"Bob Petrino joined the groups "Abusing Defenses" and "Looking for Jobs." -- Jet, simulating a certain someone's Facebook feed
3.21.2009
Auburn def. Lehigh, 85-49 (NCAAs)
Hey everyone. I missed the first half while waiting for treatment at a local walk-in clinic. Sorry about that. We're picking up at halftime.
FINAL Auburn wins, 85-49.
FOURTH TO @ 5:!5, 2nd Auburn leads, 76-49. Out of control. Auburn is so good in transition.
THIRD TO @ 7:39, 2nd Auburn leads, 69-49. They're trading baskets now, but Lehigh is doomed.
SECOND TO @ 11:24, 2nd Auburn leads, 62-40. KeKe Carrier is in the game. She's 2-for-2 from the floor so far. If the Tigers want to make the Final Four, Carrier will have to emerge as a competent, reliable option off the bench.
FIRST TO @ 15:59, 2nd Auburn leads, 54-34. Lehigh actually has gotten a few good shots. They cannot finish. It's obvious to anyone watching this game that DeWanna Bonner is more than Lehigh can handle. They can't properly staff that defensive matchup.
HALFTIME Auburn leads, 45-30.
Game is on: Channel 214 (DirecTV) Channel 146 (Dish Network)
If you're not in Alabama or Pennsylvania (and don't have satellite), you're SOL.
Hey everyone. Welcome to Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, where your Auburn Tigers are playing the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
FINAL Auburn 74, Tulsa 55. Next game: Tuesday night @ 6 p.m. vs. Baylor/Va. Tech.
FOURTH TO @ 3:56, 2nd Auburn leads, 59-49. It's getting tight. Tulsa hit a few threes, an easy lay-up and Auburn isn't accomplishing anything on offense. This is what happens.
THIRD TO @ 7:06, 2nd Auburn leads, 56-40. Same basic deal. I'll say this -- the officiating here is off. They're calling touch fouls one minute, allowing muggings to go unpunished moments later. It's hurting/helping both teams equally. Still, it's unseemly.
SECOND TO @ 11:28, 2nd Auburn leads, 51-33. Still no Barber. Still no major issues for Auburn -- mainly because Tulsa is a small team as well. Auburn is playing on another level defensively tonight. So many deflections. They'll finish with 12-15 steals.
FIRST TO @ 15:32, 2nd Auburn leads, 45-29. The Tigers have been awesome in transition. Barber has four fouls already. There's your storylines.
INTERESTING HALFTIME NUMBERS **Barber played three minutes **Tulsa shot 30%, Auburn 32% **Jordan has 2 points and 5 rebounds
HALFTIME Auburn 33, Tulsa 22.
FOURTH TO @ 3:54, 1st Auburn leads, 26-16. Both teams were sloppy during that last stretch. Auburn is falling in love with the three-point shot now ... and has missed three in a row. I haven't seen the Tigers look this active on defense in a while. They're getting hands on a lot of passes and disrupting flow.
THIRD TO @ 7:50, 1st Auburn leads, 21-14. The Tigers seem locked in to me. They're playing with a lot of purpose, particularly on defense. Knox is contributing with Barber on the bench. Auburn is trying to push the tempo, which surprises me a little bit. I guess they like their depth better than Tulsa's.
SECOND TO @ 11:11, 1st Auburn leads, 13-10. With Jordan out with foul trouble, Tulsa seems lost on offense. It's clear what the Tigers are trying to do with him out -- they're working inside and trying to draw fouls near the basket. If Jordan's reserves get in foul trouble, what then?
FIRST TO @14:24, 1st Tulsa leads, 8-5. Very physical game. Barber has two fouls already. Knox, his backup, has one. I've heard that Johnnie Lett is available if need be. Tulsa's big guy, Jordan, has one foul.
YOUR AUBURN STARTERS PG -- Speed Reed, Not Shoot Reed SG -- Tez Robertson, amorously tied to Sherell Hobbs SF -- Tay Waller, shot maker "PF" -- Rasheem Barrett, wearing long sleeves C -- Korvotney Barber, player
Welcome everyone to our second Ring of Fire inductions. We began with 11 hardcore HOTTIES, then added three (Sensi, Peter and WarEagleRK) during the fall.
Now it's time to recognize more greatness.
The HABOTN has seen incredible growth during the past nine months. We cracked the 1,000,000-hit plateau in January and, in my opinion, comments never have been better. It's a credit to all HOTTIES. Some have gone above and beyond HOTTIEDOM, though, and they now move into the Ring of Fire:
eddie4au: A man with a wealth of practical Auburn information based on his time on the "inside." He provides a level-headed approach to all football discussions. He also likes Disney World.
