Auburn Basketball

Despite a 10-point lead at halftime the Alabama Crimson Tide (16-13, 6-9 SEC) fell to the Auburn Tigers (20-10, 9-6 SEC) 77-73 Tuesday evening at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

While the Tide lead for the majority of the game, a second half run by Auburn and poor execution by Alabama at the charity stripe would put the Tigers up for good around the 6:30 mark in the second half.

A three-point basket by Andrew Steele pulled the game to a 73-73 tie with 1:10 left in the game,  however the Tigers would pull away with two lay-ups by Korvotney Barber and Frankie Sullivan while the Tide failed to score in the final minute.

With the victory in Tuscaloosa, Auburn clinches the No. 2 SEC West seed in the SEC tournament next week in Tampa. The Tigers also take a step closer to securing a NCAA tournament bid. A win over No. 12 ranked LSU this Saturday could seal the deal for the Tigers making a rare NCAA tournament appearance.

While many criticize Auburn's week out of conference schedule, including a home loss to Mercer, their performance in their last 10 games and 10 conference wins make Auburn a strong candidate for the Big Dance.

While Alabama was not on the NCAA radar, they were looking to make an impression for a possible bid in the NIT. The Crimson Tide also still had hopes of grabbing the No. 2 SEC West seed, which would have given the Tide a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. Alabama still has a chance at the No. 3 SEC West seed if Mississippi State drops their last two games and Alabama is able to upset Tennessee in Knoxville Saturday morning.

Both teams will finish out their regular season Saturday. Auburn will take on LSU at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum down on the plains, while Alabama will face off against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

The Alabama-Tennessee game will be another nationally televised game on CBS, tip off scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CST.

The 2008-2009 SEC basketball season is about halfway over. The men's basketball team has had an up-and-down season, while the Auburn women have put together one of the most successful starts in school history. Here's a look back at both seasons so far.

Coach Jeff Lebo entered this season with real optimism that this would be the year Auburn men's basketball might reach postseason play. After rushing out to a 4-1 start, Auburn lost three straight non-conference games to Dayton, Northern Iowa, and Xavier.

At 4-4, the Tigers' season was not looking promising. But Coach Lebo and his team rattled off seven straight wins to close out the non-conference season. An 11-4 start kept the goal of the postseason in reach.

But conference play, as has been the case for the last few years, brought the Tigers back down to earth. They opened with losses at South Carolina and at home against Florida before beating Alabama for the fourth time in their last five tries. The momentum from a dominating win over Alabama was quickly halted at Kentucky, as the Tigers lost at Rupp Arena.

The Tigers then went to Arkansas and gave the Razorbacks their worst SEC loss in the history of Bud Walton Arena. Back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Mississippi left the Tigers reeling, but one of the biggest wins in the Jeff Lebo era, a 78-77 win against Tennessee this past Saturday, has brought renewed hope to the Tigers' SEC chances.

Auburn has back-to-back home games against Arkansas and Mississippi State on Wednesday and Saturday, followed by trips to Athens and Baton Rouge. The Tigers have shown potential this season. Free throw shooting has plagued them, however. They have shot below 50 percent from the line in four of their losses, a truly amazing statistic for a Division I school. 

However, big wins at Arkansas and against Tennessee have shown their potential in a wide open SEC. Auburn is much better at holding onto the basketball this year, and their defense has been suffocating at times. A variety of zone defenses and presses has confused opponents, especially in non-conference play.

Having a productive interior presence in Vot Barber has helped the Tigers both in half-court offense and on the glass. When the Tigers out-rebound their opponents, they are 12-2. When they get out-rebounded, they are 2-7. The rebounding battle almost always tells the tale with this team.

Korvotney Barber has been the most consistent player by far. He can almost guarantee a double-double every time he takes the floor. Rasheem Barrett has gotten hot as of late, averaging 28 points per game in the Tigers' last two home games. The other senior, Quantez Robertson, has given his usual 100 percent, but has struggled from the free throw line in crucial situations against SEC opponents. 

Newcomers Tay Waller and Frankie Sullivan have provided quality play from the beginning of the season. Johnnie Lett and Brendan Knox have improved their games. Dewayne Reed is scoring more, but still must improve his decision-making and ball handling in the open court. Lucas Hargrove has become a more consistent and complete player as well.

