Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler have tasted a championship at Auburn, leading the Tigers to just the fourth SEC regular-season title in program history. The dynamic frontcourt wants to collect even more hardware in Tampa this weekend.

It would be another historic moment in a season full of them as Auburn has never won both the regular-season and tournament championship in the same season. That feeling that came on Saturday as the Tigers cut down the nets in Neville Arena has given the SEC Freshman of the Year even more incentive heading into the tournament.

"We're motivated," Smith said. "We know how it feels to win a championship and the joy you get from it. We also know how hard it is. So, just going down there locked in and focusing on not taking any plays off and just focusing on playing the right way and playing how we've been playing."

After a season where we saw the SEC be as competitive as ever, the tournament title is up in the air, with all four top seeds having an argument why they will accept the trophy from Greg Sankey on Sunday afternoon in Amalie Arena. For Auburn, you look toward the play of Smith and Kessler as one of the top reasons the Tigers can win their second SEC Tournament in four years.

Kessler, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, doesn't buy into the notion that the Tigers have locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament no matter what they accomplish this week. But, even if that was the case, the center says Auburn is playing for more than that.

"We want to make statements," Kessler said. "We want to win."

With the target on their back after winning the regular season, the Tigers are prepared for the gauntlet of the bracket that the SEC tournament winner must navigate during the next few days.

"We're excited about it," Smith said. "Ready to get down there and ready to compete with the best league in the country."