This is an opinion column.
Is it time to worry about Auburn?
Are the Tigers tanking instead of peaking at the right (or worst) time of year?
A third loss in four games came Saturday (70-65 to Tennessee) as the one-time top-ranked Tigers lacked that certain intangible once again. Perhaps it’s a killer instinct (or foul shooting) that’s slipped away for a group that looked destined for a Final Four.
It still could be.
March momentum can be fickle as Auburn learned last year. Nobody was playing better than the Tigers in Nashville only to see the house of cards crumble against the pride of the Ivy in Spokane.
But you have to imagine that kind of tailwind is more favorable than the limp sail pushing Bruce Pearl’s group absolutely nowhere right now.
An extra day’s rest and some introspection could be the bright side of the Tigers bowing out of the SEC tournament a day early.
Because the alarm bells can’t be ignored.
And because there’s no longer room for error or an off-night, it’s not an overreaction to be concerned with the trajectory of a team that carried such promise into March.
This team isn’t Sweet 16 good.
It’s not Elite 8 or Final Four good.
I stand by my Feb. 25 column stating, without reservation, Auburn is built for a national title run. It has been the best team in the country almost all season.
It still is but they haven’t looked quite as sharp, for the most part, since that point in the calendar. They roughed up Mississippi, 106-76 the next day and took the belt to Kentucky in Rupp Arena that weekend.
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The Tigers celebrated the SEC regular-season title March 1 after Tennessee’s buzzer beater ended Alabama’s bid to share the crown.
But they’ve been lukewarm since.
Three losses in four games -- not unheard of considering the depth and power of the SEC this season. It began in the ultimate trap game at Texas A&M, continued at home with Alabama visiting and again Saturday against Tennessee. An ugly 62-57 win over Mississippi in the SEC quarters was the lone positive outcome since leaving Lexington with a banner to hang.
That will be the lone addition to the Neville Arena rafters if this continues.
Championship-quality teams don’t lose that many toss-up games late in the season.
Auburn’s a class above Texas A&M, but lost.
It controlled Alabama in Tuscaloosa three weeks before seeing the Crimson Tide dictate the pace and win the game on its floor.
And the Tigers had already handled the Vols but looked like a mess at times in the rematch. It feels like the supporting cast is deferring almost everything to National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome as it approaches a level of singular dimensionality.
That’s with all due respect to Broome, he’s proving how valuable he is to this Tiger roster despite his less-than-100% health.
But a day after Pearl touted his guards’, we’ll say moxie, you didn’t see much from the group against the Vols.
Since making 9-of-14 3-point shots at Kentucky, Miles Kelly is 7-for-24 from long range.
Star freshman Tahaad Pettiford went scoreless against the Vols as he missed all eight shots he took.
Forward Chad Baker-Mazara failed to reach double figures for a third straight game Saturday. He’s made just 8 of 21 shots dating back to the Alabama loss -- one that’ll be remembered for his ejection for a cheap shot elbow. His latest outburst added to a list of distractions -- on and off court -- for a team that had managed those issues to this point.
But Broome needs help.
He had 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting Saturday after getting 23 the day before and dropping 34 on Alabama. He took 28 shots against the Tide, almost double the next-highest attempt total.
And Broome’s not infallible.
He’s not great at the foul line as his 5-for-12 shooting Saturday confirmed. As a team, Auburn was 13-for-22 in the same game Tennessee was 25-for-27. Dumb guy math will tell you that’s the difference in a game that ended with a 70-65 final score.
Championship teams don’t leave that kind of money on the table.
The Tigers shot 64.7% from the line against Alabama in the 93-91 overtime loss. It was a game it couldn’t take advantage of 15 Tide turnovers that turned into 20 Tiger points.
You saw life Saturday when Tennessee’s 11-point second half lead (nearly) evaporated during a furious 10-0 Tiger run that included three Vol turnovers.
But where championship teams finish the comeback, Auburn faded. It missed 6 of the last 7 shots taken, including a bunny by Broome at the rim with a chance to tie the game with 3:42 left.
So now they wait.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi said the Tigers had done enough before the semifinal loss to earn the No. 1 overall seed. That’s as much of an indictment on the strength of the ACC with Duke playing for a league title later Saturday.
It’s also a recognition of where Auburn was March 1 when it clinched the regular-season championship of the strongest conference in memory with a week of games to go.
The Tigers were 27-2 after emasculating Kentucky on its home floor but is playing more like the 2022 team since. That was a group that hit No. 1 for the first time in program history but fizzed down the stretch.
As noted in my Feb. 25 column, that was a team constructed around young talent more apt to a letdown.
This one’s so veteran it’s nearly senior citizen.
It’s built for a national title run but something’s been off.
While Pearl mocked a question Saturday about losing three of its last four games, he can ignore the warning signs at his own peril.
“We lost to Alabama, Tennessee at Texas A&M,” he said with a scowl before getting sarcastic. “Yeah, we’re panicked.”
Perhaps panicked is a bit strong.
But it’s healthy to worry because championship teams win those high pressure, higher intensity games. Of course they’ve been facing the elite, but that’s what it takes to hang the real banner.
Continue on this path and they won’t.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.