Auburn Hyped by CBB Fans as Final Four Sleeper After SEC Title Game Win vs. Florida

For the third time in its history, the Auburn men's basketball team is the SEC tournament champion.

The Tigers knocked off Florida on Sunday 86-67, led by Johni Broome (19 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks ) and Denver Jones (11 points). This was a balanced performance, as eight players had at least seven points.

Zyon Pullin's 15 points and seven rebounds paced the Gators.

Auburn's defense was excellent, forcing 11 turnovers and holding the Gators to just 1-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc (7.7 percent). The Tigers responded on the other end by playing solid team basketball (18 assists) while making just enough threes (6-of-19) to keep the Gators at bay.

And the performance had fans and pundits alike feeling bullish about their tournament chances—and Final Four hopes, at that—on social media after the contest:

It was a tough afternoon for Florida, however. Center Micah Handlogten had to leave the game with a lower leg injury in the first half, a situation that clearly shook up his teammates:

And the Bridgestone Arena crowd in Nashville also seemed to side with Auburn throughout the contest, creating a raucous environment in favor of the Tigers.

The Tigers used that energy to take an eight-point lead into the half and stymie an 11-2 run from the Gators early in the second half, responding with a 19-6 run of their own to take control of the contest.

Auburn shot lights out in the second half (64 percent), another huge factor in the win.

Both teams are now headed to the NCAA tournament, and both should be a tough out, with Auburn starting to look like a team poised for a deep run. The Tigers will ride a six-game winning streak into March Madness and have won 11 of their past 14 games.

This is not a team to be taken lightly. The Tigers have excellent depth, play stifling defense and are peaking at the right moment. March may be Auburn's month.