Auburn’s 2-0 start has done plenty to build early-season buzz, but it hasn’t been enough to keep the Tigers from slipping a little in the latest March Madness picture.
Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology update on Tuesday morning moved Auburn down to a projected nine-seed, one spot lower than the eight-seed line it occupied last week. The Tigers also shifted sites, going from Charlotte to Louisville in the projection. In Lunardi’s field, Auburn would open against eight-seed North Carolina, with one-seed Illinois and 16-seeded Central Arkansas or Howard waiting on the other side.
That comes after Auburn handled both Southeastern Louisiana and Appalachian State in convincing fashion to open the year. Even with that strong start, there’s still some uncertainty around how high this team can climb before the resume really starts to harden.
What has stood out so far is how much more complete the Tigers look than last season’s NIT group. The frontcourt has already made its presence felt with French overseas transfer Narcisse Ngoy and 7-foot-2 Santa Clara transfer Bukky Oboye giving Auburn two legitimate big men to work with inside.
Tahaad Pettiford has been the engine, though. After a somewhat uneven opening game, he’s settled in fast and now leads the SEC in scoring at 22 points per game while still not turning the ball over once. That’s a strong opening stretch for a junior who is likely trying to build toward an NBA push this season.
“When he sees that first one go, that confidence continues to be through the roof,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said after the Tigers’ win over App State, where Pettiford had 26 points. “What I’m most pleased is three assists, no turnovers. Seven assists, no turnovers in two games.”
Auburn’s depth has also looked better than it did a year ago, with George Kimble, Kolby King, Adam Olsen and others giving the Tigers real production off the bench.
Still, the start hasn’t been spotless. Auburn has had trouble getting out of the gate in both games, and against App State it led by 13 before settling for just a two-point edge at halftime. The Tigers finished strong, but slower starts could become a real issue if that pattern sticks against more aggressive opponents.
That concern gets tested immediately. Auburn’s next game comes Friday night at Neville Arena against No.
13 Arizona. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
CT on ESPN2.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Landed A Massive Piece For Its Future Up Front
Auburn added another promising building block for the future up front with the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Jatori Williams, a 2027 prospect whose decision gives the Tigers an early foothold in a class that already has some real traction. Williams had been pledged to Miami before shifting his attention to Auburn, and his move underscores how much the Tigers have leaned on relationship-building as they try to stack talent along the line of scrimmage.
For Auburn, the appeal goes beyond rankings. Williams pointed to his bond with the coaching staff and the chance to stay close to his hometown as major factors in his choice, and those are the kinds of details that can matter just as much as a polished pitch on signing day. He now stands as the third-highest-rated commit in Auburns 2027 class and one of the top offensive line prospects in the country, a strong early marker for a program trying to secure its future in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Still Has One Big Question Before Arizona Showdown
Auburn took care of business against Appalachian State, rolling to a 75-53 win behind Tahaad Pettifords 26 points and keeping control for most of the afternoon. The victory also extended the Tigers non-conference home winning streak to 69 games, another reminder that Neville Arena has remained a difficult place for visiting teams to survive.
Now the schedule tightens quickly with No. 13 Arizona next on the slate, and that matchup will ask a different set of questions than the Mountaineers did. Auburn has shown it can handle business at home, but the Wildcats bring the kind of challenge that can expose what still needs sorting out before the Tigers get deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Latest Commitment Signals A Bigger Fix Up Front
Auburns offensive line issues have been impossible to ignore this season, with the struggles showing up both in the rushing game and in the amount of protection the quarterback has gotten. So when Alex Golesh and his staff started building the 2027 class, the emphasis up front made sense, and the Tigers have already added five new offensive linemen as part of that effort.
The latest piece of that approach is four-star interior lineman Jatori Williams, a commitment that fits the broader push to stabilize the trenches for future seasons. Auburn has also brought in running backs Myson Johnson-Cook and Khamoni Williams, but the line remains the clearest priority, and the staffs early work suggests it knows the fix has to start there. [Read more 🡒]