Auburn in the NCAA Tournament: Don’t Laugh it could Happen!

Auburn's three point shooting machine, Tay Waller.

I know what you’re asking, what’s an Alabama fan doing writing an article about Auburn’s chances of going to the NCAA tournament. You might also be asking how Auburn could go to the NCAA tournament, after all this is Auburn Basketball. The only way that could possibly happen is if they somehow won the SEC tournament. I don’t think so, because if you haven’t been watching Auburn has become surprisingly better as the year has drug on. I might even say Jeff Lebo has them playing, good.

Let me break it down for you Auburn football fans who have never kept up with basketball before. Auburn is currently sitting at 18-10 (7-6 SEC) record. That’s pretty good even if the SEC is down. They are currently sitting in 2nd place in the SEC West and holding on to the first round bye in the SEC tournament that goes with it. They have three remaining games in the regular season. They have Mississippi State and Alabama on the road and LSU at home (where they are 15-3).

Auburn is currently tied with Mississippi State with both teams having a 7-6 SEC record. Auburn has already demolished the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide at home this year, so winning on the road against them would not be a stretch. If the Tigers could win both of those home games, then they would have a chance to play LSU (a ranked NCAA bound team) at home. They also have good resume win in beating Tennessee. Also they played fairly well in losses to Xavier, Dayton, and Florida. If they won their last three games it would give them a final record of 21-10 and more importantly a 10-6 conference record. That might be good enough to get them into the NCAA tournament alone. Just one more victory and they would at least be NIT bound.

If they won their last three games they will get a first round bye in the conference tournament. To be safe I would say three straight regular season victories and one SEC tournament victory would be enough to push the Auburn Tigers into an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. Sound farfetched? It’s actually pretty believable.

Auburn fans have their best chance in years to make the tournament. Especially with electric point guard Tay Waller shooting three pointers like they are going out of style. Here’s my advice to Auburn fans. Saturday you play Mississippi State at 6:00 p.m. It will be on FSN. Watch it and cheer for your team who still has tourney hope. It might be tough for Auburn to make the tournament. But you still have a chance, which is more than most teams have this year.

** Addendum to my article. Who called it! I’m not going to brag but who called this. With last night’s win at Alabama and a very solid win at Mississippi State Auburn has clinched a second seed in the SEC Tournament and the first round bye that goes along with it. This basically gives Auburn two good shots to find its way into the tournament.

First with a first round bye Auburn has to win three games, not four to win the SEC Tourney and clinch an automatic spot, a pretty tall order even for a team as hot as Auburn. Although Georgia didn’t think it was so hard in 2008.

The second way will take some help and a strong solid effort from the Tigers. First off they must beat LSU at home on Saturday. That gives them two quality wins against Tennessee and LSU and gives them a 10-6 SEC record. No SEC team with a 10-6 conference record has ever been left out of the tournament. (Although as Drew said there is a first time for everything.) They also have another lucky break. Two of the teams they are competing against are Florida and Kentucky who have to play each other. It could be the loser of that game finds himself off the bubble. Auburn also needs to hope that Tennessee beats Alabama, thus making their victory against the Vols look that much stronger.

Finally to seal the deal, one victory in the SEC tournament would be huge. Also Auburn needs to hope that several of the locked in mid major teams win their conference tournaments. What I mean by that is this. Butler is a lock to go to the NCAA tournament. If they lose their conference tournament it doesn’t really matter because they will go dancing anyway. However, should they lose a team like Milwaukee or Green Bay gets the automatic slot and Butler is rewarded one of the 30 something at-large slots, a slot that could be going to a team like Auburn. The same thing applies with Xavier in the Atlantic 10 tournament and Gonzaga in the Big West tournament. They need automatic bids not at-large bids.

First and foremost though Auburn must get a win over LSU, which is very possible since the Tigers get the Bengal Tigers at home. Your still in it Auburn, and let’s not forget who said was preaching that a couple weeks ago bitches!

