Auburn's roster has exactly 13 minutes of March Madness experience. All from Walker Kessler's appearance as a reserve center on North Carolina's roster last year when the Tar Heels were trounced by Wisconsin, 85-62.

After a quick exit in the SEC Tournament, Auburn will have to learn on the fly what it takes to win in the postseason. Thanks to a 27-5 regular season, Auburn starts against 15-seed Jacksonville State, but Auburn will not be resting on its laurels going into that game, knowing the Gamecocks bring a high-powered, 3-point shooting offense that could prove dangerous.

"I think experience does matter in tournament time," Bruce Pearl said. "I think it matters in March. I thought it mattered a lot with our Final Four team. That team almost all played the year before in San Diego when we beat College of Charleston and lost to Clemson. So yes, I think it does; it definitely matters.

“Now hopefully we can get some experience. You know, hopefully, we can get some experience. On-the-job training, if you will, right?”

After spending a year at Eastern Kentucky, Wendell Green Jr. knows that experience will certainly play a factor in the tournament. But he's also simplifying it to game-by-game and focusing on playing his best basketball against each opponent Auburn has.

"I mean of course, you know, experience matters, but not completely," Green said. "It’s still a basketball game. It’s one game at a time. I feel like if we look at it like that, experience doesn’t play too much of a part. We’ve just got to go out there and know that every possession matters."

For starting point guard Zep Jasper, the opportunity is something he's been waiting for his entire life. And now, in his fourth year in school, after spending three seasons at College of Charleston, it finally comes true.

It also comes true just over two hours from where Jasper grew up, and he says he'll have "a lot" of family and friends in the crowd this weekend.

"It feels good. You know, like, I’m super grateful. I’ve never experienced this day in my life," Jasper said on Selection Sunday. "I always watched it on T.V. I always wanted to be here. We made it happen by having a good season this year. I’m just blessed. My life is blessed. The whole coaching staff, the players here, we worked so hard starting off in July this summer. My first March Madness, I couldn’t be any more grateful for this."

Auburn opens up the NCAA Tournament with Jacksonville State on Friday at 11:40 a.m. CT on TruTV in Greenville, South Carolina.

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