SAN ANTONIO — Auburn is the No. 1 general seed.
It received the loaded SEC’s regular-season crown and has cruised to the Closing 4, its 4 victories by a median of 13.7 factors.
But, it isn’t favored Saturday evening in opposition to fellow No. 1 seed Florida.
“Y’all got us underdogs, that’s fine,” star ahead and SEC Participant of the 12 months Johni Broome mentioned. “We think we’re the best team here. So, however we get painted, we came here to win.”
Not like Duke and Florida, widespread Closing 4 picks getting into the match, Auburn was neglected.
That was partially resulting from a sluggish near the common season that noticed the Tigers lose three of their final 4 video games.
However they’ve appeared extra just like the dominant group that began the season 27-2 on this match.
Nonetheless, Florida is favored by 2.5 factors.
The Gators, it must be famous, received the lone assembly between the 2 on Feb. 8, at Auburn.
“It just shows that we still don’t have the respect we should have,” Tigers sixth man Tahaad Pettiford mentioned. “So it’s just putting that chip on our shoulder.”
“We come in as the overall No. 1, but we’re probably considered the fourth-best team here right now,” coach Bruce Pearl added. “There is nothing new. I prefer the underdog role rather than having to prove that we’re as good as we say we are.”
Cooper Flagg must be a highschool senior.
As a substitute on Friday, the 18-year-old from Maine turned the primary freshman to win Related Press Nationwide Participant of the 12 months honors since Zion Williamson in 2019.
It was the newest honor for the famous person teenager and projected No. 1 choose in June’s NBA Draft, who has led Duke to the Closing 4.
He’s solely the fourth freshmen to win the award in its 64-year historical past. Williamson, Anthony Davis (2012) and Kevin Durant (2007) are the others.
“These are the moments you dream about as a little kid. This is the biggest stage of college basketball,” Flagg mentioned on the eve of Duke’s nationwide semifinal in opposition to Houston on the Alamodome. “I’m just trying to cherish these moments with my teammates that we have left. The road ends here.”
Flagg beat out Broome, receiving 41 of 61 votes. The 6-foot-9 ahead additionally was introduced with the Oscar Robertson Trophy by the U.S. Basketball Writers Affiliation as its Nationwide Participant of the 12 months.
