The No. 1 overall seed Auburn Tigers(28-5) are preparing to take on the No. 16 seed Alabama State Hornets in the 1st Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place in Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday afternoon in the South Region.
The Tigers are the tourney’s overall No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. Auburn has been a great team but has struggled recently in the NCAA Tournament. They were upset by No. 13 seed Yale in the 1st Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Alabama State is riding high after defeating St. Francis(PA) in the First Four Tuesday night. Will Alabama be able to play the No. 1 seed tough and put a scare in them?
Auburn Season History
The Tigers were great for the majority of the regular season but faltered down the stretch. They dropped three of their final four games heading into the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Bruce Pearl is not concerned about his team’s form heading into the 1st Round. Auburn’s offense has been one of the nation’s best. They are 10th in points scored, 24th in field goal percentage, and 47th in three-point percentage.
The team’s defense is also strong. They are 102nd in points allowed, 39th in opposing field goal percentage, and seventh in opposing three-point percentage. The Tigers are led by Forward Johni Broome, one of the best players in the nation. He is top 50 in scoring and 8th in rebounding. He must be at his best for the team to realize their National Championship aspirations.
Alabama State Season Summary
The Hornets advanced to this game following a thrilling victory. In a play that had shades of Christian Laettner and Grant Hill, Alabama State had a victory for the ages. This game went back and forth down the stretch and the Hornets prevailed to keep their dancing shoes on.
Alabama State allowed St. Francis(PA) to shoot 50% from the field. If they do not tighten that part of their team against Auburn, they will get run off the court. The Hornets must also shoot the ball better on Thursday. They shot only 42% from the field and 31% from three-point range. Auburn’s great defense will seek to stifle Alabama State’s offense. Guard Amarr Knox was the team’s leading scorer. He scored 16 points in the First Four. Knox rebounded from a rough stretch of games entering the First Four.
Final Thoughts
Alabama State will be riding high coming into Lexington, but they are taking a huge step up in class against the Auburn Tigers. The Tigers will be motivated following rough games to end the season. They also are looking to rebound from disappointing tournament performances as of late. Alabama State had a tremendous victory, but their tournament run will last one game more. Auburn should dominate.
