3. Auburn (1-seed)
There was a point this season where nobody was on Auburn’s level. Prior to the beginning of February, the Tigers had only lost to Duke while picking up impressive win after impressive win. They’re back in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the pandemic and have the talent to make a lasting impact in this field, but how much do those early victories matter for this team down the stretch?
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers were on something of a cold streak, losing three of their final four games, including the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Johni Broome was named SEC Player of the Year and has led a team on an incredible campaign but some of those season-ending performances left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Auburn hasn’t been blowing people out in the Tourney, but they didn’t slouch in a nice win over 16-seed Alabama State and did what they needed two days later against 9-seed Creighton. The Bluejays gave Auburn a significant challenge, but the Tigers hit the shots late and made the necessary plays to get on track.
Chad Baker-Mazara and Dylan Cardwell both battled through injuries against Creighton, but a fully healthy Auburn squad is one of the nation’s best. Even when some of those normal stars were down, players like Denver Jones really stepped up and that’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from Bruce Pearl’s unit. The Tigers hunt for a return to glory after Pearl led this program to its first Final Four in 2019 and the top-seed just might have that in the cards.