To make any sort of postseason tournament, the Tigers must at least get to 8-8 in the SEC by the end of the season. That would require a 5-3 finish, which will be tough with four games remaining against SEC west leaders LSU and Mississippi State. It's possible, but not likely. Maybe the Tennessee win will lead to more big wins, but these players and coaches must show the ability to take one game at a time and continue to improve.

The Auburn women's basketball team has been by far the most successful team on the Plains this year. The Lady Tigers raced out to a 20-0 start, the second best in school history. After a loss at Georgia, they rebounded to win three straight SEC games. With five games remaining in the regular season, they sit in first place in the SEC standings. Head coach Nell Fortner, with the help of three four-year senior starters, has put the Tigers among the nation's elite. They remain in the top five in the country.

Senior point guard Whitney Boddie leads the nation in assists. Not only is she an excellent passer, but she flawlessly runs the fast break, gets the team into their sets, and is a great finisher around the bucket. Senior forward Sherell Hobbs from Huntsville has a successful mid-range game and is also an excellent finisher. Senior Trevesha Jackson does great work on the glass and provides effective interior defense. Sophomore Alli Smalley provides a lethal three point threat.

But senior forward Dewanna Bonner is the player that makes the entire team tick. A National Player of the Year Candidate, Bonner is averaging 21 points per game (24.7 PPG in SEC play) and 8.6 rebounds per game. She can hit the three, is an excellent passer, can drive and finish at the rim, and is the unquestioned leader.

These Auburn Tigers have the potential to make it to the Final Four in early April. Before that, the SEC regular season title and the SEC tournament title are still very much up for grabs. How they handle the pressure of being among the nation's elite will determine how successful this team is this year. No matter the outcome at the end of this season, Fortner has established a winning attitude that should last for years to come, once again making basketball relevant on the Plains.

Preview

Auburn (1-3, 11-7) has struggled since conference play began—after seven straight non-conference wins, the Tigers have gone 1-3 against the SEC, losing by 12 at South Carolina, by three to Florida, and by nine at Kentucky, while pulling off a 14 point win against Alabama.

The Razorbacks (0-3, 12-4) have had an eerily similar start to conference play—after going 12-1 in non-conference play and gaining national attention at the turn of the calendar with an eight point upset over Oklahoma and a six point upset over Texas, Arkansas suffered a 14 point defeat at the hands of Mississippi State, a nine point loss to Mississippi, and a fifteen point loss to Florida.

The Achilles heel for both teams has been their free throw shooting—Arkansas is hitting just over 65 percent from the line while Auburn is just under 60 percent. In conference play, the Tigers have hit just 33 of 62 from the charity stripe, and these free throws are the difference of the game in some cases. When they lost by three to Florida, they missed 11 free throws.

Here's how the teams stack up across the board:

Stats

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
Auburn	11-7	1-3	9-3	105	73	71.2	62.0
Arkansas	12-4	0-3	5-5	60	118	77.8	69.5

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG
Auburn	43.4	39.5	32.3	32.8	59.5	40.2	10.3	14.2
Arkansas	45.9	41.8	33.9	34.3	65.1	44.3	7.4	14.0

The two teams are pretty even everywhere—they both shoot low-to-mid forties from the floor, allow around 40 percent of shots to go in, hit around one-third of their three point attempts and allow around the same amount to go in. The difference lies in steals and free throws. Auburn picks three extra balls per game, while Arkansas is more accurate from the line.

Prediction

Current Line: Arkansas -4.5

Auburn ATS: 9-3, 4-2 when underdog
Arkansas ATS: 5-5, 2-2 when favored

The Razorbacks have some great wins under their belts but stand 0-3 in SEC conference play—they need this win much more than the Tigers do. Arkansas has a deeper team and the ability to put up huge numbers (something they've been unable to do in SEC play so far...). Arkansas comes ready to play for the home crowd.

Pick: Arkansas -4.5

*All statistics for this article have come from StatSheet.com*

*This article is also featured on CFBPlace.com—and soon to be featured on CBBPlace.com*

Auburn, AL—Believe it or not, there are other collegiate sports currently going on at Auburn University.

