Auburn basketball’s season looked over well before it ended, with the Tigers losing eight of their final 10 regular-season contests and playing their way out of the NCAA Tournament, missing March Madness for the first time in five years.
The campaign will end Sunday night, however, with the Tigers facing Tulsa in the NIT championship (7 p.m. CT, ESPN2) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
In all, Auburn went 3-10 down the stretch, including a win and loss each in the SEC Tournament, but its absence from the field of 64 granted it the top overall seed in this year’s NIT. It’s parlayed that postseason berth into four consecutive victories, ending a season in which it took a step backwards with plenty of momentum.
“This is something moving forward that I think a lot of teams can look at and say, ‘Listen, Auburn did it the right way. They didn’t quit. They kept fighting, and they ended their season on a high note,'” head coach Steven Pearl said.
Here’s our score prediction for Auburn’s upcoming contest, including everything you need to tune in:
Score prediction for Auburn basketball and Tulsa’s NIT championship contest
- Score prediction: 1-seed Auburn 97, 1-seed Tulsa 88 (OT)
Of course, Auburn’s season is ending against one of the 10 best 3-point-shooting teams in the nation. The Golden Hurricanes made 39.2% of their triples this year, and defending the perimeter has been a struggle for the Tigers. What hasn’t been an issue this tournament is Auburn’s offense. Likewise, its defense has shown plenty of step-up in the NIT.
Auburn will have its hands full, as Tulsa has four starters who’ve made more than a third of their 3-point attempts. But to this point, the Tigers have seen their talent take hold of opponents, and they’ve matched that with an equal effort that should result in a postseason championship.
What channel is Auburn basketball vs Tulsa on Sunday?
- TV: ESPN2
- Streaming: ESPN+
STREAM AUBURN BASKETBALL VS TULSA HERE
What time do Auburn basketball and Tulsa play Sunday?
- Time: 7 p.m. CT
- Date: Sunday, April 5
- Place: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
