7 straight weeks as no.1 on the AP Poll. That’s not a sight Auburn would have fathomed about a decade ago as they sat on the bottom of SEC, having last made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003. But come Bruce Pearl, here we are. A gradual climb and we see the Tigers adapting to any challenge. Up-tempo against the offensive powerhouse Alabama? A comfortable win. Low-scoring defensive game against Tennessee? Another box checked. Auburn has been reigning dominance, but they aren’t bulletproof. One team seems to have cracked the code.

Speaking on Field of 68: After Dark, Rob Dauster laid out a game plan for how to take down the Tigers. “Number one: I don’t think that you can allow [Tahaad] Pettiford and [Chad] Baker-Mazara to get going,” he said. “You have to find a way to keep those two in check because that’s where it goes from being tough to stop them to being an absolute avalanche when those guys get into a rhythm. So, you cannot let them get hot.”

Baker-Mazara has been electric for Auburn this season. He’s averaging 12.7 points per game and leads the SEC in free throw percentage at a ridiculous 89.5%. The senior forward is a matchup nightmare, lethal from beyond the arc and thriving in clutch situations. As for Pettiford, he’s been Auburn’s spark plug.

The freshman has averaged 17.1 points in five road or neutral games against no.10 ranked opponents on KenPom. Against Alabama, he made 11 of his 13 points in the second half, helping the Tigers extend the lead as the opponents threatened to catch up. Against Houston, he’d lead the team in scoring, coming off the bench yet again. Once he gets going, there’s no stopping him, and that seems to have earned him a spot on the Nation’s Top Freshman list. But of course, these aren’t the only two making Auburn 

NPOY race’s leading candidate, Johni Broome, hasn’t been making it easy, averaging 18.8 points and 11 rebounds per game. But if the Tigers are forced to play through him in the post, there might be a leeway. 

“If the best offense that they can get is post touches for Johni Broome, I just don’t think he is Zach Edey on the block. He is best when he’s kind of on the move, picking pops and picking rolls. So, I think you want to try to force them to play through Broome in the post.”

 The senior forward may be leading offensively but his efficiency takes a hit when he’s forced into traditional post-up situations. That was painfully evident in Auburn’s loss to Florida earlier this season—Florida let Broome go one-on-one in the post and dared Auburn to beat them that way. It didn’t work.

And then there’s Dauster’s final point: “You’ve got to punch them in the mouth early.” He points to the Florida game again as an example of what happens when Auburn gets knocked off balance right out of the gate. The Gators jumped out to an early lead and forced Auburn to play catch-up all night—a recipe for disaster against good teams in March.

So, should Auburn fans be worried? Well, yes and no. On one hand, these are some legitimate concerns. But on the other hand, let’s not forget how good Auburn is.

Concerns for Auburn? Can Bruce Pearl lead them to glory?

Auburn leads all teams with 12 Quad 1 wins this season and boasts one of the deepest rosters in college basketball. They’ve got star power, experience, and a coach in Bruce Pearl who knows how to win big games. Sure, they’ve shown some cracks here and there (that Florida loss still stings), but they’ve also proven time and again that they can rise to the occasion.

The real concern for them is if they can stay No. 1 heading into March Madness—and more importantly, if they can finally win a national championship. They’ve got some challenges ahead against Kentucky and Texas A&M that could knock them down the AP poll rankings if they aren’t careful. But even if they drop a game or two, they’re still pretty well locked into a No. 1 seed.

Cutting down the nets in April? Definitely possible—and that won’t be a simple task. If Bruce Pearl can make adjustments to account for some of these flaws, Auburn has the goods to win it all. But if foes begin executing Dauster’s blueprint to a tee? Well…there’s a reason why March exists.