Auburn and Tennessee have the stage to themselves tonight to open the SEC Basketball Tournament. They are essentially involved in a "play-in" game for the rest of the bracket. In normal years, they would be joined by the 11th and 14th seeds in another play-in game. However, with Missouri's post-season ban, the 11th seed Mississippi State Bulldogs get the automatic pass into the second round to take on #6 Georgia.
Auburn is the 13th seed in this tournament, because, well, the Tigers haven't been that good this season. There have been flashes of brilliance - the Kentucky and Arkansas games - but as a whole, it just hasn't been there.