The Auburn Tigers have shot up polls since the basketball season tipped off earlier this month. Now the No. 4 ranked team in the AP Poll and top-ranked squad according to KenPom, the Tigers added another accolade to their early season success on Tuesday, as ESPN ‘Brackelogist’ Joe Lunardi shot Bruce Pearl’s Tigers up to a No. 1 overall seed in his projected NCAA Tournament bracket.
Auburn took the place of rival Alabama, who Lundardi dropped to a No. 2 seed following its loss to Purdue last week. Lunardi has the Tigers as the fourth and final No. 1 seed in the dance behind No. 1 overall seed Kansas, Gonzaga, and two-time defending champion UConn.
Lundardi’s projected field would have the Tigers hosting the ‘South Region’, which would host first-weekend games in Atlanta. In an interesting wrinkle, future non-conference opponents Iowa State (2), Duke (3), along with SEC rival Florida (6) would also be competition in the region.
While Lundardi’s projections should be taken with a grain of salt, especially this early in the season, it is important to note how Auburn’s early season success has translated to respect among most expert rankings, polls, and bracket projections. The Tigers have plenty of work, specifically in the non-conference schedule, ahead of them, but Bruce Pearl’s team has every opportunity in the world to compete for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
As we saw last year with Auburn falling to No. 13 Yale, the difference between a top-line ranking and a middle-of-the-pack seed could change the outlook of an entire program’s NCAA Tournament run. We’ll see if the Tigers can hold onto a No. 1 seed after a grueling Maui Invitational set to begin on Monday, Nov. 25.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Joe Lunardi projects Auburn as No. 1 seed in latest ‘Bracketology’
