Final Predictions, How to Watch Auburn vs. Mississippi State in SEC Tournament

The Auburn Tigers begin their unprecedented postseason journey on Wednesday afternoon, as they take on Mississippi State to kick off the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn.

Auburn enters the week at 16-15 overall after finishing 7-11 in the SEC, and Steven Pearl and company must have the utmost amount of energy and urgency heading into the week.

After losing eight of their last 10 games to close the season, the Tigers find themselves firmly on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, and most outlets project them to sit on the outside looking in come Selection Sunday.

According to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Auburn is currently the First Team Out of the field, despite being the Last Team In just a few days ago. The Tigers are also listed in the First Four Out in multiple other tournament bracket predictions, meaning they must make a strong final statement in the SEC Tournament.

Let’s take a look at No. 12-seeded Auburn’s first-round matchup against No. 13-seeded Mississippi State, including a rundown of how to watch and a game prediction.

How to Watch

The Tigers’ first test in Nashville versus the Bulldogs can be found on SEC Network, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. CDT. It will be the second game of the tournament’s first session, meaning the start time could certainly experience a delay if the previous game (No. 16 LSU vs. No. 9 Kentucky) runs late.

All first- and second-round games at the SEC Tournament will be broadcast on SEC Network, with ESPN picking up a few games toward the end of the week. ESPN will feature both semifinals and the championship game.

All games can also be streamed on the ESPN app.

Prediction: Narrow Auburn Win

Considering the string of poor performances over the past month, there is absolutely no reason or valid point to choose Auburn to win another game the rest of the season. However, odds are in the Tigers’ favor, and the blueprint to defeat Mississippi State could be somewhat simple.

Auburn faced the Bulldogs in the regular season in Starkville, Miss., which was likely one of the most disappointing losses of the recent homestretch. Mississippi State emerged victorious 91-85 behind a whopping 46 points from point guard Josh Hubbard, including a Bulldog program record 10 3-pointers.

The Tigers once found themselves down by 18 points in the second half, but despite storming all the way back late in the contest to take the lead, Auburn collapsed in the final moments and allowed Mississippi State to escape with the win – a perfect encapsulation of the Tigers' state of affairs.

If Auburn can play with relentless effort and execute its perimeter defense, with heavy emphasis on limiting Hubbard’s production, the Tigers could very well find themselves in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 3-point defense is undoubtedly the key to victory, but Auburn also needs to simply play its game on the offensive end of the floor and protect the basketball.

The Tigers would face No. 5-seeded Tennessee in the second round if they were to advance, and that game would tip off at 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday on SEC Network.