10 Big Questions for the 2009 Season!

Top Ten Questions & Answers for the 2009 Season

1) Could this be the greatest year of FBS NCAA College Football ever?
- Answer: It might very well be. With Tebow, Bradford, and McCoy returning and Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Ohio State, and Penn State all returning with solid teams we might be in for the best year of college football ever.
2) Who will be the Alabama of 2008 or the Kansas of 2007?
- Answer: North Carolina Tar Heels. Two years ago it was Kansas and last year it was Bama making an unexpected trip to a BCS bowl. Butch Davis has pulled in another stellar class, and the ACC is always pretty suspect. I like the Tar Heels to dominate their ACC brethren and beat up on their out of conference opponents. Also don’t be surprised to see Rutgers make some noise.
3) Who will be the Utah of 2009?
- Answer: TCU Horned Frogs. With most of the offense returning and Jerry Jones the leading sacker in the country coming back for his senior season TCU might find themselves in a BCS bowl this year, and though TCU has BYU on the road they get Utah at home.
4) Will anyone besides Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy win the Heisman?
- Answer: I don’t see how but if I had to pick someone it would be Zac Robinson at Oklahoma State. Robinson had some great games last year and with big Dez Bryant to throw to look for Robinson to be a sleeper Heisman pick.
5) Will Notre Dame finally turn a corner?
- Answer: Yes and no. What I mean by that is I think Notre Dame will be better than they were last year. If that is turning a quarter then the answer is yes. With all the returning talent and another great recruiting class surely Notre Dame can do better than 7-6. The sad thing is 8-4 will not be good enough to save Weis and Notre Dame. This team with all its talent should have easily handled Syracuse, but instead lost in a humiliating fashion. Don’t look for the Irish to go BCS bowling for a good long while.
6) Can USC make it through the regular season undefeated?
- Answer: No. It was Stanford two years ago and last year it was Oregon State. I don’t know who it will be this year but I think it will be someone. I think USC will be very good this year, but the loss of Sanchez and three unbelievable linebackers will cause the Trojans to slip up against someone. They might lose to California or Oregon away from home. They might even lose to Ohio State when Columbus. I just don’t see them surviving the season.
7) Will we have a true National Title Contender out of the Big East, Big 10, and ACC?
- Answer: Yes. Ohio State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. I think it is possible that one these teams could run the table (probably Penn State) and find themselves in the national title hunt. Once again I can’t see anyone in the Big East in the NC talks.
8) Which rookie coach from the SEC will have the best first year?
- Answer: Dan Mullen, Head Coach the Mississippi State Bulldogs. I am picking Mullen over Gene Chizick of Auburn and Lane Kiffin of Tennessee because I think expectations are lower at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs schedule is favorable and if they could upset Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, knock off Houston and Kentucky or Auburn, and finally keep it interesting against Ole Miss, Mullen will smell like roses.
9) What coaches will start in the hot seat (besides Charlie Weis)?
- Answer: Al Groh of Virginia, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa, and Steve Kragthorpe of Louisville. Groh wins games he shouldn’t and loses ones he shouldn’t. Ferentz usually finishes strong but has not delivered a huge season. Kragthorpe has turned Louisville in a shell of a team they were when Petrino coached them. Unless one of these coaches has a great year looks for them to be gone very soon. Kragthorpe might not make it to the end of the year if he loses his first few games.
10) Who will be playing in Pasadena in January?
- Answer: Florida Gators vs. Texas Longhorns. I think Texas will once again knock off Oklahoma in the Red River shootout and Florida will once again win the SEC behind their baby rhinoceros.

Saban Sexes it up Again!

Alabama pulls in another #1 recruiting class.

Alabama Recruiting Class 2009
Once again Nick Saban and his assistants have pulled in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Coming in at #1 on Rivals.com, and #2 at ESPN and Scout.com, every site had Bama in the top three. Here is a breakdown of all of Bama’s new recruits.

