After losing two NBA players and five total professional talents off its roster from last year, could Auburn win an SEC regular-season title in 2020 for the second time in three seasons?
The Tigers are certainly in position to be in that conversation come the first week of March.
After previously unbeaten LSU's midweek loss to Vanderbilt, the matchup in Auburn Arena on Saturday between the Tigers (7-2 SEC) and the Bayou Bengals (8-1) is for first place in the conference.
Including that game, there's still plenty of basketball to be played, though. Here is where Auburn stands in current NCAA Tournament predictions, as well as a look at statistical strengths and shortcomings this season. Check out last week's installment here.
TOURNAMENT RESUME
NET ranking: No. 17
Quadrant I games (3-2): Win at Mississippi State, vs. Kentucky, at Arkansas; losses at Alabama, Florida
Remaining Q-I games (3): at Kentucky, vs. LSU, at Tennessee
Quadrant II games (6-0): Win vs. NC State, Richmond, Saint Louis, Davidson, Iowa State, at Ole Miss
Remaining Q-II games (4): vs. Alabama, vs. Tennessee, at Missouri, at Georgia
Quadrant III games (7-0): win at South Alabama, win vs. Furman, South Carolina, New Mexico, Colgate, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Remaining Q-III games (2): vs. Ole Miss, vs. Texas A&M
Quadrant IV games (4-0): win vs. CSUN, Lehigh, Lipscomb, Georgia Southern
Remaining Q-IV games: (0)
Strength of schedule: 43rd
Nonconference strength of schedule: 52nd
OFFENSE
Points per game: 79.0 (11th of 353 in college basketball, 2nd in SEC)
Efficiency rating: 1.067 (24th, 3rd)
Floor percentage (percentage of possessions where points are scored): 51.0% (12th, 3rd)
Effective FG percentage: 50.6% (121st, 8th)
2-point FG percentage: 53.9% (25th, 2nd)
3-point FG percentage: 30.9% (285th, 9th)
Free throw percentage: 67.5% (273rd, 12th)
Free throws attempted per play: 31.3% (2nd, 1st)
Assists per game: 13.3 (138th, 7th)
Turnovers per game: 13.3 (175th, 5th)
Offensive rebound percentage: 33.7% (18th, 2nd)
Extra scoring possessions per game: 3.6 (41st, 1st)
DEFENSE
Scoring defense: 68.8 PPG (143rd, 9th SEC)
Efficiency rating: 0.928 (68th, 5th)
Opponent shooting percentage: 41.1% (83rd, 10th)
Opponent 2-point FG percentage: 46.3% (77th, 4th)
Opponent 3-point FG percentage: 31.2% (81st, 10th)
Opponent free throws attempted per play: 22.9% (172nd, 6th)
Defensive rebounding percentage: 74.5% (149th, 6th)
Block percentage: 8.7% (17th, 2nd)
Steal percentage: 8.5% (199th, 11th)
BRACKETOLOGY
ESPN: 4-seed vs. SF Austin
CBS: 3-seed vs. Bowling Green
NBC: 4-seed vs. Liberty
USA TODAY: 4-seed vs. Bowling Green
SB Nation: 5-seed vs. Yale
Bracket Matrix (average of 96 bracket projections): 3.88 average (4-seed)
ESPN BPI
Offensive rating: 6.4 (23rd in college basketball, 4th SEC)
Defensive rating: 5.3 (38th, 3rd)
Projected record: 26-5, 13-5 SEC (T-9th most wins, 1st)
Chances to advance in NCAA Tournament: 68.9% Round of 32, 33.7% Sweet 16, 13.8% Elite Eight, 5.4% Final Four, 1.9% national championship app., 0.8% win 2019-20 national title
Win probability vs. LSU: 68.6%
vs. Alabama: 80.0%
at Missouri: 69.7%
at Georgia: 73.4%
vs. Tennessee: 77.8%
vs. Ole Miss: 89.7%
at Kentucky: 30.5%
vs. Texas A&M: 94.7%
at Tennessee: 51.5%
-------
NOT A MEMBER?
JOIN AUBURNSPORTS.COM TODAY to enjoy around-the-clock content including stories, analysis, videos, podcasts, call-in shows and The Greatest Message Board In The History of The Internet.
