Auburn basketball is ranked in the South Regional per ESPN’s preseason bracketology.
According to ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi and the NCAA selection committee, Auburn has been pegged as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for 2025, and they anchor the South Region as that region’s top seed Though their performance dipped late in the regular season—with three losses in their final four games—they nonetheless secured the SEC regular-season title. That résumé carried them to the top spot despite some recent struggles
The full field released in March confirmed Auburn’s position atop the South Region. ESPN identified conference champions Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida as the four No. 1 seeds across the regions, with Auburn drawing South, Duke the East, Florida the West, and Houston the Midwest Auburn would face the winner of the Alabama State vs. St. Francis — later Alabama State vs. St. Francis Brooklyn — First Four play‑in game in Lexington, Kentucky, as their first opponent
Leading into Selection Sunday, Auburn had already been projected as the No. 1 overall seed for weeks. Lunardi had consistently placed the Tigers atop the seed list since about early March, and other bracketology experts agreed—SEC dominance was overwhelming, and Auburn’s body of work stood out even with mid‑March inconsistencies
The South Region bracket placed Michigan State as the No. 2 seed, Iowa State at No. 3, and Texas A&M at No. 4 behind AuburnThat alignment meant Auburn’s projected path included a Second Round matchup with either Marquette or Baylor, a Sweet 16 game likely against Michigan, and a potential Elite Eight matchup with Michigan State
Analysts at ESPN’s studio roundtables flagged a few teams in the South that could pose problems for Auburn. Texas A&M, the No. 4 seed, had beaten Auburn late in the season and was seen as a Sweet 16 threat. Michigan State, the No. 2 seed, was the Big Ten regular-season champion and had the balance to make a run. Iowa State, Michigan, and Creighton were also mentioned as dangerous potential spoilers
By the time the tournament began, Auburn had momentum: they entered with a 32–6 record (15–3 in SEC play), the SEC regular-season title, and recognition for standout performances from key players, including SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome. Despite the losses in the final stretch, their résumé remained strong across Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins
Once the tournament started, Auburn delivered on their seed: they defeated No. 16 Alabama State decisively (83–63), handled No. 9 Creighton in the second round (82–70), and beat No. 5 Michigan in the Sweet 16 (78–65). In the Elite Eight, they overcame No. 2 Michigan State, 70–64, to claim the South Region championship and punched their ticket to the Final Four for the second time in school history
At that point, their South Region projection had been validated in full: Auburn had executed the path laid out for them as the 1‑seed top of that region. Yet analysts cautioned that their easiest path didn’t guarantee ultimate success. Opponents like Texas A&M or Michigan State were viewed as capable of upsets, especially given Auburn’s late-season slips and injury concerns to key players including Broome
The most vividly discussed storyline involved the rematch potential between SEC powerhouses—Auburn versus Florida or Duke down the stretch, since both were No. 1 seeds in their respective regions. Florida had beaten Auburn earlier and would meet them in the Final Four if both advanced, setting up a replay of that midseason showdown. Duke had beaten Auburn at Cameron Indoor but early in the season, leading to debates about how much weight to give that result at the bracket stage
Fan and analyst reactions—on Reddit and other discussion forums—bore that tension out. College basketball fans saw Auburn as a lock for a top seed, consistently drawing praise for their strength of schedule and conference dominance, even while acknowledging that securing the No. 1 overall spot was nearly inevitable given their résumé.
In summary: ESPN’s preseason and regular‑season bracketology placed Auburn as the No. 1 overall seed, with the South Region’s No. 1 seed, and their projected path through seeds Michigan State, Iowa State, and Texas A&M held true. They advanced through the region with victories over the 16, 9, 5, and 2 seeds to win the South Regional and earn a Final Four berth. Despite late-season concerns and potential threats in the bracket, Auburn’s high seed and season-long body of work were defensible, and they delivered accordingly—at least through regional play
