Auburn looking to make history

Why Auburn can Win it ALL

If you know me, you know I am a die-hard Auburn fan, thanks to my mom, dad, and entire family. This year in basketball they are a 4 seed in March Madness and look to make or even win the championship for the first time in NCAA History (If they lose to Yale I will be very very upset).

If you made a bracket you would know that the East region is a gauntlet. Uconn, Auburn, Illinois, and Iowa State all are very very good teams. Auburn will have to play the defending champ Huskies in the Sweet 16 if everything goes as planned. Playing them in the 3rd round despite winning the SEC is diabolical, but it has to be done.

Statistics all across the internet are used to try and make the ‘perfect bracket’ even though you will never make one (sorry) and these stats have shown how good Auburn is. I am going to start at every surface level and then dive into more detail as I go on:

Depth

Auburn has about 10 guys who can play real minutes for them, this is important in many aspects. if someone has an off night, they can be subbed out without much skill dropoff. Another reason is for foul trouble, the limit of 5 fouls in college means people will be playing with caution. If anyone gets 3 fouls early on, they can also be subbed with little sacrifice. The final reason is if someone gets hurt, God forbid it happens, but if someone gets hurt there can be a replacement. Stat: Auburn has 9 players that average over 15 minutes per game, the only major name that doesn’t, is Chris Moore who will likely play more in the tournament.

Catching Fire

I hope I don’t jinx it but they have recently found their stride from beyond the arc. They have not shot under 30% from 3 in the last 8 games they are shooting 42% over that stretch. If they can keep the flamethrower going, they are dangerous. I am hoping Aden and Denver can keep their stride going for a deep run. Stat: Auburn is 10th in KenPom adjusted offense rating.

Defense

All season long, Auburn has hung their hat on the defensive side of the ball. Allowing only 68 points per game to opponents, they check all the boxes. Stelas are almost at 8 per game, blocks at 6 per game, and holding opponents to the second-lowest shooting percentage only behind 1-seeded Houston. Depth also plays a role here, almost all 10 guys are plus defenders which allows a committee to stop shooters. Stat: Auburn is 5th in KenPom adjusted defense. Very Very Good.

Negative

One bad thing that could happen is the lack of defensive rebounds. I have seen with my own 2 eyes many times where they allow multiple possessions to opposing teams. Giving up more than one shot per possession in March Madness is a recipe for disaster, but I think they can put it together following a dominant SEC run.

Since my bracket is already busted, I hope Auburn does win it all. Chad Baker-Mazara is becoming one of my favorite players at Auburn.