Auburn is eager to stick around March Madness more than just 1 game this time around
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Auburn Tigers are experienced and remember all too well the feeling of being one-and-done at the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Watching Alabama State win on a last-second bucket to reach Thursday’s first round?
No better reminder of how quickly fortunes change during March Madness.
“Anybody can have that ‘ One Shining Moment,’” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said Wednesday.
His Tigers (28-5) come in as the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed and play 16th-seeded Alabama State on Thursday in the South Region. Pearl said that seeding, which he lobbied for after his Tigers lost in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals, is in the “rearview mirror.”
Auburn watched Alabama State’s thrilling win on TV.
Pearl also reminded his Tigers on Wednesday of their loss as a No. 4 seed to Yale a year ago. He noted that Alabama State, which plays about 50 miles away in Montgomery, beat his Tigers by a point in the second half of an Auburn win in December 2023 with a lot of the same players on both teams.
Knowing Auburn is six wins from the program’s first national championship in basketball is the goal. The Tigers have made one Final Four — in 2019. They haven’t gotten past the second round in four of their last five tournaments.
AP All-American Johni Broome said the message is simple with so many seniors.
“It’s win or go home,” Broome said. “If you’re not willing to step up and play your best basketball now, then why you playing it?”
Alabama State (20-15) won’t be awed by Auburn. Coach Tony Madlock spent four years as an assistant with the Tigers, and this season his team made trips to LSU and Missouri.
The Hornets’ bigger challenge is surviving the roller coaster of kicking off the NCAA Tournament with a last-second win, getting back to their hotel in Dayton, Ohio, at 1:15 a.m. and getting to Lexington on Wednesday. They tip off Thursday around 2:50 p.m. at Rupp Arena with little sleep.
Coming off the historically Black university’s first NCAA Tournament victory?
“Nothing’s going to dampen this moment for us,” Madlock said.
Thursday’s other games in the South Region feature No. 8 seed Louisville playing ninth-seeded Creighton in Lexington and, in Denver, No. 5 seed Michigan meeting No. 12 seed UC San Diego and fourth-seeded Texas A&M facing No. 13 seed Yale.
Driven, with a short drive to boot
Time hasn’t quelled questions for the NCAA Tournament selection committee over seeding Louisville eighth in the South Region against No. 9 Creighton.
At first glance, the placement appeared to dismiss the No. 10 Cardinals’ remarkable 19-game improvement and runner-up Atlantic Coast Conference finish, especially with Clemson seeded three spots higher in the Midwest despite losing to Louisville and finishing third in the ACC.
The Cardinals and first-year coach Pat Kelsey appeared unfazed despite several chances to speak up Wednesday. They see the bright spot of traveling just 75 miles east to Rupp Arena — where Louisville fell 93-85 to rival Kentucky in a turning-point game. They also get another opportunity to prove themselves.
“We were a little bit shocked that our name was called that early for sure,” said guard J’Vonne Hadley, one of Louisville’s 15 transfers. “But we’re just grateful to be in this place and after that we got right to work. So we were determined right away.”
Swingman Terrence Edwards Jr. noted Louisville’s experience, especially in March Madness. The short trip is a big benefit.
“Our family is able to drive down to the game,” Edwards said. “So, yeah, everything works out.”
Working the boards
Texas A&M doesn’t list a rotational player taller than 6-foot-9, yet is one of the best rebounding teams in the country.
The Aggies rank fourth in total rebounding at 41.2 per game and lead the nation in offensive rebounding average at 16.2 despite their leader in that category averaging 6.2 a game — 6-7 senior Andersson Garcia.
Size doesn’t matter when effort is there.
“There’s a lot of analytics that go into it, everybody likes to talk about it, but it’s just a mindset,” Henry Coleman III said. “It’s you versus another guy. Somebody is going to get that ball, and hopefully it’s yourself.”
The Aggies make rebounding a science to offset any size disadvantage and poor shooting.
“Since the pandemic, we have realized that that was a way for us to create a niche at Texas A&M relative to our roster and our style of play, to create a competitive margin,” coach Buzz Williams said. “Last year we shot more balls than any team in Division I over the last seven years. A lot of that is because we don’t make shots. A lot of that is because we rebound the shots that we miss.”
Yale doesn’t have a size advantage against the Aggies — its tallest player is 6-10 Samson Aleton — but also is strong on the glass. The Bulldogs rank 26th in the country in rebounding at 38.7 and 139th in offensive boards at 11.1.
They know rebounding could be the difference in an upset win or quick exit.
“It’s been a huge point of emphasis for us. I think we’re all dialed into it,” said Nick Townsend, who leads Yale with 7.2 rebounds per game.
Michigan’s FAU influence
Dusty May and Vladislav Goldin led underdog FAU to the 2023 Final Four in one of the most bracket-busting NCAA Tournaments. A year later, the pair migrated north to Michigan, where the Wolverines are the favorite against UC San Diego in the South Region on Thursday night.
May guided the Owls to their first Final Four two years ago as a No. 9 seed but is on the other side of the ledger in his first year coaching Michigan. The perspective is different but the goal remains to survive and advance — and to avoid an upset, which happens often in the 5-12 seed matchup.
May knows from 2023 that the underdog plays with less pressure, and it can lead to problems for the favorite.
“When we played the Power Five teams, we felt like when it got late in the game and the game slowed down that they played — I don’t want to say they played tight, but we played looser and we played with more confidence.
“It’s March Madness; everyone is going to love the Cinderella. This is a very, very popular upset pick for a reason — because they’re really, really good.”
Goldin, averaging 16.7 points a game, is Michigan’s leading scorer in his first year with the program and has the most tournament experience thanks to FAU’s run two years ago. Like May, he has perspective about teams being expected to win — or not.
“We try to think that there is no underdog or any favorite, because as soon as you start thinking who’s underdog, who’s the favorite, you’re losing that reality,” he said.
Looking ahead
The South has two games being played Friday in Milwaukee, with No. 3 seed Iowa State against 14th-seeded Lipscomb in its second-ever berth and No. 6 seed Mississippi facing 11th-seeded North Carolina.
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By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
