Auburn looking to bounce back from last season's early and unexpected NCAA Tournament loss
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Not many people saw 2-seed Auburn losing by double-digits to 10-seed Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year coming. The SEC regular season champions, with two future first-round draft picks, were outplayed most of the night. It was a shocking development and one that current Auburn players still remember.
“Last year we came in as a two seed and I feel like we took everybody for granted in a way,” senior Jaylin Williams said. “We didn’t take Miami as serious, so coming in this year, each team is going to be great. Each team is going to be really prepared. We have to be more ready.”
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The feeling of overlooking Miami was something Williams didn’t feel leading into the game, but it was something that looking back, he gained clarity on. He said that Auburn team was viewing Miami as “just another team we can beat.” But the past is the past, and for this Tigers’ team, it’s about not letting history repeat itself.
“Respect Iowa as much as we can. We have to respect those guys, compete, and play like it’s our last game, which it can be,” Williams said.
Wendell Green Jr. believes it’s an entirely different scenario this time around. Auburn isn’t the reigning SEC regular season champions, instead finishing seventh in the league standings. They aren’t a two seed, this time spending serious time on the bubble during the final weeks of the season. Auburn’s also lost seven games by five points or less. This team knows how thin their margin of error really is.
“It’s a different scenario for sure. It’s an 8-9 game, that’s one of the best in the tournament. We have to be ready from day one out here,” Green Jr. said. “New season, new team. We’re a pretty experienced team. Not thinking about Miami too much, just want to get past that.
“It’s got to be the mindset. It’s the next game mentality all the time, no matter if you win or lose by one. You have to keep it going. It’s a grind. We’ve had tough losses this year and we’ve bounced back, so we’ll be OK. I hope we can show it tomorrow.”
So, what type of confidence will this Auburn team come into Thursday with? Will there be a hangover from the early-round loss in Nashville? Johni Broome certainly doesn’t think so. He admits there’s a “not a good taste” in the teams’ mouth after going one and done yet again in the SEC Tournament
“I hate losing. That one sucked — but we have a chance to redeem ourselves. We’re going to come in fully confident,” Broome said. “We’re playing in March Madness, you shouldn’t need any more confidence. I feel like we’re going to be good. We’ll have confidence from the jump.”
The Tigers and the Hawkeyes tipoff at 5:50 p.m. CT on Thursday inside Legacy Arena. The game will be televised on TNT.
