Auburn Drops in March Madness Bracketology After 2-0 Start

Here's where the Tigers went after beginning the year 2-0. Auburn will face Arizona next, with hopes of changing its seeding.

Nov 9, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers guard George Kimble III (3) gets past App State Mountaineers guard Eren Banks (4) and goes to the basket during the second half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers are off to a hot start to the season after taking down both Southeastern Louisiana and Appalachian State in convincing fashion, but not everyone is completely sold on the Tigers ahead of their big-time matchup with the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats this Friday.

In fact, according to Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology, which was updated on Tuesday morning, the Tigers have dropped a spot in their tournament projection as they now sit as a projected nine-seed, down from the eight-seed projection they were at last week.

The Tigers also moved location in this projection, from Charlotte to Louisville, and they are projected to play eight-seed North Carolina in the first round, with one-seed Illinois and 16-seeded Central Arkansas or Howard matching up to play the winner.

So far this season, the Tigers appear to have taken a step forward from last year’s NIT squad, as the frontcourt now boasts two solid big men in French overseas transfer Narcisse Ngoy and 7-foot-2 Santa Clara transfer Bukky Oboye, both of whom have quickly made an impact on the team’s performance this year.

Additionally, the Tigers have rallied behind Tahaad Pettiford, who, despite a bit of inconsistency early on in the Tigers’ first game of the year, currently leads the SEC in points per game with 22 and has yet to commit a turnover, a strong start for the junior, who is likely looking to make a push towards the NBA this season.

“When he sees that first one go, that confidence continues to be through the roof,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said after the Tigers’ win over App State, where Pettiford had 26 points. “What I’m most pleased is three assists, no turnovers. Seven assists, no turnovers in two games.”

Even the Tigers’ depth seems much improved from last season, with key contributors like George Kimble, Kolby King, Adam Olsen and more bringing quite a bit of production from off the bench. 

It’s not all been perfect for the Tigers, though; they have struggled to get going early in games and were up by just two points on App State at halftime, despite once leading by 13 points. The group was able to pull away in the second half, but more aggressive early-game teams could be a massive problem for this Tiger group if their early-game efficiency does not improve.

The season is just kicking off for the Tigers, who have a serious test scheduled for this Friday in Neville Arena against the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats. That game is set to tip off at 8:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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