Auburn-MSU men

Hey everyone. I'm here at the Beav. Interesting note: The coaches are wearing sneakers for a Coaches Vs. Cancer promotion. I'm sitting like 15 feet from MSU coach Rick Stansbury, who is wearing a really nice gray suit with white adidas sneakers. It's odd.

Also, I'm sitting close to Meo Stansbury as well. She's the wife of MSU's head coach. This gal is serious about cheering the team. I think it's really cool. If I was a head coach, I'd love for my wife to support me like that.

UPDATE: Superfan Mr. Lee, whom many Auburn fans know, is yelling at Mrs. Stansbury with this classy phrase: "Shut up, woman." Pretty classless. I know. It's Mr. Lee. Still ...

On to the game.

Final (MSU, 91-83): Pretty bad performance by Auburn overall. Coach Jeff Lebo will try to spin in by saying, you know, the Tigers played well during the first half. Does that even matter anymore? If you lay eggs in the second half, what difference does it make? Forget the NCAA Tournament. Can this team even make the NIT?

0:29.2, 2nd (MSU, 88-83): Auburn made a nice little run there, but MSU can hit free throws.

1:50, 2nd (MSU, 82-75): Neither team being assertive. Looks like MSU will win this one by default.

3:32, 2nd (MSU, 77-72): The only scoring since the last timeout is a three-pointer from Barrett. Unreal. MSU has missed all these chances to totally knock Auburn out of the game. This has been a fun game because the two teams are even. It's not good basketball. It's competitive basketball.

6:38, 2nd (MSU, 77-69): MSU just had a definitive possession. Three missed shots, three offensive rebounds. Then G Jamont Gordon takes it back out and nails a three-point shot. Auburn refuses to box out. Brain freeze again. I can't believe how quickly things have changed. This is where you need a leader in the huddle to handle business. He isn't there. He plays at other schools.

7:58, 2nd (MSU, 74-67): Auburn had it to three points, then quit on defense again. MSU scored on three consecutive possessions heading into this timeout. Tolbert looks like the only guy really balling today for the Tigers. Rasheem Barrett is shooting ... but not hitting much. Dollard plays in spurts. I'm not seeing much at all out of Korvotney Barber or Quan Prowell. OK, nothing.

11:09, 2nd (MSU, 68-61): Yes. That's not a mis-print. MSU is on a 17-4 run since the last timeout. It's Rhodes again. He has scored 11 points during this run. The Bulldogs are getting put-backs, which is a frequent Auburn problem. It's like the Tigers are just out of it again. Brain freeze. Silas attack.

15:58, 2nd (AU, 57-51): More non-defense work from MSU. How can Auburn score like this? F Josh Dollard and PG Quantez Robertson have a three-pointer apiece this half. The Tigers seem to be in good position.

Halftime (AU, 47-43): Neither team is playing a lick of defense. You know when Auburn has 47 points at halftime that the other team is having issues. The Tigers don't have a lot of turnovers so far, but the ones they have are so weird. I'm talking about passing directly to an MSU guy or just losing the ball on a drive. Miaway's shooting has been a surprise, and G Frank Tolbert has been effective and efficient on offense. He's already crashed to the floor three times. How long can his body take this?

3:54, 1st (AU, 37-34): Auburn's attack looks different now that MSU is in a 2-3 zone. The good news for the Tigers is that "Shooter" Miaway is hot from the outside. The junior came into the game 1-for-10 in SEC play. He's 2-for-2 from three-point range in this game.

7:53, 1st (AU, 25-22): Auburn is using more two-man sets on offense ... kinda like you'd see in the NBA. It's working. MSU is being careless on offense.

11:52, 1st (MSU, 19-17): Stansbury was called for a technical at the 12:52 mark after (briefly) arguing with official Antinio Petty. It seemed like an inappropriate call to me. In true Auburn fashion, the team hit only one of the two technical free throws then turned the ball over on the next possession. Can't say enough about the Tigers' killer instinct.

15:53, 1st (MSU, 7-8): Close game so far. MSU F Charles Rhodes has all eight points. Might want to guard him a little more closely.

