As the Auburn Tigers prepare for the SEC Tournament, they also have their eyes set on the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his latest NCAA Bracketology projections, forecasting Auburn’s potential first-round matchup and tournament location. According to Lunardi, Auburn is projected as the top seed in the South Region and would begin its NCAA Tournament journey in Lexington, Kentucky. Their first opponent is expected to be the winner of a play-in game between No. 16 seeds SIU-Edwardsville and American University. Additionally, Lunardi placed Auburn as the top overall seed in the tournament field.
Along with Auburn, Memphis and West Virginia are also slated to play in Lexington, according to the projections.
Meanwhile, in the SEC Tournament, the matchup between South Carolina and Arkansas will determine who faces Ole Miss in the second round. The winner of that game will then advance to play Auburn in the SEC quarterfinals on Friday.
Auburn concluded the regular season on a two-game losing streak, falling to No. 22 Texas A&M 83-72 and then suffering a heartbreaking 93-91 overtime loss to No. 7 Alabama. The defeat against Alabama came in dramatic fashion, as Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears hit a buzzer-beater, allowing Alabama to split the season series with Auburn.
On the other hand, SIU-Edwardsville secured its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid by winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament against SEMO. The team was not even considered a major college basketball program until the 2010-2011 season.
Meanwhile, American University has a bit more tournament history, having qualified three times—in the 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2013-14 seasons. However, American has not yet completed its conference tournament. The team is set to face Navy in the Patriot League Championship Final on Wednesday, with the winner earning an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Auburn’s next game will be in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, airing live on ESPN.
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