AUBURN, Ala. – In March, anything can happen. It takes one win to get to the final 32 teams. Two wins, and you're in the Sweet 16. Four wins puts you in the Final Four.
Next Game:
Iowa
March 16, 2023
5:50 p.m. CT
TV: TNT
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
It's what makes the NCAA Tournament so special. It's also why Bruce Pearl doesn't take it for granted when his teams make it even though Auburn has appeared in four of the last five NCAA Tournaments. Prior to Pearl's arrival, Auburn had only made the Big Dance eight times.
"Because it is so hard to get into, it's really special," Pearl said. "Our guys are excited about making it. There are a lot of good teams that are left home."
In each of the previous three trips under Pearl, Auburn has won its Round of 64 matchup. This year, the Tigers will have their toughest first round test yet against an Iowa team that ranks third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. The Hawkeyes play fast. They don't turn it over. They can shoot it well from deep. They crash the glass.
Don't expect Auburn to be intimidated, though. The Tigers have been facing challenging opponents all season, having played a total of 17 games against NCAA Tournament teams, tied for fourth-most in the country.
"Obviously, that number is so big because of our conference," sophomore Johni Broome said. "The SEC has eight teams in March Madness. Give credit to the other SEC opponents. Being in a competitive conference allows you to have a little more experience in close games.
"Then we played teams like Northwestern and Memphis. I just think it prepares us for close games and hard matchups. We've played physical teams. We've played athletic teams. We've played teams that can shoot it from 3. We've got a feel for everybody. We've just got to put it together now."
Auburn went 7-10 in those 17 games against the field this season with a number of the losses coming in the final minutes. None of that matters now. It's March.
"We're hungry," senior Allen Flanigan said. "We've come up short a lot this year. Not winning like we should or we thought we would. We're going into the NCAA Tournament with a hungry mindset just wanting to win games and make a run in the tournament."
Auburn (9) and Iowa (8) will tip off in the 8-9 matchup at 5:50 p.m. CT from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Andy Burcham and Joe Ciampi will have the radio call. The game will also be televised on TNT with Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson on the call. The winner will play the winner of Houston (1) and Northern Kentucky (16).
PLAYER TO WATCH: LIOR BERMAN
It will be a homecoming for senior guard and Birmingham native, Lior Berman, who has risen from walk-on player to a regular member in Auburn's rotation this season. Berman starred at Mountain Brook High School where he won three state championships and helped his team ascend to a No. 5 national ranking his senior year. Berman, a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, has played in 23 of the team's 32 games this season and is averaging a career-best 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.7 percent from deep.
INSIDE THE SERIES: IOWA
Auburn will meet Iowa for the first time in program history. Auburn is 1-0 when facing an opponent for the first time this season, which ironically came against another Big Ten team in Northwestern. The Tigers beat Northwestern, who finished second in the Big Ten, on Nov. 23 in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge.
This is just the second time Bruce Pearl and Fran McCaffery have coached against each other. Pearl led No. 12 Tennessee to a 78-64 victory over McCaffery and Siena College on Nov. 27, 2008, in the first round of the Old Spice Classic.
Should Auburn advance to the Round of 32, the Tigers are 1-6 all-time versus Houston and have never faced Northern Kentucky.
TIGERS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
With an at-large bid this year, Auburn is making their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in 117 seasons of basketball (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2018, 2019 and 2022). It is the program's fourth appearance in the last five tournaments.
Auburn is 18-11 (.621) all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 6-3 under Bruce Pearl. This is the first time for the Tigers to be a No. 9 seed playing a No. 8 seed.
Last season, Auburn earned a No. 2 seed and reached the Round of 32 with a first-round victory over Jacksonville State (W, 80-61). The Tigers lost to Miami in their second game.