp Arena on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on TBS and streamed on SlingTV.

This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn falls in ESPN's March Madness rankings ahead of second round

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