Auburn continues its basketball season on Tuesday night, but it will not be in a distant region with 15 other teams in a bracket and college basketball’s biggest prize on the line.
It will be at home.
After being omitted from the 68-team NCAA Tournament field on Sunday, the Tigers (17-16) host South Alabama (21-11) in the first round of the NIT. Not only are they the namesake for the eight-team Auburn Region, they are the No. 1 seed in the 32-team field.
It marks the first time Auburn has appeared in the NIT since 2009 and the first time outside the NCAA field since 2021.
Coach Steven Pearl felt his squad brought a worthy resume to the table: The nation’s No. 3 strength of schedule with victories over seven NCAA Tournament squads, including a 76-67 triumph on Jan. 24 at No. 1 seed Florida.
“This team deserves to be in the (NCAA) Tournament. It’s a team that can win games in the tournament,” Pearl argued following the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference tourney second-round loss to Tennessee.
That was not good enough for the committee, which surely noted Auburn dropped eight of its final 10 regular-season league games before splitting two in the SEC tournament. The Tigers wound up the second team left out by the committee behind SEC member Oklahoma.
Third-team all-SEC honoree Keyshawn Hall (19.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Tahaad Pettiford (15.5 ppg, 3.6 apg) lead four double-figure scorers for Auburn.
South Alabama, part of a six-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt, makes its first NIT appearance since 2007 and fifth overall. It’s a more savory postseason story than last year, when the NIT offered South Alabama the last open spot and rescinded the offer an hour later.
“It’s an honor for our team to be invited to play in the NIT,” South Alabama coach Richie Riley said. “This group has battled adversity all season and is truly deserving of this opportunity. I’m thankful that I’m going to get to coach these guys for a little longer.”
Sun Belt Player of the Year Chaze Harris (18.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.9 apg) leads a squad that lacks height. Adam Olsen (16.7 ppg) and Stephen Williams (6.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) are the only Jaguars taller than 6-foot-7.
