Takeaways as Auburn Implodes vs. Tennessee, Bows Out of SEC Tournament in Embarrassing Fashion

The Auburn Tigers faced the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the SEC Tournament, looking to vault their way into the NCAA Tournament field with a win. The game started off well for the Tigers, but old issues resurfaced down the stretch as the Auburn offense sputtered, leading to an embarrassing display in the final 10 minutes en route to a 72-62 loss.

Here are three takeaways from Auburn’s late-game implosion against the Volunteers.

Competitive Character Remains Lacking

Much of the month of February for the Tigers was marred by disciplinary issues, collapses on defense, and devastating offensive dry spells. When the latter two struck on the court, the first reared its head again. Auburn led Tennessee, 51-41, with 10:26 to play, having looked fairly comfortable for most of the game.

However, the Tigers’ offense got messy, not running their system and falling victim to a suffocating and physical Tennessee defense. Rather than adjusting, Auburn just got sloppier and sloppier, turning the ball over repeatedly and not scoring for the next 6:36 of game time until Tahaad Pettiford made a three to end what was a 20-0 Volunteer run that completely buried the Tigers.

The stretch was marred with arguments between teammates, most notably Keyshawn Hall, who had to be separated from KeShawn Murphy after Hall refused to return to the bench following a Tennessee technical. Hall was 4-for-14 from the field on the day and committed four fouls.

The turmoil was punctuated by a technical foul on head coach Steven Pearl with 3:56 remaining, after which the Tigers practically lied down and died for the final four minutes.

Keyshawn Hall No Showed… Again

While 10 points and six rebounds might not look terrible on paper, but it frankly is not good enough from a player that acts like he is the best in the country, and declared himself as such after Auburn’s win against Texas. The best player in the country would probably have a few more than five points 38 minutes into a do-or-die game for his team.

In addition to the scoring struggles, Hall’s defense and character have remained concerns down the stretch. Opposing teams are frequently able to drive at and attack him with success, and each possession where he does not score seems to drag his mood down further. His outburst against Murphy in today’s game was not the first such incident this season, and it is clearly one of many issues with the chemistry and makeup of this team.

The combination of ego and off-and-on performances have clearly not gelled well with the rest of this team, especially as Pettiford and Kevin Overton have had to shoulder the majority of the scoring load recently. Though, after the loss, the future might not be something these Tigers have to worry about.

Auburn’s Fate is in the Committee’s Hands

The Tigers entered their matchup against the Volunteers as the first team out of the 68-team field following Miami (Ohio)’s loss in the MAC Tournament, and with teams like Oklahoma still alive in the SEC Tournament, little is certain for Auburn right now.

Pearl’s squad will need the number of bid stealers to remain low for the rest of the week and hope that most of the remaining tournaments play out in favor of the highest seeds. Though, if the Tigers do miss the field, they will have no one to blame but themselves after a late-season collapse and a late-game collapse in Nashville.