Football is king, but the queen is definitely ladies' basketball.

Auburn women's basketball coach Nell Fortner and her No. 10 ranked lady Tigers cruised to their 12th win of the season Sunday, beating Coppin State 74-46.  

Though it was just another non-conference win for the Tigers, it was Fortner's 100th win as a college coach.  Fortner has won 83 games in five seasons at Auburn and 17 during a one-year stint at Purdue.

"You have to have a great staff to accomplish anything, and I have been fortunate to be surrounded by some very good people and some very good players," Fortner said.

Alli Smalley led all Auburn scorers with 20 points.  Smalley was also 4-for-4 from beyond the arc for the Tigers.  Auburn as a team shot 60 percent from the field (12 of 20) in the second half.  The Tigers, who were up by seven points at halftime, opened the second half on a 12-0 run that put the game away quickly.

The Lady Tigers defense effectively shut down State’s shooting offense. The Eagles shot 17.9 percent from the field (7 of 39) in the second half.  "I thought our defense really picked up in the second half—we were more active and more focused," Fortner said. "We got into a rhythm defensively, we put the press on them, and that seemed to be very effective and forced some turnovers on them."

KeKe Carrier contributed 14 points and five of the Tigers' 13 blocks.  Whitney Boddie finished with a team-leading seven assists. "Whitney created a lot of good shots for me. She got in there and drew in the defense and was able to kick the ball out to me," Smalley said.

Danielle Anders led the Eagles with 18 points, as Coppin State, who made the NCAA tournament in 2007-08 and finished last season with a 22-12 record, has fallen to 0-9 this season.  “The record is not indicative of the level of talent this team has,” Fortner warned her team before the game.

After the holiday break, the Lady Tigers will face visiting Duquesne Monday, Dec. 29 at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.  Tipoff is set for 5pm EST. 

Other Bits

The Men’s basketball team has not had the same success so far this season.  However, they are light years away from Jeff Lebo’s previous teams.  The Tigers are 6-4 on the season after beating Virginia by two on the road for a 58-56 thrilling win.

The Tigers return home to face Alabama State (2-6) at Auburn’s Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum tonight.  Tipoff is scheduled for 8pm EST; it’s the final game before the holiday break.

I didn't read into this completely, and I've always had an animosity for the Post-NBA Era of Charles Barkley, but did Sir Charles strike more than a nerve with his comments this week? I mean, when you think about it, he has a valid point.

But I'm a madman who is a glutton for conspiracy and conflict; What do I know?

Auburn sent Tommy Tuberville packing because he wasn't getting the job done this season. But according to Big Mama Tuberville, Auburn fired him. To this day, the Tigers are sticking by their opinion that Tuberville resigned on his own recognisance. I highly doubt that he would just walk away on his own free will.

So Auburn was already in a deep hole when that happened. And everyone has been cracking jokes about it. YouTube has even made a set of funny clips involving Hitler movies with funny subtitles. But on the serious side, we haven't had anyone be this bizarre since the White Sox singing "Don't Stop Believing"...badly, I might add.

But this is something that no one saw coming. The Fans of Auburn wanted a proven winner to lead them into 2009. They wanted someone who would take them back to the promise land known as the SEC Championship. With Nick Saban running things at Alabama, Auburn needed someone who would turn them from a laughing stock into championship contenders.

Instead of a proven winner like Turner Gill, who just led Buffalo to the MAC Championship, they got Gene Chizik.

Chizik may have been a good choice when he was at Auburn helping them finish undefeated, but he is 5-19 as a head coach. The fans were not happy with the decision. But Auburn AD Jay Jacobs made it clear that "race was not a factor. Chizik was the best fit for Auburn." The problem with this: Auburn is not happy about it. The fans aren't happy about it. And alumnus Charles Barkley is really not happy about it.

The best fit? Gill looked to be the clear choice after turning the 10-69 program known as Buffalo around and not only clinching the MAC Championship, but also defeating the previously undefeated Ball State Cardinals in the championship game. He also got them into a bowl game against Connecticut.

As for Chizik, he was 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State. What happened to the once proud program of the Cyclones?

