March Madness always ends in madness, right? Do you remember UMBC toppling top-seeded Virginia in 2018? How about Fairleigh Dickinson ousting Purdue in 2023? Those two schools proved no team, regardless of talent and experience, is guaranteed an easy path. Auburn knows this chaos firsthand—think back to 2019, when a controversial double-dribble miss and a last-second Virginia surge snatched their Final Four dream, 63-62. As Auburn prepares for this upcoming tournament, that same fear begins to settle in. While the Tigers have performed well in the SEC, the last few weeks have cast doubt on whether they are fully prepared to handle a tournament run. Bruce Pearl’s team has a couple of big hurdles they need to overcome to avoid getting cut early.

Auburn’s journey to March Madness has not been a straightforward one. The Tigers have found themselves struggling unexpectedly in both of their last two matchups, both losses. First, Auburn was beaten by Texas A&M. Then, they came up short in their last outing, dropping a heartbreaker to Alabama in overtime, 93-91. Johni Broome’s exceptional, 34-point outing wasn’t enough to get the Brue Pearl’s team over the hump in Neville arena, leaving fans wondering whether or not they’re ready for the big dance.

Mark Titus brought up some concerns that have been on the minds of some analysts on his YouTube show. “There are some things that you worry about. Baker Mazara was one of them; he is one of their better players, and he just cannot resist finding himself in these situations. It’s something that you felt might have changed after last year when they lost in the NCAA tournament pretty much because of him.” Mazara has been one of Auburn’s most impactful players on offense, averaging 12.9 points per game, but his antics on the court have caused some serious question marks.

Titus did not hesitate to call out Mazara’s recent behavior, “As we’ve gotten to March and are getting closer to the higher-stakes games he seems to be ramping it up a little bit – he f–k-ng elbows a guy in the back of the head – completely unnecessary, that was a cheap shot. This is just a common thing with him.” Mazara’s actions have been a continuous issue for Auburn.

During the Alabama game, he was ejected from the game. And given a flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Chris Youngblood in the back of the head. This wasn’t the first time, though. Last year he was also ejected from Auburn’s NCAA Tournament game against Yale for basically the same thing. Mazara makes a rash decision and gets ejected from the game with a flagrant 2 foul. This is starting to become a trend for the Tigers that can cost them big in the tournament.

Mark Titus continued explaining why he’s worried this might end up happening in March Madness: “I am, however, concerned that he might do this in the tournament. I’m not worried about a first-round exit or even probably the second round. But as the tournament progresses, I think it is a serious concern for Auburn that one of their better players has this issue. While you might worry about another guy in foul trouble during a big game. I look at Baker Mazara and see that he has a problem with flagrant fouls. That might be an issue.”

It’s hard to disagree with Titus’ point—if Bruce Pearl and Auburn wants to make a deep tournament run, they can’t afford to miss one of their best players to ejection, and given Mazara’s history, it’s definitely not out of the question. He’s been absent for too long in crucial moments before, costing Auburn games like their overtime loss to Alabama, and it could certainly happen again.

Bruce Pearl’s road to redemption: Can Auburn get back on track?

Auburn will look to get things back on track when they put their heads down and go to work in the 2025 SEC Tournament. The Tigers face the winner between Arkansas and South Carolina on Friday, March 14. It will be the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Friday’s foe—whether Arkansas’s frenetic pace or South Carolina’s bruising Collin Murray-Boyles (20 points vs. Arkansas Tuesday)—could prey on Auburn’s fragility. The Razorbacks took them to overtime on January 4, 75-72; the Gamecocks fell 72-53 on March 1 but showed fight. Either way, it’s a gut-check Pearl’s crew can’t afford to fail. A win could give Bruce Pearl’s team its mojo back, heading into the big dance.

Despite the challenges, Bruce Pearl remains optimistic about his team’s prospects. He’s been emphasizing the need to stay focused and bounce back from adversity. “I’m grateful and blessed, and did not cry after we lost to Texas A&M and Alabama. Because we’ve lost four games,” Pearl said.

“We’ve lost to Duke, and we lost to Todd Golden at Florida, and those had been the only two losses we had had for a long time.” Bruce Pearl’s message is clear: the Tigers are determined to finish strong and avoid a repeat of last year’s collapse. With Pearl at the helm, Auburn still has a chance to make some noise in March Madness.

As Auburn takes the court for the SEC Tournament, the pressure is on. Talent isn’t the question. This team has the ingredients necessary to make a run. But discipline and focus will be what keeps Auburn alive late into the postseason. Pearl has a fantastic program, but if the Tigers aren’t careful, they’ll be swept out in the big dance. While ESPN’s Joe Lunardi warns, “Discipline could sink this No. 1 seed.” Pearl’s built a juggernaut, but if Mazara or the defense falters, the grave’s already half-dug.