The Stretch 4: Auburn's make-or-miss, do-or-die showdown vs. Creighton
The Tigers know what they have to do to punch their ticket to Atlanta. But it will take more than they showed in the first round.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Even though Auburn is the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, absolutely nothing is guaranteed.
Not for a team that hasn’t played up to its usual standard in several weeks.
Not for a team that hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 in the last four years.
And certainly not for a team facing an opponent that is seeking its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five years.
“I don't want our fans to wait thinking that Atlanta is an automatic, because it's not,” Bruce Pearl said Friday afternoon. “Anybody that follows college basketball understands that this is a matchup against the No. 2 team in the Big East… Creighton is an outstanding team.”
Creighton’s Greg McDermott and Auburn’s Pearl have both been head coaches since 1994. When McDermott took charge of Wayne State in Nebraska, Pearl was entering his third season at fellow Division II program Southern Indiana — a season that ended with a national championship for his Screaming Eagles.
McDermott’s hea…