Why Auburn has a 'Fascinating' Case to Make NCAA Tournament

The Auburn Tigers have lost five of their last six games, with the only win coming against the Kentucky Wildcats last Saturday night in Neville Arena. But now, the Tigers are in a situation where losing is no longer an option, or they will not have an opportunity to avenge last season’s Final Four loss.

The Tigers are now on the outside looking in, according to ESPN’s latest NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch. If the trend continues, Auburn will be the first team since 2024 (NC State) to make the Final Four and miss the NCAA Tournament the following season.

“They still have a fascinating case,” ESPN’s Neil Paine wrote. “Although all but one of their recent losses came against Quadrant 1 opponents, they have five Quadrant 1 wins against the nation's fourth-most difficult schedule per the BPI and remain top 40 in the national résumé ranking average.”

Auburn has “work to do” if it wishes to make the NCAA Tournament. Auburn does have a few notable wins under its belt, including a victory over last season’s national champion and currently 7th-ranked Florida Gators on the road, a win over No. 15 St. John's, and a blowout win over 20th-ranked Arkansas.

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However, Auburn has also suffered some significant losses in big moments, only being 5-11 against quad 1 opponents, and 2-2 against quad 2 opponents.

The only thing Auburn has in its favor at this point in time is that it has the No.1 strength of schedule out of every team in the entire country. Despite the tough strength of schedule, Auburn has, for the most part, held its own against the tougher opponents, but defensive lapses have cost the Tigers opportunities.

Auburn allows far too many teams to get easy shots from the perimeter and often in the paint area. In their last matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Sooners had their way with any shot that they wanted to take. The laziness is hurting the Tigers and also diminishing their chances of making the NCAA Tournament.

In all, the Tigers control their own destiny at this point in the season, with only three games remaining in the regular season. The Tigers will face Ole Miss Saturday night, LSU the following Tuesday, and conclude the regular season at Alabama.

Tip-off for Auburn’s matchup against Ole Miss is at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be televised on the SEC Network.