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The No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers are gearing up to face the No. 16-seeded Alabama State Hornets in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Ahead of the matchup, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged the challenge that Alabama State presents and praised its strong season under Tony Madlock.
During his pregame press conference, Pearl highlighted the Hornets' strengths and expressed his respect for their progress.
"I’m also very, very happy for Tony and the job that he and his staff have done taking that Alabama State program," Pearl said. "They're only 45 minutes down the road. And so, we're very familiar with them. We played them last year and they actually outplayed us in the second half. So, we know that we've got our hands full with a really athletic, quick, deep, well-coached basketball team."
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March Madness: Auburn vs Alabama State
Auburn enters the tournament after winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship.
Bruce Pearl’s team will start its tournament journey at a familiar venue, as Auburn (28-5, 15-3) clinched the regular-season title on March 1 by winning over Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
Meanwhile, Alabama State (20-5, 12-6) secured a spot in the tournament after a win over Jackson State in the SWAC Tournament. It kept its momentum with a last-second victory over St. Francis in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday.
The Tigers know from experience that they cannot afford to take the Hornets lightly, especially after Alabama State outperformed them in the second half of last year's matchup. Pearl also reflected on the strength of basketball in Alabama this season in the pregame press conference.
"The state of Alabama is extremely well represented in this tournament. Basketball in the state of Alabama was really good this year," Pearl said.
Auburn will likely rely on Denver Jones, who has been a key player despite dealing with injury issues. He has not missed a game since Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M on March 4 and is expected to be ready for Thursday’s game.
How to Watch Auburn vs Alabama State
Time: 2:50 p.m. ET
Date: Thursday, March 20
Venue: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ and Fubo
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