When Barkley went public with his complaints about Auburn not hiring a black coach, they relieved him of his duties as a member of the basketball coaching search committee. He gave three potential coaches, who all wanted the job...just like Gill wanted the job as Auburn's football coach. The basketball program chose Jeff Lebo instead.

The Result: They were 4-12 last season and 4-4 this season. Good decision?

If Barkley is right that race played a factor in the hiring of Chicken Little Chizik, then Auburn is unleashing a backlash that will be felt all over the country. It's obvious that minority head coaches are dwindling all over the country, but are schools just interviewing minority coaches just so they fill the quota set forth by the NCAA?

But if Jacobs says that this is the best decision for Auburn, he better hope that Mr. Chick-Fil-A provides more than just a decent record next season. The Tigers need to win the West and go to a bowl game. If that doesn't happen next season, Auburn may be looking for a new AD to go along with the anarchy and downward spiral that they are on right now.

But maybe I'm wrong, and Auburn knows exactly what they're doing.

But what do the fans think?

The time has finally come for another basketball season on the plains. After the way that football season has gone at Auburn this year, I for one am very excited about basketball season. After a few frustrating years with Jeff Lebo as the coach, there is renewed optimism due to some new faces and some quality veterans.

The Tigers played their one and only exhibition game last Friday night against Morehouse College. It was an impressive display of shooting and defense as Auburn easily won 98-50.

A lot of statistics looked very good for the Tigers, including forcing 23 turnovers and only committing 10. They won the rebounding battle 47 to 35 and shot 51 percent from the field.

Junior college transfer Tay Waller lit up the scoreboard, scoring 27 points in 21 minutes. He made seven three pointers, and looked very comfortable on the floor with the veteran players. Quantez Robertson also played very well. He recorded 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists and played point guard for most of the game.

Korvotney Barber was quiet in his return to action after a wrist injury last year and had four points, four rebounds, and three blocks. DeWayne Reed was in double figures with 14 points, and even reserves Jake Drum and Josh Wallace played significant minutes in the second half and scored. Everyone on the roster scored except for junior Francis Aihe, who was 0-4 from the field.

It was a solid win that featured solid performances by almost each member of the team. In years past, exhibition games have been challenging for the Tigers and have even featured losses to teams like AU-Montgomery.

Now, after recording one of the biggest wins in recent memory, the Tigers prepare to open up the regular season at home against the Missouri State Bears.

Missouri State has been a very solid program in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) for the past few years. They have made the NIT the last three years in a row, which is more than Auburn can say. They have a new coach this year, Cuonzo Martin, who will bring his Bears team in looking for an opening night upset.

Auburn's senior forward Rasheem Barrett will be available tonight after a groin pull in preseason practice, while do-it-all freshman Frankie Sullivan is still sidelined with a fairly serious ankle sprain.

The starting five will probably be Quantez Robertson, Tay Waller, Korvotney Barber, junior college big man Johnnie Lett, and Rasheem Barrett. If Barrett comes off the bench, look for DeWayne Reed to get the start.

In my opinion, if Auburn plays the way they did last week against Morehouse, they will win fairly easily. Auburn must play hard on defense, force turnovers, and take good shots on the offensive end. A successful non-conference season is critical if Auburn wants to make the postseason for the first time since 2003.

I'll have a complete breakdown of the opener later this weekend. I hope to be a source of information for Auburn basketball fans throughout this season. Feel free to comment, ask questions, debate my opinions, etc.

Auburn Men's Basketball finalized their schedule at some point recently. Although the official Auburn athletics website hasn't published it yet, the 2008-2009 schedule has been published in the programs sold at the football games. Here it is:

