Standing Undefeated, Are Charles Barkley’s ‘Favourite’ Auburn the New SEC Favorites?

After defeating LSU 93-78 at a packed Neville Arena on Saturday, No. 16 Auburn might be the last team remaining in the SEC on a day when most other undefeated teams dropped out. For the first time since 2020, Auburn has won nine games in a row and is now 14-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Auburn’s commanding performance demonstrated their capacity to continue winning, highlighting their formidable position in the SEC.

Auburn’s success distinguishes them from other unblemished teams that faltered on a given day and strengthens their standing as a strong conference contender. At Auburn, Chad Baker-Mazara led the visiting Tigers with 19 points, a new best, and had a big influence as he had a huge impact on defense with a career-high five steals.

The five-man crew of Auburn

Together, Berman and the other four members of the Tigers’ training staff—a sports psychologist, a strength and conditioning coach, and a former professional player—create a thorough training regimen that gets Auburn’s starting players ready for any situation they might encounter on the court.

Berman, Harper, Scott, Sobera, and Muschalek make up Auburn’s scout team, which gets the Tigers ready for every situation they could encounter on the court. Coach Eric Musselman of the Razorbacks sent five scholarship players on his scout squad to inject some energy after Auburn crushed Arkansas by a score of 32 points.

Berman and Scott are on scholarship, but Pearl feels Harper, the younger brother of Tigers hero Jared Harper, possesses the “speed, quickness, and athleticism of an SEC guard.” Together with Muschalek and Sobera, this trio fulfills Pearl’s need for a scout squad that can mimic the talents and capabilities of its rivals.

The scout team’s ability and commitment push Auburn’s starters to their limits throughout practice, making sure they’re ready for whatever obstacle they may encounter. on the court. This dynamic group of players not only provides a spark during practice but also contributes to the overall success of the team by helping them develop strategies and game plans to overcome their opponents.

Is Auburn the new SEC favorite?

A crucial indicator for college basketball and March Madness seeding is the NET Rankings. Auburn’s NET ranking has increased due to their great 2023–24 season debut and SEC play. Seventh in the NET Rankings right now, only Houston, Arizona, Purdue, BYU, Alabama, and Tennessee are ahead of Bruce Pearl’s squad.

Although a 10-5 Alabama team is ranked in the top five in the NET Rankings, college basketball analytics are intriguing since these rankings are crucial for March Madness seeding. This demonstrates that the NET Rankings are not just determined by win-loss records and may occasionally be erratic. It is true that Alabama has participated in a number of Quad 1 games; however, they have a 1-5 record in those contests.

The good news for Auburn is that all of the different metrics love them. Auburn is a top-ten team in both the NET and KenPom, which will help the Tigers be a high seed in March, assuming they keep winning. Auburn’s one issue is that they are 0-1 in Quad 1 games. The committee loves Quad 1 wins, so Auburn needs to pick some up.

The good news is that in SEC play, there will be a ton of opportunities for them to do this. This Auburn basketball team is excellent and has a chance to be a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament if they finish with a strong record in conference play. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Auburn made a deep run in March, thanks to the elite play on both sides of the ball and the depth of this team.

Charles Barkley and Auburn

NBA great Charles Barkley intends to donate $5 million to Auburn University in his will, with the sole purpose of supporting black student scholarships. The NBA star and Auburn University alum Charles Barkley has responded to the latest Supreme Court decision regarding college admissions requirements with a daring act. Barkley has made the decision to give Auburn University a sizeable $5 million bequest in his will that will only be used for black student scholarships.

Barkley made this choice in order to make sure Auburn’s diversity is preserved in the wake of the court’s decision. Barkley, who expressed his affection for Auburn, said he had originally intended for the contribution to benefit children from low-income families. Auburn ‘2024 is more anticipated.

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The 2024 Auburn Tigers recruiting class is all but signed, sealed, and delivered. Twenty players have signed, with one more, perhaps two, since Ryan Williams is still making his choice, coming on board in February. Auburn supporters should familiarize themselves with this esteemed class. The real beginning of Auburn football’s long-term recovery is this recruiting class.