Monica: Perhaps the most enthusiastic HOTTIE around, Monica is quick to greet newcomers and adds depth to any discussion -- regardless of how tangential it becomes. An accomplished linker as well.
Fake Steve Jobs (aka FSJ): The first Alabama fan indicted inducted into the Ring of Fire, FSJ shows his Crimson support without being heavy-handed. He's reasonable with his words and deeds. His diplomacy has played a key role in the HABOTN emerging as a pocket of rational Auburn discussion.
AUBigCat: Perhaps the most aptly named HOTTIE, AUBigCat also adds sensibility to athletic discussions. He's always in a good mood. You'll get no angry smack-talk from this Cat. He's here for the fellowship, not the hatin'.
michael: Perhaps the most misunderstood HOTTIE, michael is (nearly) omnipresent and brings a truly unique perspective to all discussions. I have no idea what he's talking about at times. You have no idea what he's talking about at times. Still, his humorous delivery makes the message delicious all the same.
barkley for governor: His contributions often are subtle. He's not one for grandstanding, causing a scene or lobbing salvos at The Bad Guys (whomever they may be). Whether it's men's hoops, women's hoops, football, baseball or a hastily called Campfire, bark is there to participate. He's 1991 Horace Grant.
DennyCrum A most dedicated HOTTIE, Denny Crum shows his support in a variety of subtle ways. He doesn't dabble with rumors and innuendo. DennyCrum wants to talk about what he sees on the field/floor/pool. He wants results. His idealistic approach toward Auburn provides an everyday reminder of how fun it is to be a fan.
Steve from Columbia (aka Steve FC) SteveFC is the outlier, the uncle you don't understand, the college classmate who rambles in a way that makes you think: No way he's sober. Maybe he is. SteveFC is always good for an unusual theory or idea or rumor. Is he out of his mind? Hell if I know. I'm just glad he shares with us.
Kristina: Her participation arrives in bursts, but her contributions are unmistakeable. The Zookeeper's willingness to accept playful jabs and respond with mildly harmful zingers has endeared her to dozens. Also founder of the HABOTN Hotties Facebook group.
Jet (aka Jet G. Ate, Jet Jetarsky) The pride of east Vaughngomery, Jet provides deep insight into all sports issues. He hates Alabama. Still, he doesn't let that deep discontent affect his entire view. Jet's posts are loaded with interesting references that I often miss on first read.
Hey everyone. As many of you learned in last night's Campfire, we will be holding our semi-annual Ring of Fire inductions this afternooon.
The festivities begin around 2 p.m. CDT. We may or may not hold a Campfire.
The Ring of Fire is the highest honor one can achieve here. Inclusion requires unusual dedication, serially useful insights, humor, information and profound gibberish when necessary. Or other behaviors I deem worthy.
Before we make those announcements, though, we need to make some adjustments to our Feeling The Heat and Notable Newcomers categories. Before our soon-to-be stars were in the RoF, they were cutting their teeth as gritty up-and-comers.
FROM "NOTABLE NEWCOMERS" TO "FEELING THE HEAT" Dear Leader -- Quick on the draw, our favorite Korean Kathy -- Calming presence The Front Rims -- Campfire stalwarts D.Miller -- Campfire stalwart, bracket magnate j-z -- Subtle yet significant patdyeswildturkey -- Still here
DEBUTS ON "FEELING THE HEAT" (These are HOTTIES whose recognition was delayed. Sorry.) mrtommyd -- Consistency LuvAU1968 -- Early-morning HOTTIE, been around here a while Harrison -- Afternoon marionette
DEBUTS ON "NOTABLE NEWCOMERS" ehyoutiger digger4au Will Hornet -- back for another tour Wakeriderof87 depressedAUfan gatiger NoVaTiger BinOBA Spongeworthy Matt BigEZ wtc Andrew cincytiger Dr Habotn
WE HARDLY KNEW YE: (dropping off the lists due to inactivity) mark muschamp wuz here kris weagle251 trackem33 astatguy
Thanks to everyone for a wildly successful Campfire on Thursday night.
We had 377 participants during the 3+ hour party. STANDOUTS WHO WENT THE DISTANCE: Jet, jhag, MonD, dmiller
AS FOR THE BRACKET CHALLENGE: bmac, Sausagebroker, tigerfan44 lead after one day ... nailing 15 of 16. A group of challengers, led by me and jhag, are lurking at 14 of 16.
REMINDER: We'll be inducting new RoF members (and announcing several other promotions) at a ceremony to be held at 2 p.m. CDT. Please stop by and offer congratulations to our newest superstars.
