News of the day, 2/4

Hey everyone. Sorry for the short absence. I spent my free time this weekend kickin' it with my 5-year-old daughter, who really enjoys Hannah Montana. Oh yea -- we were there for the BIG movie on Saturday morning.

Wasn't the Super Bowl great. I told my wifey, just before the Giants' winning drive, that there was no way the Giants could build a winning drive. I mean, Eli Manning? He's been a pretty average quarterback. I'll have to re-think that after what we all saw Sunday. What a game.

You're here for Auburn smack. So let's get to it.

Thanks for making the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net part of your life. It's certainly a fun part of mine.

Recruiting is picking up, or slowing down. It all depends on your perspective. The Tigers added two kids since we last blogged -- a Georgia DB named Neiko Lipscomb and a Florida wideout named Derek Winter. My guess is that Lipscomb moved into the picture when George Baker, a recent de-commitment, moved out. I'm higher on Winter, who looks like the classic underrated prospect to me: Played really well in a reasonably tough Tampa league and he's the kind of kid who can apply intelligence to the field. That's what guys like Rod Smith and Sen'Derrick Marks do.

LB Jerrell Harris, the big recruit from Gadsden, still is considering Auburn, Alabama, Southern Cal, Clemson and Tennessee. I don't think the Vols are a real player here. Auburn would realllllly like to have Harris and would play him immediately, but I think the loss of Will Muschamp hurt the Tigers' chances to some degree. New DC Paul Rhoads is doing a fine job and all. It's just that Muschamp is Muschamp. He's nuts when it comes to recruiting.

The men's team lost at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Pretty bad loss in my mind. The game was close until the final six minutes or so when the Commodores just took off. G Frankie Tolbert was nuts, going 10-of-19 from the floor, but his teammates were pretty ineffectual. G Rasheem Barrett was 0-for-9 (!!) and G Tez Robertson was 1-for-7. If you're going to use 4 (or 5) guards at a time, you can't shoot like that. I still think Jeff Lebo is doing one hell of a job with the strategy part of his task. Lebo's recruiting leaves a lot to be desired.

The women's team beat Mississippi State senseless on Sunday. Auburn is pretty good. G Alli Smalley is going to be a really good player beginning next season ... combining with already excellent players F DeWanna Bonner and G Sherell Hobbs. I think the Tigers will qualify for the NCAA Tournament as a 4 or 5 seed -- giving coach Nell Fortner her first Auburn appearance in the Big Dance.

Some of you all may have missed it, but a former Auburn player by the name of Frank Hayes died last week. He was Travis Tidwell's center for the big upset of Alabama in 1949. I didn't know Mr. Hayes, but he was a popular dude. He'll be missed.

Photo credit: Associated Press/Chris O'Meara