Joe Lunardi remains confident that the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball are still deserving of an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, even after their disappointing road loss to Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball on Tuesday night.
Auburn suffered what many consider its most troubling defeat of the season, falling 91–79 in a game where Oklahoma’s offense caught fire. The Sooners, led by sharp perimeter shooting from Nijel Pack and company, delivered a remarkable performance from beyond the arc. Oklahoma shot an eye-popping 53% from the field and an astonishing 68% from three-point range, numbers that proved too much for the Tigers to overcome.
The loss drops Auburn to 15–13 overall, adding to recent setbacks against Mississippi State Bulldogs men’s basketball and Oklahoma over the past two weeks. Entering the matchup, Auburn was already hovering near the tournament bubble, and the defeat only intensified concerns among fans about whether the résumé could withstand another blemish.
However, Lunardi ESPN’s longtime bracketologist indicated that the setback may not be as damaging as many believe. Speaking on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, he revealed that he currently ranks Auburn 41st on his overall seed list. That positioning would place the Tigers as an No. 11 seed, narrowly above the cut line and just outside the group headed to Dayton for the “First Four” play-in games. In Lunardi’s estimation, Auburn remains safely within the projected Field of 68 at least for now.
Of course, the Tigers’ tournament fate is far from sealed. With three regular-season games remaining against LSU Tigers men’s basketball, Ole Miss Rebels men’s basketball, and a challenging road matchup at Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball, plus the looming SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, Auburn still has multiple opportunities to strengthen or jeopardize its résumé before Selection Sunday in March.
For now, oddsmakers at Kalshi give Auburn a 39% chance of dancing in March. That number underscores just how precarious the Tigers’ position remains competitive, but far from secure — as they look to prove Lunardi right over the final stretch of the season.
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