With its conference championship season behind it in 2023, Auburn enters this year expecting to pick up where it left off and perhaps go a few steps further.

The preseason ranked No. 11 Tigers were one of nine nationally ranked SEC teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Auburn was picked to finish second in the SEC, ranking second only to Alabama in the conference rankings.

Head coach Bruce Pearl is entering his tenth season with the Tigers. They open the season with a matchup against Vermont on Wednesday (7 p.m. CT, SEC Network) at Neville Arena. Before games begin, here's a look at the best-case scenario and worst-case scenario for the Tigers in 2024-25.

Best-case scenario for Auburn basketball in 2024-25

Auburn repeats as SEC tournament champion and wins the national championship.

Entering the tournament as the title favorite last season, Auburn collapsed in the first round against Yale in one of the many upsets during the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn's Johni Broome was named an AP Preseason All-American on Monday, becoming the first Auburn player to do so since 1999.

Key players like Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and Dylan Cardwell have returned after being named a third-team All-American in the 2023-2024 season, averaging 16.2 points per game and 8.4 rebounds and believe the Tigers have what it takes to win everything.

The Tigers added two freshmen and four transfers to this year's team, while Auburn looks to make the Nets for the Final Four in Nashville and San Antonio.

Worst-case scenario for Auburn basketball

The Tigers lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament…again

Bruce Pearl hasn't led Auburn basketball past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, when the Tigers reached the Final Four.

Last season's Round of 16 loss marked the first time in the Pearl era that Auburn was eliminated in the opening round. This was Pearl's first round of 64 exit since he coached Tennessee in 2011.

Given the disappointment from the team and the Auburn faithful, it would be shocking to fans if the Tigers were eliminated in the first round in two consecutive years. However, the NCAA Tournament surprises teams every year.

Every team has national championship aspirations across the country. With the regular season less than a week away, all eyes will be on the Tigers as they will play arguably the toughest schedule in the country.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X @Jerryhump3 or email him at [email protected] using the context menu