Johni Broome Auburn star forward
On Selection Sunday, Auburn was awarded the number one overall seed. Some argue that Duke deserved this seeding, having finished with a record of 31-3 and winning their 36th ACC Championship. While thirty-one wins may seem impressive, many came against teams like Maine, Army, Wofford, and Incarnate Word. Although Duke has been the best team in the ACC all season, they are not considered the best overall team. The SEC has the highest number of teams in the NCAA Tournament this year (14), and aside from Texas A&M (who they only played once), Auburn has defeated all of them.
Breaking down Auburn’s season
Auburn didn’t lose its first game of the season until December 4th, when they faced Duke. Following that loss, they went on to win their next 14 games, including nine victories against SEC teams. Their winning streak ended with a 90-81 loss to a top-ranked Florida team. However, the Tigers quickly bounced back, achieving six more impressive wins against Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Kentucky, all of which are SEC teams. The Tigers’ record is impressive, 27-2, but they lost their last regular-season games against Texas A&M and Alabama. They beat Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament before falling to Tennessee 70-65, in the second round.
| Conference | Bids |
|---|---|
| SEC | 14 |
| BIG 10 | 8 |
| BIG 12 | 7 |
| BIG EAST | 5 |
| ACC | 4 |
| Moutain West Conference | 4 |
| West Coast Conference | 2 |
| All other conferences | 1 |
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