On Sunday, the Auburn Tigers will be looking to secure a victory over the Florida Gators to bring the school its first SEC Tournament title since 2019.
Backed by NBA prospects in Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams, the Tigers will have to face one of the only seven teams that had put them down in the regular season in the Gators. Back in early February, a 14-point, seven-rebound, two-block effort from Broome wasn't near enough to give his team the edge over their SEC rival, as Florida took an 81-65 victory in Gainesville.
With both forward prospects unsuccessfully seeking out a 2023 draft bid last summer, each came back with an even greater chip on their shoulder into this collegiate season. They've helped the team construct a 26-7 record, nearly halving their losses from a season ago following their stumble in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a ninth seed.
The Tigers also came up very short in the SEC Tournament last year, losing in their first contest to a fairly comparable Arkansas Razorbacks team.
On the other hand, this year seems much more optimistic for Auburn.
En route to their final bid in the conference tournament, they steamrolled the South Carolina Gamecocks by just over 30 points, which was followed up by a seven-point win over a gritty Mississippi State team.
Through these first two tests, Broome put up a combined 28 points, 13 boards and three blocks while shooting over 50% from the field. For Williams, he saw 16 points, nine boards and four blocks while shooting over 50% himself.
This could be a moment for each Tiger to showcase their skills on a much larger stage versus a strong Florida team. Bringing home an SEC Tournament title is what they have their sights set on, and that feat could very well trickle down into their NCAA Tournament aspirations.
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