Bruce Pearl points to No. 3 Auburn's resume in saying Tigers deserve NCAA's No. 1 overall seed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Auburn Tigers go into the NCAA Tournament having lost three of their final four games.

Coach Bruce Pearl isn't worried. That didn't stop him from making his case that Auburn deserves not just a No. 1 seed in the tournament but the overall No. 1 seed.

Why? Because of his Tigers' “historically strong” resume. So no, he has no panic at the prospect of losing that top spot.

“We lost to Alabama, Tennessee and at Texas A&M,” Pearl said Saturday after his No. 3 Tigers lost 70-65 to No. 8 Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals.

“Yeah, we’re panicked," he said sarcastically. "That’s a real softball.”

Pearl kept rolling to make his case for an Auburn team with five losses. Yes, three in the past four but all to great teams.

“We lost at the buzzer against Alabama,” Pearl said. “We had possessions here. Yeah, we’re panicked. I can hardly wait till next weekend to start playing again. Let’s get to Sunday, find out where we’re going, find out who we’re playing and let’s get back to work. I’m looking forward, not back.”

Pearl came out of the gate with his opening statement defending his Tigers. They won this tournament last year only to wind up a No. 4 seed when the selection committee announced the NCAA Tournament bracket. Auburn lost to Yale in the first round.

That was then, this is now and the SEC is trying to get an unprecedented 14 members into the bracket on Selection Sunday.

In a season when the conference has never been stronger, Auburn won a school-record eight SEC road games — the most in the league. Four of those were to ranked opponents. The Tigers came in No. 2 in NET Rankings and lead the country with 16 Quad 1 wins — four more than Michigan State (12).

Pearl argued that a loss to Tennessee shouldn't keep Auburn from the top spot.

“We lost to a team that’s fighting for a 1 seed,” Pearl said.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Topics

Bruce Pearl points to No. 3 Auburn’s resume in saying Tigers deserve NCAA’s No. 1 overall seed

Auburn won this tournament last year only to wind up a No. 4 seed when the selection committee announced the NCAA Tournament bracket. Auburn lost to Yale in the first round.
Yahoo Sports - 9h
Bracketology: Alabama contending for the fourth No. 1 after beating overall top seed Auburn

The Tigers remain the No. 1 overall seed in Jerry Palm's bracket despite the loss
CBS Sports - 6d
College basketball rankings: Auburn puts stamp on No. 1 overall seed with win over Ole Miss in SEC Tournament

The Tigers continue to leave no doubt they'll be entering the tournament atop the seeding list
CBS Sports - 16h
Staley: S. Carolina deserves No. 1 overall seed

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley lobbied for her team following a dominant run through the SEC tournament, culminating in a rout of No. 1 Texas in Sunday's championship game.
ESPN - 6d
March Madness: Breaking down the race for NCAA men's tournament No. 1 seeds

Auburn remains the clear-cut No. 1 overall seed and Duke seems like a lock, but the other two spots are up for grabs heading into conference tournament week.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
ESPN Bracketology lists Auburn as No. 1 overall seed ahead of SEC Tournament quarterfinal

Auburn will use this weekend's SEC Tournament to keep its chances of receiving a No. 1 seed high.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Bracketology: SEC likely assured two No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament after losses by Auburn, Michigan State

Jerry Palm projects the winner of the SEC Tournament will join Auburn, Duke and Houston as the fourth No. 1 seed
CBS Sports - 2h
Women’s college basketball conference tournaments: Who will earn overall No. 1 NCAA seed?

Power conference teams are padding (or hurting) their resumes with championship games on Sunday. The ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 will crown a winner with Selection Sunday looming a week away. ...
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Selection Sunday 2025: 5 toughest decisions facing NCAA tournament selection committee

Is Auburn still the No. 1 overall seed? Is North Carolina in or out? Here are the key questions facing the committee before the NCAA selection show on Sunday.
Yahoo Sports - 8h
College basketball rankings: Auburn remains on top ahead of Duke despite two-game losing streak

The Tigers' body of work speaks for itself despite Bruce Pearl's team falling down the stretch
CBS Sports - 6d
Johni Broome's double-double lifts No. 3 Auburn over Ole Miss 62-57 at SEC Tournament

Johni Broome scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as regular-season champion Auburn opened its bid to repeat at the Southeastern Conference Tournament by holding off eighth-seeded Mississippi ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
No. 8 Tennessee downs No. 3 Auburn 70-65 to reach SEC Tournament championship game

The fourth-seeded Volunteers (27-6) got revenge for their Jan. 25 loss at Auburn and their 2019 loss to the Tigers in this tournament’s title game.
Yahoo Sports - 10h
Big Ten Tournament: UCLA storms back from double-digit deficit, beats JuJu Watkins, USC in championship game

With the win, the Bruins are now the projected No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament
CBS Sports - 6d
Ruffin's 25 points lead No. 2 Jackson State past No. 3 Bethune-Cookman 71-50 in SWAC semifinals

Led by Daeshun Ruffin's 25 points, the second-seeded Jackson State Tigers defeated No. 3-seed Bethune-Cookman 71-50 to reach the SWAC championship game
ABC News - 1d
Tennessee basketball blunts Texas momentum, sets up Rick Barnes-Bruce Pearl rematch | Adams

The Tennessee defense that suffocated Texas will now face the challenge of containing Auburn All-American Johni Broome.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
No. 1 seeds, conference tournament stakes, more men's Champ Week storylines

It's Auburn vs. Duke, other 1-seed possibilities and teams with the most at stake in their conference tournaments as Champ Week heats up.
ESPN - 4d
ESPN's Joe Lunardi indicates Tennessee basketball unlikely to be a No. 1 seed

Tennessee is unlikely to be a No. 1 seed regardless of its result against Auburn on Saturday in the SEC Tournament, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi.
Yahoo Sports - 15h
Teams vying for No. 1 NCAA seeds stated their cases and now its up to selection committee to decide

UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and USC all have stated their cases for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament with their stellar play this season.
Yahoo Sports - 4d
Is Texas A&M still considered a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament?

