Auburn, a team that has become accustomed to reaching the NCAA Tournament, has begun to see late-season struggles.
The Tigers dropped its 9th contest of the season last Saturday to Vanderbilt in Nashville on a last-second bucket, 67-65. The heartbreaking loss is its’ fourth loss in its last five games.
How much has Auburn’s recent run of tough luck affected their NCAA Tournament chances? ESPN’s John Gasaway says that the Tigers should not worry, as the quality of opponents that they have lost to will be considered when the committee selects the tournament teams.
Vanderbilt’s Ezra Manjon drove to the basket and laid in the game-winner in the final second to give the Commodores a two-point victory at home over Auburn. To say that Bruce Pearl’s team has now lost four of its last five is correct but in one sense incomplete. The previous losses came on the road to Tennessee and Texas A&M and at home to Alabama. Then again that’s pretty much the same group the Tigers are about to face the rest of the way. Auburn will play rematches against the Volunteers and the Crimson Tide in addition to a road game at Kentucky and a home date against Ole Miss. The No. 8 seed projected for the Tigers hangs in the balance.
Auburn Basketball has four games remaining in the regular season and will need to string together several wins in order to take momentum into the SEC Tournament. Auburn’s next opportunity will come Wednesday night when the Tigers host Ole Miss at Neville Arena for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff.
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