Eddie Lacy (ESPN # 17 RB) ****
A great signing day addition, Lacy is a great power runner who can smash between tackles and shake some guys loose. Lacy had two hats at his podium, Alabama and Tennessee, but chose to play for the Tide.
Trent Richardson (ESPN #1 RB, Under Armor All-Star Game, All American Team) *****
What could I possibly say about this guy? He was the top RB prospect on ESPN and a top ten overall player. He is a speedy extremely tough back who absolutely can burst through defenders and run over smaller secondary defenders. He could immediately make the starting roster. Richardson had a good Under Armor All Star game and has won numerous awards such as a Parade and EA Games All American. Both Lacy and Richardson both need to work on their cut back ability.
Kenny Bell (Scout #36 WR) ****
Bama didn’t get Rueben Randle but they did score this LSU commitment right under Miles’ nose. Bell is shorter than some receivers but has lots of speed and very good hands.
Dre Kirkpatrick (ESPN #1 CB, US Army All Star Game, All American Team) *****
Kirkpatrick was named the top CB prospect in the country. He is fast and tall, great at changing direction and somewhat of a ball hawk according to his coaches. His final decision came down to Bama and Texas, always a legitimate threat to take the ball the other way.
Kendall Kelley (ESPN #7 WR) ****
Joining his fellow Gadsden City graduate Dre Kirkpatrick, Kelley chose Bama over LSU and Tennessee in a very close recruiting chase. Because of injuries Kelley may need to sit out a year before he is ready to play.
Brandon Moore (ESPN #30 DT, Scout #13 OT) ****
Although no one knows which side of the line Moore might play on, he has the size and skill to be dominant on either offense or defense. He was recruited as a defense line player but spent his senior season playing on the o-line and did very well at it. Moore picked Bama over Florida.
Tana Patrick (ESPN # 9 OLB, US Army All Star Game) ****
Another big signing day pick-up for Bama, Patrick has tremendous athleticism and could see the field as early as his freshman year. Patrick picked Bama over Tennessee, Auburn, and USC.
Ed Stinson (ESPN #22 DE) ***
Originally a FSU Seminole recruit Stinson joined other Florida recruits in coming to play for the Tide. Projected as a DE, look for Stinson to play as a LB in college.
Petey Smith (ESPN # 5 ILB, Under Armor All-Star Game) ***
A good LB prospect that is speedy for his size. Smith competed in the Under Armor All Star Game and finished his high school career with over 450 tackles.
Kevin Norwood (ESPN #65 WR) ****
If Kendall Kelley red shirts his first year look for Norwood to start right away. He’s taller at 6’3 then some WR and can make an impact right away.
Jonathan Atchison (ESPN # 14 OLB) ***
Named 1st team all state Atchison was originally committed to Auburn, do later joined the Crimson Tide after Tommy Tuberville left. He’s a very fast defender, but might need to put on some weight before he is ready to start at linebacker.
James Carpenter (Four-Star JUCO OT) ****
Another huge left tackle prospect Carpenter is a JUCO transfer who will challenge for immediate playing time. Already enrolled at Bama look for him to maybe be the new left tackle if he picks up the offense faster than D.J. Fluker. He picked Bama over Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
Chris Bonds (ESPN #10 DT, US Army All Star Game) ****
A large DT tackle prospect that is very injury prone, Bonds has had many medical questions but still has the talent and size to compete for playing time at Alabama. He might play as a DE instead if a DT.
Darrington Sentimore (ESPN #20 DT) ***
