Auburn vs Miami: A (very) brief history in men’s basketball
The Auburn Tigers and the Miami Hurricanes will square off on Sunday in the NCAA Round of 32, so pay attention — it doesn’t happen often.
The two teams have only played each other twice: once in 1966 and once in 2001. The series is tied 1-1, and Sunday’s matchup will see one of them take the all-time series lead. It will be the first time both teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.
The first game in 1966 took place in Knoxville, Tennessee. Auburn went 17-8 that year under coach Bill Lynn, good for 4th in the SEC. The team played a three-game stretch against teams that would eventually join the ACC in Georgia Tech, Miami, and Florida State. The Tigers dropped the game to Miami 87-73, who went 15-11 that year,
Auburn would get its revenge in 2001, however, when it defeated Miami. This time, it was in the National Invitation Tournament, where the 18-14 Tigers under head coach Cliff Ellis would beat the 16-13 Hurricanes by a score of 60-58 in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn would lose to the Purdue Boilermakers in the next game of that tournament.
The two teams will play in Greenville on Sunday at a time to be determined. The winner of that game will take on one of the following teams: Wisconsin, Colgate, Iowa State, or LSU in the Sweet Sixteen.
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