After winning the SEC Tournament title in blowout fashion on Sunday over Tennessee, the Auburn Tigers were hoping for a little bit better than a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, that didn’t happen, and now they’ll face a tough No. 12 seed in New Mexico State on Thursday.

That hasn’t dampened ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale’s view of the Tigers, though. After the selection show on Sunday night, he tweeted that the Tigers are his sleeper pick in the West regional:

All of those squads had great seasons, so they’ll be teams no one wants to face. However, if Auburn wins in Round 1, they’ll likely face Kansas in Round 2 and North Carolina in the Sweet 16.

That’s a tough road, but if the Tigers get hot, we’ve seen what they can do.