ESPN Analyst Weighs In On Auburn's NCAA Tournament Chances Following Alabama Loss

The Auburn Tigers suffered an extremely disappointing loss at the hands of their arch rival on Saturday, falling to No. 16 Alabama 96-84 to conclude the regular season.

The common narrative entering the night was that Auburn absolutely needed to pick up the win in order to make its way into the field of 68, but the Crimson Tide simply dominated from start to finish on both ends of the floor. Thus, the Tigers drop to 16-15 overall and 7-11 in the SEC, and its NCAA Tournament chances are slowly fading away.

The Tigers have lost eight of their last 10 games, and as a squad with 15 total losses, historically, their odds aren’t looking favorable in terms of landing a postseason bid.

However, despite an underwhelming showing in Tuscaloosa, the lackluster performances from other teams on the bubble of the tournament actually leave the door slightly cracked for Auburn. In Joe Lunardi's updated bracketology, the Tigers sit as the "Last Team In," but Lunardi doesn't believe they will ultimately earn a bid.

ESPN senior writer Neil Paine wrote about Auburn’s NCAA Tournament fate entering the SEC Tournament, and the argument for the Tigers to earn a bid is certainly an interesting one.

“The Tigers lost their regular-season finale at Alabama to fall to 2-8 in their past 10 games,” Paine wrote. “The loss drops their consensus chances into the 20% range -- and that's probably very much on the generous side.”

“That said, they aren't without a case for the committee, headlined by four Quadrant 1 wins against the nation's fifth-most difficult schedule, per the BPI,” Paine continued. “And, they are still mid-40s in the national résumé ranking average. Ordinarily, that would put a team directly on the bubble -- but with 15 losses, it's historically almost impossible to make the tournament as an at-large team.”

Auburn is likely the most difficult team to judge, as its resume is one of the weirdest the committee has seen in recent years. The Tigers hold the best win in college basketball – a victory at Florida – as well as a win over St. John’s – the Big East champion. They also defeated Arkansas by 22 on their home floor in early January, but have also finished the season with a few devastating losses to Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

According to On3’s Justin Hokanson, no 16-loss team has ever earned an at-large spot in the field. Three 15-loss teams have made the tournament, with all of those coming from the SEC.

“Auburn's last chance to make the field of 68 likely comes down to going on an unlikely heater through the SEC tournament.

Many said Auburn’s chances at March Madness would depend on the outcome at Alabama on Saturday; however, that was before nine bubble teams all lost.

The other squads Auburn is battling with for a spot in the field include Missouri, Texas, SMU, Indiana, New Mexico, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, and California; all nine of them, including the Tigers, lost when it mattered most.

Therefore, Auburn’s chances aren’t none, but it could still be possible if it makes a run in the SEC Tournament next week. Some believe the Tigers need to win at least three games in Nashville to feel confident about where they stand, which would mean they would advance to the semifinals and likely face No. 1-seeded Florida on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Auburn’s sense of urgency needs to be at an all-time high heading into postseason action. It should have already been on Saturday, but every game could be the Tigers' last from here on out.