“Man, they’ve showed a lot of resolve this year,” Auburn footbal coach Hugh Freeze said of the Tigers' basketball squad. “I don’t know, man. I’ve got this gut feeling that they might show up and make a run in this thing.”
Pearl’s Tigers will face eighth-seeded Iowa on Thursday at 5:50 p.m. in Birmingham’s Legacy Arena. The game will air on TNT. Auburn’s at-large bid came after a 20-12 season that saw the Tigers finish 32nd in NET rankings and 29th in KenPom despite going 4-9 in their final 13 games, with two-thirds of those losses decided by five points or fewer.
“Man, they’ve showed a lot of resolve this year,” Freeze said. “I don’t know, man. I’ve got this gut feeling that they might show up and make a run in this thing.” If Auburn hopes to replicate its last deep run in the tournament -- 2019′s Final Four journey -- it will begin in its own backyard. Pearl’s team will make the short bus ride up to Birmingham on Tuesday evening, practice at Legacy Arena on Wednesday and then face Iowa on Thursday evening. If the Tigers can get by the Hawkeyes, they’ll likely face a second-round matchup with Houston, the top-seeded team in the Midwest Region and the No. 2 overall seed in this year’s field.
“I’m just happy, and I know I’m happy for the Auburn people that it’s in Birmingham,” Freeze said. “Hopefully, more of our people can get there. I text with like every other day, or every gameday for sure, but excited for him, his staff and our players. Also, coach J and the women’s also made it in the WNIT, wish them a lot of luck. Pulling for those guys.”If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
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