Interesting article

Hey everyone. I meant to get this link up yesterday, but time got away from me:
Shreveport Times article

LSU coach Les Miles is getting hot. I like it.

An excerpt:
"We're looking forward to playing Florida," an animated Miles said, then gradually raised his voice. "We're looking forward to playing Auburn. But we have a new rival in (expletive deleted) Alabama."

And the crowd roared. Then it delivered a standing ovation.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, a more subdued Miles answered a question about alleged negative recruiting toward LSU by Saban at a national signing day news conference at LSU.

Auburn-Tennessee women

Hey everyone. It's a pretty significant game here on the Plains tonight, so I'm here blogging as usual.

Final (UT, 72-62): DeWanna Bonner went off during the final minute. She's not nearly as good, it seems, when the game is in doubt. Auburn just can't hang with Tennessee when things get hairy.

2:00, 2nd (UT, 68-53): Not much going on now. Parker keeps getting calls; Auburn players keep laughing about it.

3:30, 2nd (UT, 64-50): Auburn actually had it down to seven points, then gave up two consecutive put-backs. F Sidney Spencer hit a three-pointer on the next possession to extend the lead again. It's a tense game, though.

7:35, 2nd (UT, 56-42): There was a cool little one-on-one thing going on between Parker and Carrier for a little while. It's fun to watch. They guard each other, and they were trying to one-up each other on offense. Carrier was holding her own with the All-American, but then had to leave the game because of conditioning issues. Carrier can't play more than four minutes at a time. Parker whines a LOT ... totally reminds me of Sam Cassell during his FSU days.

11:39, 2nd (UT, 48-36): Auburn showing some life, scoring seven points on three consecutive possessions. C KeKe Carrier got into a little scuffle with Parker at one point, and Carrier threw a "softly committed" elbow. I was so hoping for a legit brawl. Parker wouldn't stand a chance.

14:41, 2nd (UT, 45-29): Yep. Parker again. This time it was a basket-and-foul play. After an Auburn turnover in transition, G Alexis Hornbuckle scored seconds later on a lay-in. Auburn coach Nell Fortner immediately called a timeout. It's getting ugly.

15:37, 2nd (UT, 40-29): Parker is owning Auburn. She snagged another offensive rebound and turned it into a score. She drove the lane for another score. And the Tigers allowed another put-back. Either Auburn starts boxing out ... or things are only going to get worse.

Halftime (UT, 33-24): Auburn had some problems during the final three minutes. F Dominique Redding hit an open three-pointer, then cashed another three-point basket a minute later after a frenzied rebound situation. That was a six-point burst. Auburn is having trouble defending F/C Candace Parker, especially on rebounds. That's nothing new, Parker is a star, but her play is undermining the good things AU is doing.

7:27, 1st (UT, 20-12): Score makes the game seem less competitive than it is. Tennessee really isn't accomplishing much with its offense. The Tigers are playing hard on defense; UT just takes advantage of every little slip-up. Auburn's offense is struggling as usual, though reserve G ReRe Hobbs has scored four points by working diligently away from the ball. She looks ready to play tonight. First time I've ever seen her play under control.

3:27, 1st (UT, 24-19): PG Whitney Boddie is playing some awesome ball tonight. She's passing very well, causing problems in transition defense and abusing the little guards Tennessee keeps rotating in. Tennessee still doesn't seem like it has any offensive flow. The one thing UT does, though, is trick Auburn with pump fakes. The Tigers fall for it every single time.

Signing Day: Tubs in his own words

Kodi Burns
“We’re excited about Kodi being a quarterback of the future for Auburn. He’s very athletic and he has a very strong arm. Kodi’s an overall athlete and is going to make a tremendous difference on some things that we can do with our offense. We can even expand some things with him.”

Josh Bynes
“Josh is a big linebacker than can run. He is very physical, very athletic and will play both inside and outside for us.”

Wes Byrum
“Wes is one of the top high school kickers that I have seen as a senior in high school. He has a very strong leg and will challenge for not only our field goal and extra point position, but also our kickoff spot. He is very versatile, having played defensive end in high school.”

