BREAKING: Bruce Pearl’s reaction to Auburn basketball securing No. 1 overall seed in NCAA tournament

In some ways, Auburn Basketball still holds the top spot after earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Even after the Tigers’ early exit from the SEC tournament, Bruce Pearl advocated for his team to receive the highest seed.

Now, with the top seed secured, Pearl told the media that the Tigers are just six wins away from their first-ever national championship. “We’re extremely proud to be recognized as the No. 1 overall seed this year. It feels like we’re the regular-season national champions,” Pearl said Sunday evening. “These are the highest goals I’ve ever had going into the NCAA tournament.”

“This allows us to set our sights on winning the national championship. And if we don’t win it, we’ll be disappointed as a No. 1 seed.”

Auburn’s first and second round games will be held at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Tigers are placed in the South Region, where they’ll face either Alabama State or St. Francis (PA) in their first-round game Thursday. In the second round, they could meet the winner of Louisville and Creighton.

Pearl acknowledged the possibility of playing Louisville in their home state. “We’ve got to face great teams no matter where we play them,” Pearl said. “Auburn travels well. We’re going to have a strong fan presence in Lexington.”

The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. However, Pearl is focused on advancing past the first weekend.

Last year, Auburn was upset in the first round by Yale as a 13-seed. This season, the Tigers’ coaching staff has a plan to prevent a similar upset. “I’ve got to focus on this weekend. Every bracket has teams that could win it all. Let’s focus on these four potential opponents,” Pearl said.