Named the 2008 MVP in the Louisiana State Championship, Sentimore is a big DT who is surprisingly quick for his size and could see playing time immediately. He is very good and tackling for losses.
Michael Bowman (Scout #14 WR) ****
Known as a great blocking receiver with a build like Julio Jones, Bowman had over 1075 receiving yards his senior season. Bowman selected the Tide over LSU, Arkansas, Georgia, and Oregon.
Nico Johnson (ESPN #2 ILB, US Army All Star Game) *****
One of the biggest LB recruits in the nation, Johnson had 100 tackles, one fumble recovery, and 11 interceptions in his senior season. I got to see him play in the US Army All Star Game and this player is a born tackler. He zones in on a runner very well and they almost never escape his grasp once he has them.
Anthony Steen (ESPN #39 DT, Scout #25 OG) ***
A strong OG prospect is known as a good run blocker, but will likely need time before he is ready to see action, picked Alabama over Florida State and Miami.
Anthony Orr (Scout # 28 DT) ***
Though likely to be a red shirt freshman Orr has a massive build and is very quick. He picked Alabama over Clemson, Tennessee, and Auburn. I guess he doesn’t like orange.
Rod Woodson (Scout #14 S) ****
One of the most likely players to see freshman playing time, Woodson could be a great replacement for Rashad Johnson. He had three picks as a senior and returned one for a TD.
William Ming (ESPN #19 DE) ****
Ming is known to explode off the line and might also be a good tight end prospect. He is also a big study of the game and might play on either side of the ball.
Mike Marrow (ESPN #2 FB) ***
Marrow kind of came out of nowhere as the #2 FB recruit on ESPN. In his senior year he played defense and running back where he had massive stats on both sides of the ball.
Quinton Dial (ESPN #28 DT) ****
Named 6A lineman of the year Dial is a big solid DT. He could very well end up playing on the offensive side of the ball after a red shirt season. He picked Bama over Florida and Tennessee.
Chance Warmack (ESPN #16 OG) ****
One of the better guard prospects, Warmack will enroll early in the spring and though he played right tackle in high school, he will practice with the guards. He could start next year, and selected Bama over Arkansas and Rutgers.
A.J. McCarron (ESPN #4 QB, US Army All Star Game) ****
A taller QB prospect than Alabama has had, McCarron has a hell of an arm and completed 61% of his passes in leading his team to 5A State Championship. Look for McCarron to redshirt his first year so he can learn the offense and put on some much needed weight.
Darius McKeller (ESPN #29 OT) ****
A great OT or OG prospect who needs to put a little weight on, McKeller is the son of former NFL player Keith McKeller who played 12 years for the Buffalo Bills.
Kellen Williams (Scout #28 OT) ****
Williams will probably hit the weight room hard in Tuscaloosa, and try out at OG and maybe even at C. He was sought after by Boston College, Wake Forest, Florida State, and Maryland.
D.J. Fluker (ESPN #1 OT, US Army All Star Game, All American) *****
Alabama was desperately looking for a replacement of star OL Andre Smith, and they think they have found their guy. Bama’s very first recruit turned out to be their most important. Fluker climbed the ESPN and Rivals rankings to become the #1 OT in the country. His decision to come might have also influenced Trent Richardson to come to Bama. Fluker planned on visiting several other schools when his stock went way up, but decided to cancel those visits and stick with the Tide. Hopefully Fluker and his dancing feet (other recruits say he is a great dancer) will pick up the offense fast and become the mauling left tackle Alabama needs.

