NCAA Tournament 2019: Reranking the teams remaining in the Sweet 16

12. Auburn Tigers

Results: Wins over New Mexico State (78-77) and Kansas (89-75)

Auburn is one of the hottest teams remaining in the field. An elite offensive team that has improved defensively throughout the year, the Tigers are only just hitting their overall potential this season. They have won 10 consecutive games and are entering the Sweet 16 after absolutely eviscerating Kansas (and that is not something I am used to typing). With that said, though, this team almost did not notch a single NCAA Tournament win as they were taken to the wire by New Mexico State on opening day.

So for those who are wondering why Auburn is ranked at just No. 12 in this piece, the conclusion of the NMSU game is my top reason. The Tigers seemingly tried to give that game away in the final two minutes and nearly managed to lose. That performance showed that the team is still quite vulnerable even with how well they have played as of late. And considering they are the lowest-rated team remaining in their region (by seed and most metrics), it might be difficult for the Tigers to keep their run alive.

With that said, though, there aren’t many teams in the nation who can slow down this offensive attack. With Jared Harper and Bryce Brown running the backcourt, Auburn has two really tough matchups that can either create for themselves or others. The Tigers can light it up from beyond the arc and they have above-average ball movement on the offensive end. Oh, and they still rank tops in the country in defensive turnover rate…so they can be extremely opportunistic.