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In the end, it was obviously not meant to be. The Auburn Tigers battled all the way to the Final Four of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – March Madness to most – but they could not get past eventual champions Florida. But losing to that Gators team is nothing to be embarrassed about.

This year’s tournament may not have produced as many Cinderella teams or shock results, but that does mean that the very best teams from the regular conference season played to their highest ability. This was only the second time in the history of the tournament that all four number one seeds made it all the way to the Final Four.

With some major changes in the offseason for the Tigers, there are some who think that Auburn’s chance of a first-ever championship has now passed. Even the best Alabama betting sites seem to be looking elsewhere when it comes to favorites for 2026. We will wait to see what happens over the next few months but we did wonder whether this 2025 Auburn Tigers roster was the best in the history of the program.

Strong Season

A team isn’t awarded a number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament without showing strong form all season. The Tigers began the regular season defiantly, only losing once – to Duke – in the non-conference section. The likes of Houston and Iowa State were seen off along the way and the SEC regular season promised much for Auburn fans.

The players and coaches did not disappoint. Nine straight wins saw the Tigers send out a warning to the rest of the SEC – and the other top teams in the nation – before Florida finally handed Auburn its first loss. But two more losses at the end of the regular season put the team in a strange position going into the SEC tournament and a semifinals loss to Tennessee was the worst preparation possible for March Madness.

Closest to Championship

The AP Poll at the end of the SEC Tournament had Auburn at number four and that was enough for a number one seed going into March Madness. A series of double digit wins in the early rounds proved that Auburn was in the mood for a first-ever championship and then Michigan State was beaten in the Elite Eight.

Although the last few years have been impressive for Auburn, with four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Tigers had only ever made it as far as the Final Four on one other occasion. Eventual champions Virginia sneaked through by just one point back then and Florida would repeat that heart-breaking trick this year. This was still the closest the Auburn Tigers have ever gotten to a championship game though.

Talented Roster

One of the reasons why the Tigers did so well this year was that there was a lot of experience in the 10-man rotation. With a group of veterans on the roster, Auburn showed that it knew what it was doing and wasn’t startled by the bright lights and chaos of the March Madness extravaganza.

But it was freshman Tahaad Pettiford who really got everyone very excited. A five-star recruit, the guard from Jersey City played as a sixth man but contributed much more than that title suggests. He may not have been outstanding during the regular season but he came through when it mattered at March Madness. He has the ability to become the main man of the program over the next few years if he decides that is what he wants to do.

Experienced Coach

Bruce Pearl came into the season just gone as a 10-year veteran of Auburn and his coaching ability really came through as the team progressed through the SEC conference games and on to the NCAA Tournament. This was his second experience of the Final Four and he will want the chance to show that he can lead a team all the way.

Pearl has completely changed the program around since joining in 2014. There had been five consecutive losing seasons before his arrival and he has now turned the Tigers into a regular feature at March Madness. In January, he became the winningest coach of all time, beating the legendary John Eaves’ record of 213 victories. There seems to be no chance of Pearl leaving the program anytime soon and he has stated on many occasions just how grateful he is to be in his position.

The Future is Unclear

An argument can easily be made to crown this Auburn Tigers team the best the program has ever seen. It is only really since the 2000s that we have gotten used to seeing Auburn at the NCAA Tournament – and now it is consistently winning enough games to be considered one of the very best. It is just that last step that is needed to become champions and the 2024-25 roster came closer than most.

However, there are some concerns for the future. Another sign of how good this year’s team has been is what the pundits think might happen when it all starts again later in the year. Tahaad Pettiford may have maintained his college eligibility, but he has also said that he will see what happens with the NBA Draft. There seems to be little question that he could become a very good pro, even at such a young age.

There are some good players returning for another year, such as Chad Baker-Mazara, and landing the transfer of Keyshawn Hall was a bold statement move ahead of next season. But that experienced roster will dramatically change, leaving Auburn with a more unfamiliar rotation. This season’s team almost won it all and can probably claim to be one of the best ever at Auburn. The future seems a little more unclear, however.

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