11-7-08 v Tuskegee (EXB) 7:00 CT
11-14-08 v Missouri State 7:00 CT
11-19-08 v Mercer 7:00 CT
11-22-08 v George Washington 1:00 CT
11-25-08 @ Dayton (Chicago) 7:00 CT
11-29-08 @ Northern Iowa (Chicago) 4:30 CT
12-3-08 @ Xavier TBA
12-6-08 v Louisiana-Monroe 1:00 CT
12-20-08 @ Virginia TBA
12-22-08 v Alabama State 7:00 CT
12-29-08 v Alabama A&M 7:00 CT
12-31-08 v Southeastern Louisiana TBA
1-3-09 v Tulane 4:30 CT
1-10-09 @ South Carolina TBA
1-14-09 v Florida 7:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-17-09 v Alabama TBA
1-21-09 @ Kentucky 8:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-24-09 @ Arkansas 12:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-27-09 v Texas-Pan American 7:00 CT
1-31-09 v Vanderbilt 1:00 CT
2-4-09 @ Ole Miss 7:00 CT
2-7-09 v Tennessee 12:00 CT
2-11-09 v Arkansas 7:00 CT
2-14-09 v Mississippi State TBA
2-18-09 @ Georgia TBA
2-21-09 @ LSU TBA
2-25-09 v Ole Miss 7:00 CT
2-28-09 @ Mississippi State TBA
3-3-09 @ Alabama 8:00 CT TV:ESPN
3-7-09 v LSU TBA

The non-conference part of this year's schedule is fairly challenging, considering the projected success of this team. To me personally, five of their first six games (not counting the exhibition against Tuskegee) could be losses.

Missouri State and Northern Iowa come from the always strong Missouri Valley Conference, while Dayton, George Washington, and Xavier  consistently make runs at the NCAA Tourney from the Atlantic-10. The second half of the non-conference schedule is considerably easier, as Virginia is the only fearsome school remaining. Keep in mind that Tulane beat Auburn last year.

The conference schedule is always tough. Auburn plays each Western division team once at home and once on the road, and plays each Eastern division team once on a rotationally year-by-year system.

Teams like Georgia, South Carolina, and LSU seem to be generally on Auburn's level. The problem is that those three teams only make up four of Auburn's 16 conference games. Teams like Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State will make it hard on the Tigers.

The one positive is that the gap between teams in the SEC is not that large. Auburn has the talent to keep up with almost any team on their schedule. It will be a matter of finishing games in the second half and finding consistent offensive weapons that will determine where the Tigers will finish.

My personal goal for Auburn is anywhere between 6-10 and 8-8 in the SEC, with anywhere from 15 to 19 wins overall. That would put them on the bubble for a postseason bid.

The 2008 season will in all likelihood be a turning point in the Auburn men's basketball program. It could be that this fifth year of Jeff Lebo's tenure at Auburn is the one that marks the turnaround of Auburn basketball. Or it could be another year of disappointments that leave fans thinking about what could have been.

Many fans on the plains suggest that an NCAA Tournament appearance is necessary to keep his job, but if you look at the roster, I believe any postseason appearance would be satisfactory. By no means do I like the NIT, but that might be the most realistic goal to shoot for.

There are six returning players who have played significant minutes for the Tigers in the past, and five of them appear to be in line for the starting lineup, although some newcomers might push for some of the starting jobs. Let's take a look at these six veterans:

Larry Williams Jr.

A 6'2 Junior who walked on and made the team a year ago, Williams played significant minutes last year because of the injuries and suspensions that plagued the team. Although he probably will not start this year, his experience will make him valuable early in the year as a substitute while the new players are getting acclimated to big-time college basketball.

Dewayne Reed

Reed has enjoyed mixed success on the Plains. His speedy 6'1, 175 pound frame allowed him to start at point guard for part of his true freshman season in 2006. His 2007 season was plagued with turnover problems and a lack of outside shooting. He will enter training camp as a junior with a starting spot, but might not leave with it, depending on some talented newcomers.

Quantez Robertson

Robertson has been starting for the Tigers since he arrived on campus. A native of Cincinnati, he brings a terrific turnover to assist ratio to the team. The senior's natural position is the point guard, but has played the 2 and even the 3 to get the best Tigers on the floor. If Reed exits the starting lineup, expect "Tez" to run the show at point guard this year.

Lucas Hargrove

An overnight fan favorite in 2007, Lucas Hargrove provided a much needed spark to the Tigers last year. A 6'6 Junior from Pontiac, South Carolina, Hargrove made his debut to the starting lineup against Alabama and put up 28 points to lead the Tigers to one of only two home SEC wins. He is expected to start this year at the small forward position.

