Auburn forward Johni Broome has a message to anyone sleeping on the Tigers this season. The preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick says those people are “going to be woken up real soon.”
Jones averaged 20 points and 3.8 rebounds as a sophomore last season.
Despite leading by 10 points at halftime, Auburn fell to Houston 81-64.
No. 9 seed Auburn beat No. 8 Iowa 83-75 on Thursday for its 10th consecutive opening-round win dating to the mid-1980s.
Alabama is the top overall seed and will play in the South Region, while Auburn made it as a No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region.
Auburn used a 15-6 run for a 73-72 lead with 41 seconds remaining for its only lead since scoring the first two points of the game, but still ended up falling to Arkansas.
Auburn, which lost eight of its previous 11 games, enjoyed their biggest win of the season as Tennessee failed to score over the final six minutes.
No. 2 Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit before beating archrival Auburn 90-85 in overtime on Wednesday night.
Jaylin Williams scored 13 points and Johni Broome 12 for Auburn, which shot just 34% and was outrebounded 41-23.
Auburn beat Mississippi 78-74 Wednesday night after blowing a 12-point second-half lead.