Quindarius Carr
“We didn’t know a lot about Quindarius because he only spent one year at Huntsville High School. However, in the short period of time that we got to know him, he proved to us that he can play on this level. He has good breakaway speed and outstanding hands.”

Antoine Carter
“Antoine is a young athlete that just turned 17 years old. He’s got a lot of room for putting on weight and size. What we noticed about him was his speed and athletic ability running to the football.”

Jared Cooper
“Jared, who won the offensive lineman of the year award in the state at 4A, is going to be a versatile offensive lineman for us. We will start him out as a tackle, but he can also play guard.”

Kyle Coulahan
“Kyle is one of the more physical linemen we recruited all year long. He’s got size, strength, and good lateral movement. He’ll play guard for Auburn.”

Enrique Davis
“Enrique reminds me a lot of (former Auburn running back) Ronnie Brown and (former Ole Miss running back) Deuce McAllister. He’s got height and he runs a little bit tall, but I think that helps his vision. He’ll have an opportunity to play for us next year.”

Johnnie Lee Dixon
“Johnnie is one of the best athletes we signed in this class. He has great speed and a knack for the ball as a defensive back. He enroll at Hargrave Military Academy and we expect to get him back next year.”

John Douglas
“John came to our camp. He’s exactly what we’re looking for at fullback. He’s tall and already has some size. He weighs 235 pounds, has good hands and is a very good athlete. His dad was a coach, so he’s got a lot of football knowledge.”

Brandon Earl
“Brandon comes from a very good high school, North Jackson. He’s a physical lineman that plays hard-nosed football and will fit in very well for us. He is also going to be a guy that can play for us next year.”

Nick Fairley
“Nick is one of the better big athletes that we signed. He is a very good basketball player. He’s got a lot of explosion. I think we’ll really enhance his strength once he begins playing football full time.”

Eltoro Freeman
“Eltoro will play inside or outside linebacker for us. He has outstanding quickness and very good skills playing linebacker. He has a nose for the football.”

A. J. Greene
“With A.J.’s frame, I think the sky is the limit for how big he can get and yet keep his athletic ability. He is going to be rangy. He’ll play defensive end, but he’ll have the ability to play a lot of different positions once he gets in the weight room.”

Bo Harris
“Bo signed with Auburn last year at running back. He played linebacker at Milford Academy. He is an all-around athlete that could play any position.”

Adam Herring
“Adam is a true middle linebacker, a guy that we want to come in and from day one play middle linebacker and run our defense. His dad is a football coach. He’s been around football all his life and really has good instincts.”

Carlton Johnson
“Carlton is a player that plays on both sides of the ball. He’s a big-time athlete that can really run, who is also a great hitter and very physical.”

Jermaine Johnson
“Jermaine only played one year of high school football. He is a very good basketball player with a lot of athletic ability. He’ll go to a junior college.”

Wilfred Journet
“Wilfred is one of the players of the year in the state of Louisiana. A physical defensive lineman with a lot of speed, he will also attend junior college.”

Tim Lamb
“Tim is very similar to (former Auburn nose guard) Tommy Jackson. He’ll be a nose guard, who has a very strong upper body and is very physical.”

Michael McNeil
“Michael has a lot of athletic ability. He will eventually be 220 pounds. He is very physical and plays the football very well in the secondary. I think he’ll be a good defensive player when we go to man coverage.”

Ryan Pugh
“Ryan will start out at center for us. A state champion in Alabama as a wrestler, he is very aggressive. He is also very football savvy and loves to play the game.”

Chaz Ramsey
“Chaz will start out at center. He was named Mr. Football in Mississippi as a lineman. He has good lateral movement and very good technique in both running skills and pass protection.”

Michael Slade
“Michael is a very rangy, tall, lean athlete than play either corner or safety. He has a defensive mentality, and will have an opportunity to play early.”

Chris Slaughter
“Chris is a tall receiver that will need to gain some weight. He had a great year and Hargrave Military Academy and will have an opportunity to play for us next year at one of the wide out positions.”