Celebrating John Hancock’s Favorite Holiday (I would assume it’s his favorite holiday)

I had meant to follow recruiting this year and actually update the prospects Auburn was chasing, but I was having trouble reading all of the news, much less writing about it, so I’ll be focusing on who actually signs with Auburn rather than speculation. Without any ado at all, here is Auburn’s signing day class, followed by any potential signees who may be waiting (Bryce Brown, I’m looking at you).
Side note: All ratings are from Scout.com because I don’t have time to look up each of these guys twice. If anyone would like to supply the corresponding Rivals.com ratings, I’ll be happy to update them.

Eltoro Freeman ***** WLB
Freeman, a JuCo beast from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, will be an instant impact player on the D-Line. He was a James Willis recruit, but said he committed to the school, not to the coaching staff. Freeman sat out last year to save a year of eligibility, and enrolled for Auburn’s spring semester. Look for him to begin eating souls in the fall.

Demond Washington ***** CB
Me likey Mr. Washington. This JuCo CB from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which has been a solid breeding ground for Auburn talent, is a Tallahassee native and looks like the real deal. Scott Kennedy of Scout.com said regarding Washington, “[It’s] difficult to find an “area for improvement”, but all corners can work on reading the play and jamming the receiver at the line. Should be an immediate contributor on the next level.” When that’s the worst criticism a CB gets, it’s a good sign.

Onterio McCalebb **** RB
McCalebb, of Fort Meade HS in FL, is a strong recruit who is freakishly fast. His senior season resulted in 1,995 yards rushing and 27 TDs, and 300 yards on 11 receptions. He also returned 2 kicks for TDs. There is some concern about his ability to qualify academically, as it has been reported that he pulled a 2.6 core GPA and an 860 on the SATs.

Tyrik Rollison **** QB
The No. 2 dual threat quarterback in the nation made quite a showing at the Army All-American game, is the nation’s most accurate passer, and led Sulphur Springs HS to the Texas 4A Division II State Title. If he can qualify academically, we may have found a cure for what ails us, at least in the QB position.

DeAngelo Benton **** WR
This WR out of the now famous (or is it infamous, El Guapo?) Bastrop HS in Louisiana was a bit of coup for the Tigers, as he had previously committed to LSU twice, but failed to academically qualify. He spent a semester at Hargrave Military academy and reports are saying that he should be able to qualify with Auburn.

Dee Ford **** DE
Ford, of St. Clair County HS in AL, is described as an undersized DE or a jumbo OLB, who gives fantastic effort and has a lot of natural athletic ability. He needs to pack on some weight and work on his technique a bit, but he’ll be a solid DE in the SEC in no time.

Philip Lutzenkirchen **** TE
Lutzenkirchen, (who will heretofore be referred to as “The Lutz” until I come up with a better nickname) of Lassiter HS in GA, is one of the nation’s top TEs and comes from the exact same style of offense that we’ll be running at Auburn, so look for him to make a solid impact early on in Malzahn’s offense.

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Terrence Coleman **** DT
Coleman, one of a trio of Auburn signees from Lillie B Williamson HS in AL, comes in as a highly touted addition to Auburn’s defense. He is solid against the pass and the run, and his only (minor) flaw is that he needs to pack on a bit more weight. Hello top 5 national defense.

Emory Blake *** WR
More WR? Yes please! Blake comes from Austin HS, which I’m led to believe is somewhere in Texas. According to my scientific research (watching Varsity Blues and two episodes of Friday Night Lights), Texas high school football may be kind of a big deal. Commentary on Scout.com is as follows, “There is a lot to like in Blake, a very polished football player. He doesn’t run very well, but he has qualities that aren’t seen in many faster players.”

Dontae Aycock *** RB
Aycock, of Chamberlain Senior HS in FL, was a silent GA Tech commit up until last week, when a visit to Auburn resulted in the revocation of his scholarship offer from Tech, who was recruiting him to be a QB under Johnson’s triple option system (can we say “no NFL career”? I thought so). Their loss is our gain, as Aycock comes in as another solid addition to a running back corps that looks more dangerous with each commit.

LaVoyd James *** WR
James, part of the Lillie B Williamson HS trifecta, is a quick WR who excels at coming down with the ball in traffic. James supplements a growing WR corps, and had 740 yards and 15 TDs on 52 receptions in his senior year.

Nick Fairley *** OG
Fairley, the third member of the Lillie B Williamson HS trifecta, impressed the Scout.com writers at their combine in Tuscaloosa, and was named MVP of the combine. He played both sides of the ball, and recorded 90 tackles at defensive end.

Taikwan Paige *** CB
Paige, a JuCo transfer from the Georgia Military College, was recruited by DC Ted Roof when he was at Minnnesota, and has two years of eligibility remaining. The No. 25 JuCo prospect in the country brings some serious speed to the Auburn secondary.

