After opening the season 18-1, the Auburn University Tigers became the new number one team in the country. Auburn has performed incredibly well this season and has done a fantastic job in the SEC, going 7-0 in conference play. They have a number of players on their roster who have made significant contributions to the team, but Jabari Smith has been the one who has truly stepped up and carried this team in every manner possible.

Auburn has a lot of players on the roster that have the potential to be NBA stars in the future, but Jabari Smith of Auburn might be the first choice in this year's draft. Smith is averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 45.9% from the field.

This is the first time Auburn has ever been ranked number one in the country, and it's a huge accomplishment for Bruce Pearl and the rest of the Auburn squad.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl expressed his pride in his players in a recent interview, but said that they must continue to work hard for the future.

“The No. 1 ranking matters because it’s historical,” he told reporters on Monday. “I’m very happy for Auburn. I’m very happy for my coaches and our players.”

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “There’s reasons why we were down double-digits at home to Kentucky.”

This is a great accomplishment for the Auburn Tigers. They are going to look to continue this success behind Jabari Smith and the rest of their team for the remainder of the season and into the NCAA tournament.