Rasheem Barrett

Rasheem Barrett has also been a mainstay in the Tigers lineup since arriving on campus from Atlanta, Georgia. He is a streaky shooter who can light it up when his shooting is on. His real strength is a strong mid-range jumper and his ability to drive to the bucket. He started every game of his junior last year and averaged a solid 13.6 points per game.

Korvotney Barber

"Vot" Barber is the most interesting story of all the returning veterans. Through nine games in 2007, he was leading the country in field goal percentage and leading the team in scoring. Then against Towson, he broke a bone in his foot, ending his season. He played 6 minutes over the maximum amount to gain a redshirt (although Auburn is in the process of appealing that rule).

As of now, he is a 6'8, 225 lb senior from Manchester, Georgia and the only experienced post presence the Tigers have. A former McDonald's All-American, Barber's health and quality of play will be pivotal if the Tigers are to have any measure of success this season.

Jeff Lebo clearly needed a quality recruiting class this year with three of these five veterans graduating this year. He appears to have come through with one of the better classes in recent memory. Only time will tell how important and productive this class is, but it appears to have kept the program afloat and provides hope for the future. Here are some of the big names:

Frankie Sullivan

Sullivan is probably the most well-known of this group of newcomers. He led his high school R.C. Hatch to multiple state 2A titles and came up just short of in the voting of Alabama's most recent "Mr. Basketball." At 6'1 and 175 pounds, he most fits as a back-up point guard or shooting guard on this team. Although there is the possibility of him having a great camp and stealing a starting spot from one of the veterans.

Tay Waller

Waller is a junior college transfer who will have two years of eligibility at Auburn. He is the purest shooter in this recruiting class. In junior college, he was known for his very high percentages from behind the arc and from the free throw line. Waller has a chance to edge out Dewayne Reed at one of the guard positions.

Johnnie Lett

Lett is a 6'8, 235 pound junior college transfer from Mobile, Alabama. He will provide depth in the post behind Korvotney Barber. He, like Waller, has two years of eligibility remaining.

Brendan Knox

Knox is a 6'10, 220 pound junior college transfer from Spartanburg Methodist College in Georgetown, South Carolina. Knox will also have two years of eligibility and will help add depth to the frontline. He will be competing with Lett and Aihe for immediate playing time.

Francis Aihe

Francis is a 6'9 215 pound junior college transfer with two years of eligibility. He is from Winter Park, Florida and will be fighting with Knox and Lett for playing time in the post behind Vot Barber.

Tony Neysmith

Neysmith is a transfer from the Oklahoma Sooners. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out this year but will have three years of eligibility beginning in the 2009-2010 season. He was a hyped recruit entering Oklahoma's program but didn't get the playing time or production he desired. He is a tall lean guard at 6'5 and only 195 pounds, but has great ball handling skills and an adequate outside shot.

Brandon McGee

McGee transferred from Indiana as Tom Crean takes over and tries to clean that program up after the mess Kelvin Sampson created. McGee is another post player that will have three years of eligibility after his transfer year this year. He averaged a double-double in high school and was considered by some one of the top 30 recruits in America before his freshman year at IU. He figures to be a big-time player once he gains his eligibility.

One of the biggest disappointments of the offseason was the permanent suspension of forward Josh Dollard. The Auburn athletics department has been very vague as to the nature of the reasons why he was kicked off. His troubles began last year where he took a "medical redshirt" but was at all the games and looked healthy and in good shape.

Dollard was Auburn's leading scorer in the 2006-2007 season and was poised to return this year with fellow forward Vot Barber, but that will not be the case. The losses of seniors Quan Prowell and Frank Tolbert will also hurt the Tigers this year.

The official schedule hasn't been released yet, but through quotes from Jeff Lebo, we can assume Tulane, Xavier, George Washington, Dayton, Northern Iowa, and Missouri State will be on the non-conference slate.

While none of these games feature incredible teams, they will be solid tests of what this team is made of early in the year. The SEC schedule consists of playing each Western Division team once at home and once on the road, and playing each Eastern Division team once either at home or on the road.

The number that always sticks out for me as a goal is an 8-8 SEC record. Assuming Auburn can do decently in the nonconference schedule (9-4, 10-4, 10-3, something like that) an 8-8 conference record would put them in the 18-12 range overall.

