For Auburn, the 2021-22 season was pretty much figured out. On Feb. 7, the Tigers were No. 1 in the nation and owners of a 19-game winning streak. But after that, it got complicated. Auburn entered Friday’s game just 5-4 since that run, and looking to re-establish the mojo that had defined their early season. The story of Friday was that Auburn did rediscover that mojo. After stumbling through a pedestrian start, the Tigers pulled away late in the first half and weren’t challenged late in the 80-61 victory over No. 15 seed Jacksonville State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Given the struggles of Auburn guards down the SEC stretch, among the best signs for the Tigers was consistent work from the backcourt. KD Johnson, last seen shooting 0-for-14, looked like his normal self, putting up 10 points and connecting on a pair of 3-point shots. Wendell Green Jr. had 9 points off the bench, Allen Flanigan had 10 points as well.

Center Walker Kessler seemed healthy again, falling a blocked shot shy of another triple-double. Combine that with a typically strong game from Jabari Smith (20 points, 14 rebounds, and a face-melting “and 1” dunk near the end) and Auburn looked like the team that was the nation’s best back in January.

Was there any downside to the Tigers’ triumph? It did get ugly for stretches. After Auburn scored the game’s first 5 points, Jacksonville State had an extended 17-6 run, leading 17-11 with 11:37 to go in the first half. The Gamecocks remained hot early, still leading 24-22 with 5:39 left in the first half. Even after Auburn took control of the game, there will still sloppy moments. The Tigers led 63-42 after a Green jumper with 10:09 to play. Just over 3 minutes later, Jacksonville State trimmed it to 67-55 before Auburn dropped the final hammer. But these are small details — the kind of clean-up work that Bruce Pearl will be happy to address in March in lieu of more substantive problems.

But for Pearl, the calm talk following Auburn’s SEC Tournament quarterfinal exit against Texas A&M was rewarded, unlike John Calipari whistling past the graveyard when his Kentucky team fell in the next round in Tampa, and then in the Big Dance on Thursday. Auburn, on the other hand, looked like a veteran team that was re-energized, full of purpose, and maybe healthy again, in the case of Kessler, who is one of the best defenders in college basketball.

If Auburn’s guards can be adequate — as they certainly were Friday — there are few teams that can compete with the productivity of Kessler and the NBA talent of Smith. Auburn will await the winner of Southern California and Miami, but they’ll wait with a confidence that was missing a week ago in Tampa.

On a Friday morning, Auburn took care of business against No. 15 Jacksonville State. But more important, they provided some clues that the Auburn from January might indeed be back. And if it is, watch out Midwest Region. Maybe watch out, NCAA Tournament.