Auburn loses a tough game against Vanderbilt. The Tigers Tournament hope is in danger after Nashville. The question is, do they still have a realistic shot at the NCAA Tournament?
After beating the brakes off Missouri, Auburn took a tough loss at Vanderbilt. Another game where Auburn was in it the entire game and simply couldn’t finish the job. The Tigers couldn’t afford to lose anymore winnable games. This game was as winnable as it gets.
Jaylin Williams or Johni Broome should have touched the ball every single possession in this game.
-Ike Jones On The Weekend Tailgate
Heading into this final stretch of the season, many experts concluded that if Auburn won two games, (Vanderbilt and Ole Miss) they’d be almost a lock for the tournament. After watching the game, I have serious doubt that this team will make the Tournament. It’s a harsh reality but this isn’t the first time we lost a game like this. We could have beaten both, Tennessee and Alabama. Not only did we let those games slip away, but we draw them again as our schedule wraps up. Throw in a trip to Lexington and we may be staring down the barrel of one more win, (Ole Miss) which is by no means a guarantee.
College Basketball is all about matchups, and I don’t like the ones facing Auburn. Missouri was a great example of what happens when you have a mismatch at just one position. While I do think Auburn will steal two wins out of this stretch, I wouldn’t bet on it. Time is running out for the Tigers. This is where Coach Pearl makes his money. He and the staff have to find a way to get this team ready and motivated to finish strong on the season, something they have not done consistently in a game.
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