Did Auburn basketball blow its chance at the NCAA tournament? The 2026 SEC basketball tournament saw Auburn’s potential NCAA tournament bid slip away as the Tigers fell to Tennessee in a dramatic second-round matchup. The loss marked a pivotal moment for the program, leaving them with a 17-16 record and a 7-11 SEC mark despite facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. With a win over the Volunteers, Auburn would have secured its place in the tournament, potentially bypassing Dayton in the bracket. Instead, the Tigers’ collapse in the final minutes of the game left them in a precarious position, raising questions about whether their season had already been derailed. The tournament’s chaos began earlier in the day as Miami (OH)’s undefeated streak came to an end in the MAC tournament. The Red Hawks’ 31-game winning streak was broken by UMass, sending shockwaves through the college basketball landscape. While the MAC upset had little direct impact on the SEC, it indirectly affected the tournament’s bubble teams. Auburn, Missouri, and Texas had relied on Miami’s success to bolster their NCAA chances, but the loss left them scrambling. Missouri, which had already lost to Kentucky in the SEC’s second round, now joined Texas as a team that failed to secure its bid. Auburn’s collapse against Tennessee was emblematic of the Tigers’ struggles this season. Up by double digits early in the game, the Tigers allowed a 22-2 run by the Volunteers, which proved insurmountable. The final score of 72-62 underscored the gap in execution, with Auburn’s defense unable to contain Tennessee’s offense. The loss left the Tigers with a slim chance of making the NCAA tournament, as their record and schedule would need to impress the selection committee. Meanwhile, Ole Miss and Oklahoma emerged as standout performers in the tournament.#ole_miss #tennessee #dayton #auburn #sec_basketball_tournament
