March Madness 2022: Jabari Smith leads Auburn to 10th straight NCAA opening win, 80-61

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Jabari Smith couldn't wait for his first NCAA Tournament game so he could get back to having fun and helping second-seeded Auburn to its latest first-round victory.

Oh, and putting up a highlight-reel jam wasn't bad, either.

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Smith, the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, had a sublime tournament debut with 20 points, 14 rebounds and a right-handed slam dunk that'll be hard to miss among the highlights of the Tigers' 80-61 victory over Jacksonville State in the Midwest Region on Friday.

The Tigers (28-5) will face 10th-seeded Miami on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

"We have No. 10 and you don't," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said with a smile, referring to Smith.

Auburn forward Jabari Smith celebrates after scoring against Jacksonville State during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Greenville, S.C.  (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Pearl's got plenty of other standouts, too.

Walker Kessler, Smith's 7-foot-1 partner in the paint, finished a block shy of a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks. K.D. Johnson broke out of a shooting slump with 10 points and a couple of 3s as Auburn took control late in the first half.

Still, it's hard to get past Smith, the 6-10 forward who hit four 3s to help Auburn win its 10th straight tournament-opening game.

"I was ready to play since the buzzer sounded in Tampa," he said, referring to the SEC regular-season champs' first-round loss to Texas A&M in the conference tournament.

Pearl told his players to get back to who they are. "You're already champions,