ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has discouraging Bracketology update for Auburn entering final week of regular season
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On the morning of Jan. 31, the Auburn Tigers had a 14-7 record. They were seen as a safe NCAA Tournament team. That day, they decided to embody Tom Petty, and they’ve been free falling ever since.
Today, Auburn stands at 15-14 (6-10). And, for the first time all season, it finds itself on the outside looking in at the Big Dance. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Tigers would be the first team out of this year’s NCAA Tournament if the bracket were fielded this evening.
Auburn has dropped 7 of 8 games over the past 30 days. The Tigers’ lone win in that time — a 75-74 victory over Kentucky — came in the final seconds following a late foul call on the Wildcats. Their late-season swoon has them down to 11th in the SEC standings, ahead of only the conference’s non-tournament teams (Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU and South Carolina). Auburn’s last 3 losses have come against teams in that quintet, which have driven its NCAA Tournament odds down to just 2% on Kalshi.
If the Tigers are going to claw back into the bracket, they’ve must do real damage in the SEC Tournament. But first, they simply need to win versus LSU on Tuesday (10:00 p.m. E.T., SEC Network).
