Auburn Holding Steady in Recent Bracketology Update

The Auburn Tigers continue to be in position to make the tournament, but sit at a lower seed

Auburn is still on track to make its way into the tournament | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers are currently on a bye week, as head coach Steven Pearl’s squad won’t play another game until Saturday’s Iron Bowl of Basketball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Neville Arena. So, where do the Tigers sit in the world of Bracketology as the calendar flips to February?

Well, most outlets currently list Auburn on the 7 Line, including ESPN’s Bracketology via Joe Lunardi, CBS’s official Bracketology, and Bracket Matrix. However, the potential opponents for the Tigers do vary. Lunardi has Auburn travelling to Portland to play a 10-Seed Indiana team that just took down Purdue, while CBS has the Tigers facing off against 10-Seed Miami in St Louis.

Lunardi’s projection would see Auburn in a region with No. 1 overall seed Arizona, whom the Tigers have already lost to in Tucson this season, 97-68. To earn a rematch with the Wildcats, Auburn would likely have to beat both Gonzaga and one of Michigan State or Louisville, who also find themselves in the West Region.

CBS, meanwhile, would be sending the Tigers to the Midwest Region, headlined by 1-Seed Michigan, who Auburn lost to in Las Vegas earlier this season, 102-72. Auburn’s first round matchup would feature a reunion with former point guard Tre Donaldson in the Tournament for a second consecutive season, as Donaldson’s Miami Hurricanes find themselves on the projected 10-Line. 

A potential path back to the Final Four via CBS’s projected Midwest would have a similar feel to Auburn’s 2019 run, as the region is littered with blue bloods. UConn would await the Tigers from the 2-Line, and a Sweet 16 matchup against either 3-seed Kansas or 6-Seed North Carolina. 

Auburn currently sits midway through its SEC schedule, so there are still plenty of opportunities for the Tigers to improve their seed line before the big dance. First up will be an Alabama team that just got punched in the mouth in Gainesville against Florida on Saturday, suffering a 100-77 thumping. 

However, Auburn's two biggest opportunities left on its schedule are arguably the two games after the Iron Bowl of Basketball, outside of the SEC Tournament. The Tigers will host the No. 15 Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday, Feb. 10, and travel to Fayetteville to rematch the No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, a team that Auburn already crushed in Neville Arena earlier this season.

The Tigers’ win over Florida in Gainesville is currently the best win held by any SEC team in conference play, according to KenPom ranking, as the Gators are the only SEC squad in the top 10 (No. 7), and Auburn beat them on the road. 

If Steven Pearl’s squad can add another big-time conference road win against the Razorbacks and protect home court in the coming weeks, Auburn should be well-positioned to move comfortably up to a projected 6-Seed entering the SEC Tournament in Nashville.