Auburn Listed as One of Three Teams Expected to Triumph in NCAA Tournament
When you see a national publication, like The Athletic, proclaims that the Auburn Tigers are one of the three teams that should win the national title, alarms sound. In what always amounted to a football school, Auburn basketball possessing high expectations still takes a while to process.
Yet, as the calendar turns to February, those high expectations become cemented into the national conversation. Additionally, when you consider the other two teams that the Athletic mentions as title favorites, everything all pulls together, and linear thought becomes understandable.
Duke
On Dec. 4, the Tigers made the voyage to Cameroon Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils emerged victorious, 84-78. On a national stage, you could see Auburn vulnerable. Auburn couldn’t contain freshman Cooper Flagg, who torched them for 22 points and nine rebounds.
Still, backup swingman Isaiah Evans dropped 18 points in 12 minutes. Using an economy of just nine shots, Evans confounded the Tigers, especially from the arc. Connecting on six of eight three-pointers tilted the balance of the game away from Auburn.
Most importantly, Denver Jones failed to score, something that he’s only done one other time in his career (Dec. 3, 2023, loss against Appalachian State). Both incidents, Evans’ hot hand and Jones’ coldness, while mutually exclusive, reside in the realm of an anomaly. No one expects the freshman to make 75 percent of his shots from three. Likewise, Denver Jones will not play another scoreless. Circumstances aligned perfectly against Auburn.
Bama wants to turn the game into a track meet. Using their quickness to get out and run, hoping to push the pace and Auburn into fouls. No other SEC team, with the exception of Florida, should worry Auburn at this point of the season.
From the outside, many list Auburn as a championship favorite. While that sounds great, the other two mentioned programs stand directly in the way. To garner a number one seed and presumed easier path in the NCAA tournament, all roads lead through Alabama, not once, but twice. Similarly, Duke shows that it can beat Auburn this season. So far, the only team that can lay claim. The Auburn Tigers, despite their lofty ranking still need to take care of business.
