KenPom predicts winner of NIT Championship between Auburn and Tulsa

Auburn basketball has an opportunity to do something not many college basketball teams get a chance to. That is to end the season with a victory, holding up a trophy.

On Sunday night, the Tigers will face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the 2026 NIT Championship. Auburn has done a good job of turning the negative of not making the NCAA Tournament into a positive one. While many doubted why they should play in this tournament, Auburn has used it as a chance to get better. That is not just the players. Head coach Steven Pearl has had the chance to get better as well.

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Auburn enters the game as the favorite according to KenPom. They are giving the Tigers a 64% chance at victory with a predicted final score of 84-80. KenPom currently has Auburn ranked No. 37 and Tulsa at No. 56. The Golden Hurricane will be the Tigers’ biggest test in the NIT, and a championship will not be easy. Tulsa has won 30 games this season and finished second in the American Conference with a 13-5 record. Their run to the championship has been much closer than Auburn’s. Three of their games have been decided by five points or fewer.

Auburn’s 88-66 win over Illinois State in the NIT semifinals was perhaps the best performance of the season. They shot a season best 57% from three and caused 18 turnovers that resulted in 26 points. Keyshawn Hall was big with 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting. Tahaad Pettiford led the team like a true veteran point guard. He scored 12 points and had five assists. That was along with two blocks and two steals in the game.

Tulsa is guard-heavy so the pressure will be more on the Auburn backcourt defensively. However, the Golden Hurricane’s leading scorer is forward David Green with 15.7 points per game. Both Filip Jovic and Sebastian Williams-Adams will need to limit their production for an Auburn victory.

The 2026 NIT Championship between Auburn and Tulsa is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT tip-off and the game will be broadcast by ESPN2.

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Publish date : 2026-04-05 13:01:00

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