The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 86 is Auburn basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Auburn basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 2
- Elite Eights: 3
- Sweet 16s: 6
- NCAA wins: 23
- Bids: 14
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 12.8
- Bids per season: 0.12
- AP Polls: 207
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 3
- NBA players drafted & played: 20
- Conference Players of the Year: 3
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 6
- Conference tournament titles: 3
- NIT titles: 1
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Auburn basketball
We’ve had a run of Power 5 programs, and it continues with Auburn!
The Tigers have had quite the history, but recently they’ve entered their best era. Bruce Pearl took over in 2014 and proceeded to take them to the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. And they didn’t just get there – Auburn made Final Four runs in 2019 AND 2025, and only got eliminated in the round of 64 once, in 2024. Pearl went 246-125 in his time with the program.
He also helped to develop an NBA star in Walker Kessler and notable college names like Johni Broome and Jabari Smith Jr. The memes tell us that Auburn was a blue blood in this era, but they seriously were one of the best programs around. Obviously, Steven Pearl’s first season didn’t go as planned, but they did win the NIT title and have some momentum going into next season.
But Auburn does have much more history to recount. Of course, the most famous hoops alum is the “Round Mound of Rebound,” himself, Charles Barkley. Surprisingly, in college, he was never a Consensus All-American and the best he did was one NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to 12-seed Richmond. But Barkley would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and is arguably one of the best and funniest broadcasters around.
One of Barkley’s teammates, Chuck Person, fared a bit better in college, leading Auburn to the Sweet 16 the year after Barkley left. Person would also take them to the Elite 8 the following year to cap off an incredible career and his senior season.
In the 1990s, head coach Cliff Ellis also had some solid seasons with Auburn, even being named National Coach of the Year in 1999 thanks to a 29-4 record and a Sweet 16. Star forward Chris Porter was a Consensus All-American that season.
One other era to look at for Auburn is the mid-1950s to mid-1960s. They never went dancing in this span, but were often ranked in the AP Poll, just waiting to break through. In 1959, they went 20-2 and were ranked as high as second. However, Mississippi State won the conference that year, with Auburn on the outside of the tournament as one of the best squads ever to not qualify.
Auburn may not level up to the likes of Florida and Kentucky, but in terms of the SEC as a whole, they aren’t that far off from being a top-tier team. And if Steven Pearl can continue to keep the 20-win seasons coming, they’ll be in the top 75 in no time!