Texas A&M's loss to Texas was likely meaningless regarding the Aggies' seeding in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Teams vying for No. 1 NCAA seeds stated their cases and now its up to selection committee to decide

UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and Southern California have all stated their cases for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament with their stellar play this season
ABC News - 4d
How Tennessee basketball bracketology changed with win vs Auburn in SEC tournament

Tennessee basketball didn't hop to a No. 1 seed with its win against Auburn, but it improved its projections for March Madness.
Yahoo Sports - 7h
Did critical shot vs Ole Miss restore Auburn basketball's faith in Chaney Johnson? The Tigers never lost it

Leading up to Ole Miss on Friday, it had been six games since Auburn basketball's Chaney Johnson last splashed a 3-pointer.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Women’s college basketball debate: Who will earn the NCAA Tournament final No. 1 seed?

The Athletic Sabreena Merchant: Over the last seven NCAA Tournaments (what I would consider the current era after UConn’s four-peat), at least two No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four every year. ...
Yahoo Sports - 2d
11th-seeded Valparaiso takes down No. 3-seed Northern Iowa 64-63 in Missouri Valley quarterfinals

All Wright led the 11th-seeded Valparaiso Beacons with 29 points and secured the victory with a layup with 47 seconds left as the Beacons took down the No. 3-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers in the ...
ABC News - Mar. 8
Florida Gators vs Alabama SEC Baseketball Tournament matchup could decide final No. 1 seed

Florida and Alabama are the two teams fighting for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and an SEC Tournament matchup should decide it.
Yahoo Sports - 14h
John Beilein pained to say: Michigan State basketball should be a 1-seed in March Madness

"It hurts me to say this, Michigan State is really good; they should be a 1-seed,” John Beilein said after Spartans beat Oregon in Big Ten tournament.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Texas A&M drops one seed line in ESPN's bracketology update

Texas A&M is hoping to earn a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament field, but according to ESPN's latest bracketology update, a 4-seed may become a reality.
Yahoo Sports - 14h
No. 7 Alabama stuns No. 1 Auburn, 93-91, on Mark Sears' buzzer-beater in overtime

Sears' game-winner overshadowed 34 points, eight rebounds and five blocks from Auburn's Johni Broome.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 8
NCAA championship brackets released, 3 CSUB wrestlers learn seedings, opposition

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will take place March 20-22 in Philadelphia, but the bracket draws involving the three Cal State Bakersfield wrestlers who qualified in the 125-, 197- ...
Yahoo Sports - 2d
No. 16 seed Colorado deals No. 8 seed WVU's NCAA hopes a blow with 67-60 Big 12 tourney win

Elijah Malone scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, helping No. 16 seed Colorado beat eighth-seeded West Virginia 67-60 in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednedsay
ABC News - 3d
College basketball rankings: Duke moves to No. 1 in Coaches Poll; Auburn falls to No. 3 behind Houston

The Blue Devils are 26-3 heading into the ACC Tournament
CBS Sports - 5d
Sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's (PA) upsets No. 3 seed Dayton in OT, 73-68 to reach A-10 semifinals

Erik Reynolds II scored 21 points, including six in the overtime, as the sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's (PA) Hawks took down the third-seeded Dayton Flyers 73-68 in the Atlantic 10 Conference ...
ABC News - 1d
Coles scores 22, second-seeded Grand Canyon beats No. 3-seed Cal Baptist 75-66 in WAC semifinal

JaKobe Coles had 22 points in Grand Canyon's 75-66 win against Cal Baptist on Friday in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. The No 2-seeded Antelopes will face top-seeded Utah ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
'It's a no-brainer': Indiana basketball players defend their NCAA Tournament resume

'I think we've been playing some pretty damn good basketball': Indiana defends NCAA Tournament resume after Big Ten Tournament exit:
Yahoo Sports - 2d
All eyes on top eight teams, top 16 seeds ahead of Selection Sunday and women’s NCAA bracket

Where the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds play in the regionals is as big of a question this Selection Sunday as which bubble teams will be in the field.
ESPN - 4h
SEC Tournament - Tennessee vs. Auburn Predictions: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Recent Stats

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Auburn Tigers Game Preview
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Comparing the West Virginia resume to the bubble

As of today West Virginia is still included in the NCAA Tournament field and perched around 10-12 depending on the bracket.We examine some of the other teams on the bubble to see how the resumes ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Bama bests No. 1 Auburn at buzzer in OT thriller

Mark Sears hit a game-winning floater as time expired as No. 7 Alabama upset rival No. 1 Auburn 93-91 in overtime Saturday.
ESPN - Mar. 8
Lidge, Southern beat Alcorn St. 64-44 in SWAC title game, clinch NCAA Tournament berth

Tionna Lidge scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds — the senior's first career double-double — to help No. 1 seed Southern beat Alcorn State 64-44 on Saturday night to win the Southwestern ...
Yahoo Sports - 8h