Auburn basketball took care of business Thursday, beating Alabama State by 20 points to kick off NCAA Tournament play. Here's a look at how it happened.

Auburn men’s basketball started the NCAA tournament with a 20-point win, despite it not always looking pretty. The Tigers beat Alabama State 83-63, advancing to the NCAA tournament’s Round of 32. Auburn slept walk through portions of the game, but pulled out a double-digit win after losing three of its last four.

It’s the Auburn Tigers vs Alabama State Hornets in the March Madness bracket. Here’s our prediction, pick for the 2025 NCAA Tournament basketball game