Auburn is No. 1: For the first time ever, the Tigers sit atop the rankings
AUBURN – For the first time in the 116-year history of the Auburn’s men’s basketball program, the Tigers are ranked No. 1.
Auburn surpassed Gonzaga in the latest Associated Press poll to earn the No. 1 ranking. When the Coaches poll is released later today, the Tigers are expected to surpass Gonzaga for No. 1 as well.
Auburn received 45 first-place votes to Gonzaga’s 15.
Bruce Pearl is the 2nd coach in Division I history to lead multiple programs (Auburn, Tennessee) to their first-ever AP No. 1 ranking. He joins Frank McGuire, who did so at St. John’s, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
“It is historic. It does matter, and it does mean something,” Pearl recently said. “That’ll be a proud moment for Auburn. Period. Our university, our athletic department. I understand it may not mean much now, but it makes a strong statement. We want to have the number one business school, the number one engineering school. We want the number one football team, gymnastics team. We’re an everything school.”
Auburn becomes only the eighth all-time SEC school to achieve a No. 1 national ranking. The Tigers are off to their fourth-best start in program history and second 7-0 SEC start next to the 1958-59 season.
They are also the winningest SEC men’s basketball program (112 victories) over the last five years. Sports Illustrated previously tabbed Auburn the No. 1 preseason squad in 1999, but the Tigers had never been ranked No. 1 in either the AP or USA TODAY/Coaches Top 25 Polls.
No. 1️⃣
— Auburn Basketball 🦚 (@AuburnMBB) January 24, 2022
For the first time in program history, your Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the @AP_Top25!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/knw6Cgttiw
The Tigers have reached No. 2 four different times in their history, including last week, when many thought Auburn might earn the No. 1 ranking. That didn’t happen, so Auburn went out and left no doubt with another 2-0 week, including a win over No. 12 Kentucky.
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[COMMENTARY: Auburn earning a No. 1 seed would be historic, and it very much matters]
Here’s what Pearl said last week when the Tigers just missed the No. 1 ranking:
“I think that based at this time, we should be number one, based on our resume,” Pearl said. “Our strength of schedule, whatever it is, but that doesn’t mean we’re the best team in the country. I’m not saying that. I think we’re one of the top 20 teams in the country and one of the top five or six teams in our league. As far as where we wind up, that’s why you play the season. We have to continue to keep doing the things we’ve been doing and get better.”
And continue they did.
Here’s how the Tigers stack up with the top 15 teams in the nation, according to bracketresearch.com:
While the predictive computer ratings still favor other teams ahead of Auburn, the Tigers’ strength of record continues to lead the nation, and Auburn remains atop the projected seedings, earning No. 1 overall seed projections from numerous outlets. Auburn also holds the best “Q score,” measuring Quad 1-4 wins and losses.
Auburn’s first men’s basketball season was the 1905-06 season. That was 116 seasons ago. Since then, Auburn has enjoyed scattered championship-level success, but mostly average basketball over the history of its program. But, since Pearl’s arrival, that has all changed. After beating Kentucky, Auburn has now compiled 112 wins in the last five years. It is tied as the best five-year run in school history next to 2016-17 to 2020-21.
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