Brent Slusher
“Brent’s a tight end that is already on campus doing very well. He has great hands. I don’t think there is any doubt that he is going to be a very physical, big tight end for us in the near future.”

Ryan Williams
“Ryan is a cornerback with very quick feet. He is very good at man coverage. He had a great year breaking on the football last year at defensive back.”

Bailey Woods
“Bailey is a big tight end that will have the chance to get even bigger. He had a very good senior season and played very well in the all-star games.”

Lee Ziemba
“Lee is a Parade All-American that has ties here at Auburn. He is big, physical, and similar to (former Auburn offensive tackle) Marcus McNeil.”

Chris Zinn
“Chris will need to gain some weight, but will also go to a military academy.”

Signing day update

Hey everyone. Auburn received its final faxed Letter of Intent not long ago (it was from Florida lineman Tim Lamb) so everything now is in. There were a few surprises. Let's go to them:

*Auburn thought Lynn Haven, Fla., linebacker Carlton Johnson was going to Florida or FSU. Instead, he signed with Auburn. Johnson played high-school ball with fellow AU signee Enrique Davis.
*Linebacker Joshua Bynes of suburban Miami signed with Auburn. He didn't announce anything until today, saying he was torn between the Tigers and either Louisville or Iowa. Reports varied. Either way, he's with Auburn now.
*Auburn also added two off-the-radar guys: linemen Chris Zinn (Olive Branch, Miss.) and Brandon Earl (North Jackson High in Stevenson). They are totally unheralded, and I have no idea who they are or what affect they can have. This was the first time I'd even heard those names.

SIGNEES (30)
Kodi Burns, QB, 6-2, 185, Ft. Smith, Ark. (Northside)
Joshua Bynes, LB, 6-2, 215, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Boyd Anderson)
Wes Byrum, K, 6-3, 195, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Aquinas)
Quindarius Carr, WR, 6-0, 164, Huntsville (Huntsville)
Joshua Chapman, DT, 6-2, 280, Hoover (Hoover)
Jared Cooper, OL, 6-4, 290, Brewton (W.S. Neal)
Kyle Coulahan, OL, 6-4, 305, Pensacola, Fla. (Catholic)
Enrique Davis, TB, 5-11, 210, Lynn Haven, Fla. (Mosley)
Johnnie Lee Dixon, ATH, 5-11, 175, Belle Glade, Fla. (Glades Central)
John Douglas, FB, 6-2, 235, Augusta, Ga. (Aquinas)
Brandon Earl, OL/DL, 6-4, 300, Stevenson (North Jackson)
Eltoro Freeman, LB, 5-11, 199, Alex City (Ben Russell)
A.J. Greene, DE, 6-5, 250, Brentwood, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)
Bo Harris, ATH, 6-2, 235, Conyers, Ga. (Milford Academy)
Adam Herring, LB, 6-2, 220, Springdale, Ark. (Shiloh Christian)
Carlton Johnson, LB, 6-2, 225, Lynn Haven, Fla. (Mosley)
Jermaine Johnson, OL, 6-6, 290, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Aquinas)
Tim Lamb, DT, 6-0, 315, Tallahassee, Fla. (Lincoln)
Michael McNeil, S, 6-2, 200, Mobile (Davidson)
Ryan Pugh, OL, 6-2, 275, Hoover (Hoover)
Chaz Ramsey, OL, 6-3, 285, Madison, Miss. (Madison Central)
Mike Slade, DB, 6-2, 185, Tallhassee, Fla. (Lincoln)
Chris Slaughter, WR, 6-3, 180, Fort Valley, Ga. (Hargrave Academy)
Ryan Williams, DB, 5-11, 185, Mobile (B.C. Rain)
Bailey Woods, TE, 6-4, 220, Marietta, Ga. (Walton)
Lee Ziemba, OL, 6-7, 300, Rogers, Ark. (HS)
Chris Zinn, OL/DL, 6-3, 240, Olive Branch, Miss. (HS)

ALREADY ENROLLED
Brent Slusher, TE, 6-3, 220, Pineville, Ky. (Bell County)