We have about seven weeks to go until the start of March Madness, and there’s a surprise team at the top of the rankings: the Auburn Tigers, who are holding the No. 1 spot for the first time ever. Today, The Athletic’s Seth Davis tells us three key reasons why the Tigers have emerged as one of the best teams in the nation. And on the opposite end of the Tiger spectrum: a close look at all the turmoil surrounding Penny Hardaway’s Memphis program, and how a season that started with big expectations is threatening to spiral out of control.

Follow Seth Davis’s coverage of college basketball: https://theathletic.com/author/seth-davis/?source=theleadpodcast

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