Auburn Tigers' NCAA Tournament Hopes Hang in Balance

The SEC team is on the bubble after a late-season slide, needing a strong showing in the conference tournament to secure a bid.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Auburn Tigers enter the SEC Tournament as a consensus bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance after a bad finish to the regular season. Auburn closed the regular season at 16-14 overall and 7-10 in SEC play, including seven losses in their last nine games. The Tigers' late slide has pushed them from comfortable tournament positioning just a few weeks ago into one of the most interesting spots on the selection board.

Why it matters

Auburn's inconsistent play down the stretch has put them in a precarious position, with several bracketology projections listing them as either the final team in the field or the first team out. The Tigers' NCAA Tournament fate now rests on their performance in the SEC Tournament, where they will need a strong showing to secure a bid.

The details

Auburn head coach Steven Pearl's team showed flashes of resilience down the stretch, including a 14-point victory over LSU on senior night, but inconsistency has defined Auburn's final month. That was evident in the Tigers' final regular season matchup against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where Auburn fell 96-84 on Saturday night.

  • Auburn closed the regular season at 16-14 overall and 7-10 in SEC play.
  • Auburn will open the SEC Tournament on Wednesday against Mississippi State.

The players

Steven Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team.

Joe Lunardi

ESPN's bracketologist, who lists Auburn as the final team in the projected NCAA Tournament field.

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What they’re saying

“Auburn is gonna wake up in our field, even with a loss. We still need 68 teams and right now, on the at-large board, they're number 37.”

— Joe Lunardi, ESPN Bracketologist (AL.com)

What’s next

A strong showing in the SEC Tournament may be the only way Auburn can remove the uncertainty surrounding its NCAA Tournament fate.

The takeaway

Auburn's late-season struggles have put them in a precarious position, with their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging by a thread. The Tigers will need to find their form in the SEC Tournament to secure a bid and avoid being left out of the Big Dance.