Jamar Travis *** DT
Travis, of W S Neal HS in AL, is known for giving exceptional effort every play, and it isn’t uncommon to find him 20 yards downfield in pursuit of a ball carrier (heh). He needs to get a bit stronger, but look for him to be an impact player in the future.

Jonathan Evans *** WLB
Jonathan, of Mattie T. Blount HS, keeps the Auburn family tradition alive. His brother, Chris Evans, played for Auburn for several seasons and left last year. Last season Jonathan had 93 tackles, which included 12 for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup.

Travante Stallworth *** WR
Stallworth, of Leesville HS in AL, was the QB for his HS, but is being recruited as a WR. He should make a solid addition to a receiving corps in desperate need of help.

Brandon Jacobs *** RB
Jacobs, of Parkview HS in Lilburn, GA, is described as “a tailback in a fullback’s body” and is said to have some solid strength. He still needs some improvement on the breakaway, but will make a solid addition to Auburn’s running back corps.

Izauea Lanier ** WR
Lanier, of Gordo HS (Pickens County, Represent!) played both O and D for Gordo, which reduced his production numbers a bit. Lanier has 871 rushing yards and 870 receiving yards, along with 68 tackles, 7 interceptions, and returning 1 kickoff for a TD and 1 punt for a TD. This guy looks to be the definition of a “diamond in the rough”. Also, I’m going to show favoritism to him because he’s from Pickens County and I love those folks.

Harris Gaston *** MLB
Gaston, of Bessemer Academy in AL, played both sides of the ball, coming up with 757 yards and 12 TDs on 41 catches, and 4 sacks on 93 tackles. He won lineman of the year AISA First Team All-State AISA LB (whatever that gibberish means).

John Sullen ** OT
Sullen, a hometown hero from Auburn HS, had 55 pancake blocks in his senior season and will provide some much needed new blood on the offensive line, as didn’t recruit a single offensive lineman last year. Sullen comes in with a 3.4 GPA and a 28 ACT and plans to major in Mechanical or Wireless Engineering, which makes him stand out a bit from the average recruiting crowd.

Anthony Gulley ** WR
Gulley comes from Brantley HS and put up some serious numbers, with 1,162 yards and 18 TDs on 58 carries (damn…) and 543 yards and 9 TDs on 17 receptions. Word is that he will be a slot receiver/back combo in Malzahn’s new offense.

Andre Harris *** OG
Harris, of Lovejoy HS in GA, was a 5A All-State player, and will also provide some fresh blood into the Auburn O-Line.

Josh Jackson ** DE
Jackson, of Gainesville HS in GA, had 85 tackles and 5 sacks on the season.

Clint Moseley ** QB
Moseley, of Leroy HS in AL, was Alabama’s Mr. Football for 2008 (which can be a really good thing, or a really bad thing… see Brandon Cox). He completed 209 of 313 for 3,758 yards and 35 TDs with only 5 Interceptions. Interesting side note: Moseley was also the kicker, and went 23 of 29 on extra points and 1 for 1 on FGs, and punted 18 times for 610 yards with a 33.9 yard average and a 54 yard long.

Daren Bates ** S
Bates, of Olive Branch HS in MS, had 90 tackles and 4 interceptions last year.

Reggie Taylor ** S
Taylor, of Peach County HS in GA, is listed as an undersized safety who has great north-south speed, but has difficulty with directional changes. Here’s hoping that Mr. Taylor can be developed into another solid player in the tradition of staunch Auburn defenses.

Nosa Eguae ** DT
Eguae, of Mansfield Summit HS in TX, must have shown something that the defensive coaching staff liked. He’s unranked for his position and I couldn’t find much information on him other than he’s 6’3”, 234 lbs, and had 76 tackles as a junior. The jury is still out on this guy until I can find more information on him.