The Bodda Getta

Crazy to say this but, the team played better without Price and Denson.

Road games in teh SEC are tough. Really need this one to get the ball rolling again. Lose and it could snowball for this team.

The only way Barbee could have the same path of Chizik is if he got jealous because his assistants were getting more attention than him and he changed his game plan and let the players do what they wanted and sent Auburn Basketball into a 15 game losing streak. That's not the case here. The process is SLOW, But I've seen development of pretty much everyone on the team [even Chubb]. All they need is self confidence the whole 40 minutes. Barbee's not going anywhere.

Here is my question to those that say "all we need is More Confidence or more ______ ity ______". When do they get more confidence? When they are 6th yr Srs?

To me this is crap. We started against UKs true freshmen, 4 Srs and a Junior. And they ahve been through al types of hell and high water. Yet all they need is more confidence? NOPE. Need more TALENT. And in 3 recruiting cycles we are just now getting some talent. Heres a break down of needs. And mind you these have been the needs since TB stepped on campus.

Point Gaurd- TBs 3rd year and we are still starting a Sr WALK ON PG. Lebo Guy
Center- Rob Chubb is still our starting center. Lebo guy
Shot making scorer... GOT IT! Frankie Sullivan.
Slasher and basket hawk- Nope.

These are 4 of the 5 spots on the floor that are still filled by inadequate talent. Frankie sit eh only guy on the floor consistently that could start at any other SEC program.

I know AU is not the place that one and doners go to make it to the NBA. But we have the facilities to compete. Yet we still struggle and get blown the eff out of the UK game..To the worst UK team in 5 years we got beaten by 22 on our home court.

Its not confidence that we need. Its not a full arena. ITS TALENT!!! EPRIOD. We need more talent. We need talent that is ready to play right now. No more projects. No more ifs and buts. Its time to start seeing some real progess. and I do think a loss tonight will show the opposite of that. It will show a team on a spiral down after winnign two sec games in a row to start SEC play.

I will admit that I did not even think we would win ONE sec game. So I will eat that crow....But none of that changes that we are WAY below what should be acceptable for talent level on the court. And my question is WHEN do we see talent? Is it with the next coach? Is it 2 more years for TB. A good example of what great coaching does is on our Lady's bball team. Coach Flo got some Mojo workin and got our ladies playing good ball. We have lost a few. But we have looked so much better than we did last year that it isnt even funny.

How many times have you watched us and said..."man this looks like Lebos team"?? Well it is still LEbos team. And is still getting the exact same results. the only diff in this year...we won our SEC opener and won one more. Will we win another tonight? I sure hope so!

This game tonight does not set up well for Auburn. Fans are really negative because the bottom fell out against Kentucky and then the updykes laid one on Kentucky last night. Believe me, I know the feeling. Vandy is 1-3 in the SEC but has lost close games to Kentucky and Ole Miss, both good teams in spite of what is said on this board. Vandy will appear 15 points better tonight than most of our fans expect. A loss tonight and the "fire this coach too" fans will be in full force. We have changed coaches enough to suspect that maybe the problem is not so much the coach as it is good basketball players just don't want to play for an SEC team that has been a doormat for pretty much of 50 years. Our program is so low that it is not going to change in one or two years. I have been disappointed because CTB has had so much attrition from the players he has recruited. However, he is clearly making progress on the recruiting front and I believe he will make us a contender if he doesn't get discouraged and leave because our fan base has unrealistic expectations. A win tonight would be great medicine for the program.

Is being .500 in league play unrealistic? That's all I want... But do not see it happening.

I don't have lofty goals for this basketball team as I ave seen it too many times not perform to a level that makes it warrant a high goal set. But we are looking at the most sr laden team in conf. And that gets us blown the eff out at home? Yes that is what that gets us!

Rob, I agree and disagree. Can I even do that? Yes, we have a senior laden team, but in basketball it does not always result in major success. Basketball success in defined by having two outstanding players and solid FUNDAMENTAL role players. I love Frankie Sullivan, but he is not an outstanding basketball player. Wallace an overachieving walk-on that cannot shoot. Chubb, has improved, but is light years away from being a dependable post player. I think at the very least Barbee deserves two more years. You can say it is his own fault he doesn't have a point guard, but good ones do not grow on trees. We have some good young talent Price, Granger, Shaq and Greene. We have the top scorer from Virginia that is sitting out this year. We have two 7 footers coming from a highly respected prep school and also a top high school point guard from Georgia. I appreciate that Barbee is swinging for the fences in recruiting. This team is going to take on a dramatically different look next year. Barbee runs the dribble drive offense and we simply do not have the players to run it effectively. It was painfully obvious against Kentucky, but let's face it we shot the ball poorly and it began to affect us on defense and in our intensity. Taht game was more of how bad we played than how much better UK is. A .500 record in the SEC is still possible. If we can get healthy we may even win a few that no one gave us a shot at.

Throw in the fact that we can't recruit the top AAU players in our own state it restricts the speed in which this thing gets turned around.