Steve Pearl Says Auburn 'Deserves' NCAA Tournament Berth After SEC Exit in Loss to Tennessee

A deep run in the SEC tournament would've bolstered Auburn's case to make the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers faced a second-round exit to Tennessee on Thursday.

Yet first-year head coach Steven Pearl still thinks his team has done enough even after the loss to his alma mater.

"Our guys have some of the best wins in college basketball, and this team deserves to be in a tournament," Pearl said, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. "It's a team that can win games in the tournament, and I think they've done enough, ultimately, to have their name called on Selection Sunday."

Auburn, which reached the Final Four a year ago before Pearl's father, Bruce, retired, is 17-16 after Thursday's loss. While the Tigers have seven wins against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams, they've also lost nine of their last 12 games and would be the first team with 16 losses in NCAA tournament history to receive an at-large bid.

Heading into Selection Sunday, Auburn and Miami (OH) are two of the biggest stories. The RedHawks finished the regular season 31-0 before suffering their first loss of the year against UMass in the MAC tournament on Thursday.

That loss could end up hurting Auburn's chances, as Miami, plus the winner of the MAC tournament, could take up two spots.

Fans and those within Auburn's building will likely spend the next 72 hours going through the different scenarios and theories, but the committee will ultimately make the final call on Sunday.