A record like that in a power conference like the SEC should be enough to get them into some sort of postseason tournament. Whether this team can accomplish that goal will be sorted out in a few months when the new season begins.

My time at Auburn was spent doing one of three things: engineering school, sleeping, or at an Auburn sporting event. 

The first of the three is the real world reason I went to Auburn, which begot the second item I did a lot.  The third was of my passion for Auburn and its athletes. 

I knew I did not have the athletic ability, but I wanted to make sure I supported those who did have the God-given talent to compete.  And its much, much more than just a young kid wishing he could play sports for his university.  The first sport that got me going was Auburn football. 

I had been going to every home game but two (one cause of a high school band competition, by the way, Auburn lost 16-13 to Miss. State, and the other cause I had to take the ACT, which Auburn won against LSU 31-7) since 1995.  I have watched many players go through Jordan-Hare and go on to their professional careers, whether it be football or another calling in life. 

In my freshman year, I mainly went to the football, basketball (men's and women's), and baseball games.  My freshman year I got in women's basketball games for free cause of a friend I had in ROTC.  He would take me in as a guest and I sat right behind Auburn's bench.

My sophomore year I lived with a member of the men's tennis team, and that is where it I got hooked on everything.  I met many athletes across the board in every sport Auburn had to offer.  It became more of a personal thing to me cause I actually knew people competing in these events.

I started to go to tennis matches, volleyball matches, swim meets, etc.  You name the sport, I have been to it at least once (yes even a golf tournament at Robert Trent Jones and a Equestrian bout.) 

It was not just because I was bored all the time (though I did have a lot of free time), it was because I wanted to show support for not only my school but my friends as well.  And the response each and every time from them was just amazing.  "Hey, thanks for coming," "Sorry we couldn't win today," "Come out next time," was the normal responses I received from my friends. 

And on top of everything else, being in classes with the athletes and helping them out was another experience I could not replace with anything else. 

I stay in contact with a couple of football players now in their professional careers that I met in class as well as the other athletes who are now working full-time back in their home country or here in the United States. 

And dear reader, if you think this is bad now, it gets worse very quickly because of one friend, who one fateful day, gave me a call to see if I could co-host his radio show...

After a sloppy and slow start to the conference season, Alabama used a full week off from action and two-a-day practices to try and get back on track.

Safe to say that the Crimson Tide pulled it all together.

The Tide dismantled their arch-rival, the Auburn Tigers, 97-77 on Saturday in front of a rowdy sold out crowd at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama (12-8, 1-4 SEC) used all of the ingredients it used in its great non-conference season to beat up on the Tigers.

The Crimson Tide shot 53% from the field for the game, making 36 shots and racking up 19 assists. They also caused 15 turnovers while only giving the ball away four times and only once in the first half.

Alabama was also hot from outside for the first time in the short conference season. They made 48% of their three point shots, mirroring the team that used the same shot to down opponents earlier in the season.

Auburn (12-6, 2-3) could not find any rhythm on offense and was playing catch up for most of the game.

After trading baskets for the first 10 minutes, Alabama used a 17-0 run to gain a huge advantage over the short-handed Tigers. The Alabama lead reached 30 points at one point in the second half, and the closest the Tigers ever got was 15 points.

Richard Hendrix once again led the Tide with 20 points in only 23 minutes of play.

One link that was restored on Saturday was the support for Hendrix down low, as four other players were also in double figures. 

Mykal Riley and Alonzo Gee were back in early season form, scoring 16 and 17 points, respectively.

The biggest spark on Saturday for the Tide, however, was Brandon Hollinger. The junior out of Mobile was making only his third start of the year, but he made it count.

Hollinger scored 18 points, all off of his six for nine shooting from behind the arc, to help the Crimson Tide roll to an easy victory.

The Tigers were led by Rasheem Barrett and Quan Powell, who combined for 42 of the Tigers’ 75 points. The only problem for Auburn was its current lack of support, due in some part to injuries suffered early in the season. 

Alabama now looks to keep its hot streak going as the Tennessee Volunteers come to town Tuesday. 

The Tigers will look to get back on track next Wednesday against a struggling LSU team at home.