Auburn enters the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the South Region, aiming for redemption after last year’s early exit against Yale. The Tigers, driven by SEC player of the year Johni Broome, held the No. 1 AP Top 25 spot for eight consecutive weeks before stumbling at the season’s end, losing three out of their last four games to potential tourney contenders. Their recent defeat was a 70-65 semifinal loss to Tennessee in the SEC tournament. Auburn, who hasn’t advanced past the first week since making it to the Final Four in 2019, will face either Alabama State or St. Francis (Pa.) in Lexington, Kentucky, with hopes of reaching the regional final in Atlanta.
Coach Bruce Pearl dismissed any notion of panic over recent defeats against Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, sarcastically stating his eagerness for the postseason to commence. Joining Auburn in the South Region are second-seeded Michigan State, No. 3 seed Iowa State, and familiar face Texas A&M, seeded fourth, who beat Auburn recently. Michigan State extends its streak to a 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the longest ongoing streak nationwide. The Spartans face America East winner Bryant in the first round. Coach Tom Izzo remained optimistic post-loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten semifinals, emphasizing lessons learned and preparing to chase their first national title in 25 years.
An unexpected development came with Michigan securing the No. 5 seed after defeating Wisconsin for the Big Ten championship. The Wolverines are set to play UC San Diego, enjoying their maiden NCAA eligibility after transitioning from Division II. North Carolina narrowly secured their spot and will compete against San Diego State in a First Four game. The Tar Heels’ athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, overlooked discussions pertaining to his school during selection to prevent conflicts of interest. The winner will face sixth-seeded Ole Miss.
Under new leadership, Louisville swung from eight victories under Kenny Payne to an impressive 27-7 record, finishing as ACC tournament runner-up in Pat Kelsey’s debut season. The Cardinals will take on Creighton, who recently lost to St. John’s in the Big East finals, as the No. 8 seed. Yale, hoping to duplicate their upset over Auburn last year, comes into the tournament strong with just one Ivy League defeat in their past 17 games. Bryant, another set of Bulldogs in the South coached by Phil Martelli Jr., aims for the ultimate upset against Michigan State.
UC San Diego’s historical narrative unfolds with their transition from Division II, where their 2020 tournament participation was halted by the pandemic. Now, as a Division I team, the Tritons, an allusion to Poseidon’s children in Greek mythology, enter March Madness standing at 30-4, capturing the Big West title. Iowa State anticipates the return of backcourt players Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey for their opener against Lipscomb. Both critical players missed action due to injuries sustained in the Big 12 tourney. Coach T.J. Otzelberger remains hopeful, assessing their status daily.
