Duke beat Auburn 84-78, and even a month later, the conversation around the game continued to happen. Sharing a screenshot of the outcome, MarkHoopsPage tweeted, “What’s even more crazy is in the final 36 minutes of the game Duke outscored Auburn 82-65. They handled them.” That’s a 17-point swing over 90% of the game. Hence, a clear beatdown, not a fluke. This season, both teams have been powerhouses in their own conferences, but not invincible. Yet, when they clashed, something clicked for Duke and unraveled for Auburn. The Tigers started hot, leading 13-2 early, and it felt like Bruce Pearl’s squad might run away with it. But Duke, fueled by freshman star Cooper Flagg—who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds—flipped the script.

Do you see the point here? Duke team’s impeccable focus! And this game was probably the stage that shaped Mark Titus’ opinions.

But before we dive deeper, let’s be real. Auburn is no pushover. Bruce Pearl has completely reshaped the team. Under his leadership, the Tigers have gone from underdogs to a team no one wants to see in March. He’s known for finding guys who don’t always come from big-name pipelines and turning them into stars. Just look at Johni Broome. The big man’s been nothing short of dominant and is even in the conversation for Player of the Year. Still, as the Sweet 16 looms, there are legitimate concerns about how far this Auburn squad can go.

Hence, Mark Titus pondered if Auburn was capable of competing with those teams such as Duke on his show, saying, “Why I’m sucking on Duke compared to these SEC teams is more about their approach than anything else. One, I think Duke probably has—and I don’t think they probably do. They do have—more NBA talent, and that jumps out at you immediately. When you’re watching Duke right now, they are locked the f–k in for 40 minutes; every second they’re on the floor, they are focused.”

The NBA talent that Titus is talking about here mostly revolves around Cooper Flagg. Projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, he brings a level of poise that Auburn’s stars, even the stellar Johni Broome, cannot match at times. But the broadcaster is not concerned about their resumes, and what he said isn’t solely a knock on talent.

The deeper issue, according to him, is the gap in Auburn’s mental toughness. Auburn’s offensive efficiency is historic, but their defensive lapses—like allowing Texas A&M to grab 60% of their missed shots—hint at cracks. Auburn’s 70-65 loss to Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals also fits this mold. Pearl himself admitted postgame, “We’ve got to get our mojo back a little bit”. So, it is consistency and execution when it matters most.

As for Texas, their identity starts on the defensive end, which seems to be working- every team that has gone against them has felt their every possession. And it is not just about stats. Have you seen Flagg dive for loose balls and Kon Knueppel sprint back on transition D, even up 10 late? It’s a mindset that seems to have emerged out of both Scheyer and Mike Krzyzewski’s mindset. But Titus didn’t just bring Duke into the equation, he praised Houston, too.

He continued, ” I would say Houston is similar, even though they almost squandered that lead against Gonzaga. However, when I watch Auburn and Florida, it’s not that I don’t think they are good; it’s just that I don’t know where their heads are at at times.”

But to give Auburn the benefit of the doubt, it is important to note that they haven’t always had the easiest schedule. The committee placed them in what was commonly referred to as the “group of death” of the tournament. They limped in after three pre-tournament losses to Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi State. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players—Broome, Holloway, and Baker-Mazara—and you start to understand why this team hasn’t always played like the No. 1 overall seed.

Even Pearl was grounded in reality after Auburn’s sloppy opening-round win over Alabama State. “No, we won’t beat Creighton if we play like we did tonight.” There’s a lot you can take from that.

The ultimate test for Bruce Pearl: Why is Auburn’s road not easy?

However, Auburn did bounce back against Creighton. And Pearl was proud, saying: “We played Auburn basketball. We played, acted, and prepared like the No. 1 team in the country.” Fair enough. But the question hangs in the air—can they keep that same energy if they have to face a team like Duke?

Here’s where things get tricky. Auburn’s game plan leans hard on Broome. He’s averaging 18.4 points and over 10.7 rebounds a game, but when Creighton doubled him and forced a tough shooting night (6-for-15), the offense started sputtering. Guys like Pegues and Denver Jones had to settle for tough shots.

Now here is something to think about. Since 2011, each top-two seed in the tournament that started the season unranked has had a disappointing early exit from the tournament — 2018 Virginia (upset by a 16-seed), 2023 Purdue (upset by a 16-seed), 2022 Arizona (lost in the Sweet 16).

So, Auburn is skating on thin ice. While Bruce Pearl orchestrated a miraculous Final Four run with a 5-seed in 2019, being selected as the No. 1 overall seed comes with much different pressure. And history hasn’t been in favor, as we said.

Titus may have touched a nerve, but he’s not wrong. Duke’s combo of NBA talent, depth, and consistent focus over 40 minutes separates the Blue Devils from the field. Auburn has some of those pieces. It just doesn’t have a complete puzzle. The Tigers will need to keep it clean, healthy, and fully engaged every single moment, or else they’ll find themselves not dancing at all.