The Big Lead

March Madness 2025: Previewing Auburn's Final Four chances

By Sam Westmoreland

Mar 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) cuts down the net after winning the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) cuts down the net after winning the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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In the chaotic landscape of modern college basketball, the Auburn Tigers have been the closest thing to a sure thing this season. They haven't ranked outside of the top five in any AP Poll this season, and have sat at or near the top of the KenPom rankings for the vast majority of this season as well.

Bruce Pearl's team is deep, versatile, experienced, and supremely talented, and outside of a three-game swoon down the stretch this season, they've looked virtually untouchable. Their tournament run has been as impressive a showing as you'll find; they won three of their four games by at least 10 points, and even their lone single-digit win had the Tigers in control for a decent chunk of the game against Michigan State.

But now, War Eagle faces its toughest test of the tournament, in a Florida team capable of matching their talent and depth. Can Auburn bring home their first ever Final Four win, and national title? Or will Pearl's team hit a ceiling when faced with a true test? Let's break it down.

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Biggest Strengths: The Tigers' biggest strength is their depth and versatility. Led by superstar center Johni Broome, Auburn can score with just about anyone, and the rest of the lineup is just as capable of getting hot. Broome does a bit of everything for this team, and if you're looking for someone to put the Tigers on his back and drag them to a win, this is your guy. He was incredible against Michigan State, posting 25 points and 14 rebounds in just 29 minutes of game time due to injury.

But War Eagle has more tricks up their sleeve than that; Chad Baker-Mazara is a versatile, dangerous wing capable of defending multiple positions, while guards Denver Jones, Tahaad Pettiford and Miles Kelly are the kind of lockdown defenders and microwave scorers you need to make a deep March run.

Bruce Pearl's team can run and gun and win a shootout, or they can grind you down and limit possessions and win a close defensive sort of game. They have the defensive skills to lock down even the most talented players, and the size to ensure they're not going to get pushed around by anyone.

Biggest Weaknesses: There have been some small cracks in the armor starting to show of late. Baker-Mazara has not looked like himself lately, especially on the offensive end; he's scored in double figures just once in the Tigers' last seven games, and has looked banged up defensively.

Injuries are also a concern. Broome suffered an elbow injury against Michigan State, and hasn't practiced at all in the week leading up to the clash with Florida, according to On3 Sports. Pearl expects Broome to play, but Auburn needs their star at his best.

If that wasn't enough, the team's guards have gone cold in the tournament. They're shooting just 31 percent from three in the tournament, and it nearly came back to bite them against Michigan State. Jones, Pettiford and Kelly need to find their stroke from the outside to keep defenses from keying on Broome, or this team isn't going to be able to hang for long.

Best-Case Scenario: The outside shots start falling and Broome is fine. The Tigers have the depth and skill necessary to beat Florida, despite losing to them earlier this season. If they can lock down Walter Clayton, Jr. and keep the Gators from going on big runs, this team can win a title.

Worst-Case Scenario: The Tigers let Clayton run rampant against them and get the offense going early and often for Florida. Coupling the streaky Gator offense with the poor outside shooting from Auburn's guards and Baker-Mazara's inconsistent play of late, Auburn can't keep up with Florida's quick strike capabilities.

Alternatively, if Broome is playing hindered, this team will look very different, and could struggle to keep up, and they'll head home early.

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