If only it was early on Feb Madness, Auburn would be a hefty favorite to walk away with the national title.

The Tigers were the No. 1 team in the nation on Feb. 7 and endemic a 19-game winning streak. But since then, the Tigers have gone five-iv, with losses to Florida and Texas A&One thousand. A lack of scoring has been to arraign; in 3 of their past half-dozen games, they've been held to 62 points — and lost all 3. If Bruce Pearl can get the Tigers to reload on offense, they could go back on top of the chase. Simply that could exist easier said than done.

Auburn, the No. ii seed in the Midwest Region, will open with the No. xv seed Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Friday in Greenville, S.C. Jacksonville Land won the Atlantic Lord's day regular-season title. Bellarmine won the A-Sun Briefing Tournament but wasn't eligible for the automatic bid because of recently moving upwards from Segmentation II, then the Gamecocks got the conference's automatic bid. Veteran coach Ray Harper won NCAA Division II titles and has been to the NCAA Tournament before with Western Kentucky.

The Gamecocks love the iii, shooting 38.viii% percent from long-altitude, 6th-best in the NCAA. They're non exactly a high-pressure defense, as they strength just under a dozen turnovers a game. Likewise, for a smashing shooting 3-point squad, they're oddly bad at the foul line, shooting 68.1%, 292nd in the NCAA. Jacksonville State played one SEC school, losing at Alabama by 5 in December.

Senior Darian Adams is J-State'due south top player, a 6-3 baby-sit who transferred from Troy two years ago. Adams has scored over 1,500 points in higher and has striking 230 3-pointers in his career. The Gamecocks' superlative seven scorers are all juniors and seniors.

This volition be J-Country'southward 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance. They previously made the field in 2017, likewise as a 15 seed, and they lost by fifteen to Louisville in that appearance.

Overall, No. 2 seeds are 118-6 against No. 15 seeds. Last twelvemonth, still, No. fifteen Oral Roberts upset No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Florida to reach the Sweet 16.

So we're saying there's a chance?

Not really. Auburn will have to guard the perimeter, but this is a team that but gave up 10 iii-pointers in a game four times all season. Auburn'southward backcourt will become a good risk to become some practiced mojo going again, equally Auburn wins by 25.

From there?

Auburn would likely draw a talented, but inconsistent USC team in the 2nd round — simply that's assuming the Trojans get past underrated Miami in the opening round. USC forces merely 10 turnovers per game, 11th-worst in the NCAA. Auburn has as well much talent to lose in that matchup, red-hot or otherwise.

In the Sweetness 16, the Tigers would likely draw No. 3 seed Wisconsin, before potentially facing No. 1 seed Kansas (or Providence, perhaps) in the Aristocracy 8. The Fighting Johnny Davises would exist a claiming, but Wisconsin is underwhelming inside, and Walker Kessler could have a triple-double in that matchup.

Kansas, a trendy pick to win it all, obviously is capable of making life hard, and given Auburn's late struggles, that might exist more than Auburn is upward for.

A thumbnail prediction? Auburn cruises through the kickoff 2 rounds, has a dogfight with Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, just wins information technology on the strength of Kessler within. The Tigers get ahead early Kansas, but struggle in the backcourt downwardly the stretch, and watch the Jayhawks steal the Final Four bid.

Auburn's subclass has plenty of quality teams, but besides plenty of upset potential. Auburn might not accept to play Kansas — or Wisconsin for that matter. The Tigers would have been favorites to prowl through this subclass 5 weeks ago. Now? Every game after the showtime 2 looks similar a battle.