Auburn has been ruling college basketball like a tiger in the wild—ruthless, dominant, and unchallenged at the top. But even kings have their off days. The Tigers’ 83-72 stumble against Texas A&M sent shockwaves, sparking whispers of doubt. Are they still the team to beat, or has the door cracked open for a new predator? With Cooper Flagg and Duke surging, the national title race is far from settled. But one ESPN analyst isn’t backing down—he still believes Auburn is the best team in the country.

In a recent episode of the podcast The Next Round, Davis was asked whether he still believed Auburn was a national championship contender. His response was emphatic:

“No question. I still think Auburn’s the best team in the country. Now, Florida’s closing fast, and Duke is certainly—I’ve said this, I think, to you guys before. I came away from the Auburn-Duke game a long time ago, and I want to be clear, Duke is much improved and much better. Duke won the game, and I came away from that game going, yeah, okay, Duke won the game, Cameron, crazy environment, really good team. Auburn’s better than they are.”

That game, an early-season showdown, saw Duke secure an 84-78 victory. The Blue Devils clawed back from an 11-point deficit, using timely shooting and relentless defense to maintain control. But Davis believes the result was more about Duke surviving than proving superiority. He reinforced his stance by emphasizing Auburn’s season-long dominance:

“And I think Auburn’s the best team with Florida closing fast and Duke right there with them. I’m not at all bothered by the A&M loss. They went on the road after they’d clenched everything. It was so predictable. If you’d injected truth serum into Bruce Pearl, he knew they were going to lose. It’s human nature, it’s a long season. A&M needed it desperately. They were on a losing skid. Auburn played hard. They tried. I’m not suggesting they didn’t try. It’s just such a long season, you’re going to have those moments. That was very, very predictable, and I’m not in the least bit worried about Auburn.”

The loss to Texas A&M, while surprising, did little to shake Davis’ confidence. A deeper dive into Auburn’s numbers backs up his belief. According to the KenPom rankings, Auburn boasts the No. 1 offense in the NCAA, with an offensive rating of 130.8. Duke follows closely at No. 2 with 129.2. On defense, Duke holds an edge, ranking fourth with an 89.8 defensive rating, thanks in part to freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Auburn, however, sits at 14th with a 94.3 defensive rating.

But what truly separates Auburn from Duke isn’t just the offensive and defensive efficiencies—it’s the strength of the schedule. Auburn has faced the toughest competition in the NCAA, with a strength of schedule rating of +18.48. Duke, on the other hand, ranks just 63rd, with a schedule rating of +8.85. Auburn’s only losses, aside from the Texas A&M stumble, came against Duke and Florida, both top-five teams.

Davis doubled down on his belief in Auburn’s championship potential, saying, “I think Auburn’s going to go to the Final Four, and I think Auburn is still the favorite to win the national championship.”

That confidence is well-founded. Even in their loss, Auburn fought hard. Texas A&M’s Zhuric Phelps dropped 19 points off the bench, propelling the Aggies to a historic victory—their first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team. The Tigers, who had already clinched the SEC title, were simply outpaced by a desperate A&M squad that needed the win to salvage its season.

Auburn’s top scorer, Johni Broome, had an off night, scoring just eight points after briefly leaving the game due to a shoulder issue. Even so, the Tigers never truly backed down. They cut a double-digit deficit to six in the second half, led by Tahaad Pettiford’s sharpshooting. But A&M, the nation’s leader in offensive rebounding, dominated the glass with a staggering 24-9 advantage, sealing the upset.

But, while team-wide ratings tell one story, individual player impact offers a clearer picture of how things might unfold.

Cooper Flagg vs. Johni Broome: The defensive divide that changes everything

According to EvanMiya.com, a site specializing in Bayesian player ratings, the gap in defensive ratings between these two teams on KenPom’s rankings finally makes sense when you dig into the numbers.

When comparing Cooper Flagg (No. 1) and Johni Broome (No. 2), their offensive impact is fairly close—Flagg holds an OBPR (Offensive Bayesian Performance Rating) of 6.24, while Broome edges him out with 6.90. However, the real separation happens on the defensive end. Flagg is a two-way monster, boasting a DBPR of 4.56, nearly double Broome’s 2.96.

This defensive dominance was recently highlighted on ESPN’s The Adam Gold Show, where Rodd Baxley of USA Today Sports explained why Flagg’s versatility makes him a game-changer: “I think Flagg, as a defender, is so much better than Johni Broome.” Rodd Baxely continued, “Most of the damage Broome does is inside the paint. But when you look at Cooper, he’s 94 feet, hand-to-hand. He impacts the game sideline to sideline, baseline to baseline.”

Beyond their playing styles, Flagg’s youth, versatility, and NBA potential set him apart. The 6-foot-9 forward has showcased an all-around game, averaging 19.6 points per game on an efficient 49.7% shooting. His ability to stretch the floor has been evident with a 38.2% three-point shooting clip, making him a legitimate perimeter threat. Defensively, he has proven to be a menace, not just in blocking shots (1.2 per game) but also in creating turnovers with 1.6 steals per game.

Broome, on the other hand, thrives as an interior force, averaging 18.8 points per game while converting at a slightly better 50.4% from the field. His dominance in the paint extends to rebounding, where he ranks as one of the top rebounders in college basketball, pulling down 10.7 boards per game, the fourth-most in the country. His rim protection is also elite, with 2.4 blocks per game, ranking third among high-major players.

While both players bring unique strengths, Flagg’s ability to switch onto guards, defend all areas of the court, and knock down shots from deep makes him the more complete player. Broome, meanwhile, remains an elite post presence and rim protector but lacks the same all-around versatility.

With NBA scouts watching closely, Flagg’s superior skill set, defensive impact, and offensive versatility could be the deciding factors in the Player of the Year race.