Auburn Getting Out Of Lexington Was The Mission, Now The Tigers Could Get Two Homes Games In Atlanta

LEXINGTON - There have been questions about this Auburn basketball team since losing in the SEC Tournament. Did this team peak at the worst time? Is it becoming stagnant on the court with this much talent? I would say the Tigers answered those questions on Saturday night against Creighton with a 82-70 win. 

Now, the Tigers are awarded an opportunity to play what will essentially be a home game next week in Atlanta, which is about two hours away from the Auburn campus. This was always the play, considering they didn't have to travel very far to Lexington as they opened the NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed. 

For a team that has struggled to get out of the gates, especially against Alabama State in the first round, the Tigers were certainly a motivated bunch coming out of halftime against Creighton. Even with Johni Broome scoring only 8 points tonight, he held up his end on the defensive side. 

After going on an 18-4 run in the second half, it looked as though this squad had finally hit its stride, even while the Blue Jays started to fight back with just more than four minutes remaining. 

Even with Rupp Arena reaching a raucous level in the second half, it's nothing like what the Tigers will see next week in Atlanta, which will be played in an NBA arena, not a stadium. You might be wondering why I'd bring up the venue for the next round. Well, the Midwest regional will be played inside Lucas Oil Stadium, which should honestly be prohibted for anything besides the Final Four. 

There's no reason to hold that next round inside a football stadium, especially if you don't get a favorable draw when it comes to potential teams bringing fans. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome #4 reacts after making a three-pointer against the Creighton Bluejays during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Rupp Arena on March 22, 2025. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

But, back to Auburn. If there was ever a time to come alive during a game, it was tonight against Creighton. I think by now that Bruce Pearl has heard all of the excuses this past week, and judging by his demeanor on the sidelines, he had enough of the talking. Clearly, the Tigers are a problem inside the paint, while they hit their stride from the outside in the second half. 

There was a point in this week when the Auburn players admitted that they did not start the games with an urgency. The team had a meeting this week after the Alabama State win, and made it clear in nicer words that they could do so much with their energy. That wasn't a problem over the final 20 minutes, but I have to wonder if there is a team that will catch Auburn sleep-walking sometime over the next week. 

Michigan Is Up Next For Auburn, With Sweet Sixteen In The ATL

Yep, the Tigers are headed home for a few days, before hopping on a bus and traveling over to Atlanta to play for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. This is the reward for being the top overall seed, and they are going to take full advantage of it next weekend, especially with their crowd. 

While there were plenty of Auburn fans who traveled to Kentucky, I can't imagine what it will sound like in Atlanta. If there was ever a true home game for an NCAA Tournament team, it's coming, and it will be extremely loud. 

Auburn is headed to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament Via: Trey Wallace

But, there are some Wolverines who are playing really good basketball right now that will be meeting the Tigers in Atlanta. What we've seen from Michigan over the last couple of weeks, including the win over Texas A&M on Saturday should scare Auburn. 

The way Dusty May has his team playing right now is something Bruce Pearl will harp on with his team this week, given that the Wolverines have caught on fire at the perfect time. 

As for what transpired in Lexington, it came down to Auburn finally living up to its hype. As for next week, there's going to be a massive party in Atlanta, and I imagine there won't be many tickets for teams other than Auburn.