Hey everyone. Welcome to Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, where your Auburn Tigers are playing UT-Martin. This is the first round of NIT play.
FINAL Auburn wins, 87-82.
FOURTH TO @ 2:59, 2nd half Auburn leads, 76-69. The Tigers have missed their last four free throws, surprising noone. Were it not for some questionable shots on UTM's part, you know, I think they'd be ahead. Hudson is so good off the dribble, but he's in love with the guarded 23-foot jumper.
THIRD TO @ 7:37, 2nd half Auburn leads, 73-63. Hudson is a real problem for the Tigers, which had to be expected. He has 24 right now. He's basically the only guy making things happen for his ballclub, but Auburn seems awkward on offense right now. I can't really discern a plan.
FIRST TO @ 15:14, 2nd half Auburn leads, 56-50. The Tigers are getting lax on the defensive end. Hudson is eating them alive. He breaks away off the dribble and, with a pick, Auburn can't hang with him. I'm surprised Barber isn't more of an offensive factor. He looks out of place with these thin dudes from UTM.
HALFTIME Auburn leads, 46-35. The Tigers lost sight of Hudson there for a moment and he scored eight points. With a quickness. Auburn still is in command of this game, but the momentum changed during the final three minutes of the half.
FOURTH TO @ 3:37, 1st Auburn leads, 39-22. Larry Williams Jr., the walk-on point guard, is in the game with more than two minutes remaining. Robertson has eight points. I feel like we're in an alternate universe.
THIRD TO @ 6:12, 1st Auburn leads, 37-19. The Tigers are unusually accurate from three-point range tonight. Team already has seven threes. It's a mess out there -- UTM just fires away from outside and doesn't hit much. I don't see much creativity.
UTM TO @ 10:31, 1st Auburn leads, 26-15. Best minute of Auburn basketball this season. Two Brendon Knox free throws, steal, dunk by Frankie Sullivan, UTM miss, Barrett jumper, UTM miss, Robertson three. TIMEOUT.
SECOND TO @ 11:40, 1st Auburn leads, 17-15. Seems like the Tigers' defense has slacked a bit. Hudson is very fast off the dribble. Robertson will be in good position -- and he's a pretty god defender -- and Hudson will effortlessly pass by. Hudson now is 2-for-5 with four points. Barber and Waller each have two fouls.
FIRST TO @ 15:31, 1st Auburn leads, 11-4. Lester Hudson, UTM's top player, is 1-for-4 with two points so far. Looks like Quantez Robertson drew that assignment.
YOUR AUBURN STARTERS PG -- Speed Reed, not Shoot Reed SG -- Tez Robertson, boyfriend of Sherell Hobbs SF -- Tay Waller aka The Streak "PF" -- Rasheem Barrett, sporting a new shave on his head C -- Korvotney Barber, player
Tipoff scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Crowd better than I expected. It's probably in the 4,000 range.
UT-Martin's uniforms look similar to Auburn's, though they are manufactured by Nike.
Hey everyone. Hope you had a swell St. Patty's day. Like any good HOTTIE, I'm sure you drank responsibly if you chose to imbibe.
A couple items of business:
STAYING HOME: I will not be attending the women's tournament at Piscataway, N.J., later this week. After calculating funds needed for hotel, air travel and associated activities (trip to Atlantic City not included), I decided the endeavor was just too expensive. We'll re-assess if Auburn qualifies for the Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City.
I like to be forthright with the HABOTN Nation about what I'm covering. If a tough decision has to be made, I do my best to explain it here.
I'm planning to live blog the game from Montgomery. Lame on my part? You betcha. Still, I think the team deserves coverage and I'll do what I can to make that happen.
HOT HAWK: I'll be covering tonight's NIT game between Auburn and UT-Martin. If you're going, you'll be treated to what could be an exciting offensive performance from a visitor.
Skyhawks guard Lester Hudson is second in the nation in scoring. He averages 27 points per game. He once notched a quadruple-double -- 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals. I'm not sure his team has enough to challenge Auburn, but Hudson should cause some fits.
Hudson is a 6-foot-2 shooting guard. He is a 24-year-old junior. He struggled with the transition from high school to college, you might say, but eventually earned a GED and made his way to college. Good for him.
FOOTBALL REMINDER: Spring practice begins Tuesday, March 24.
The Auburn women have been awarded a No. 2 seed in the Oklahoma City bracket.
They'll open Saturday in Piscataway, N.J. against Patriot League champion Lehigh, which is 26-6. That game will tip at 11 a.m. CDT and will be televised by ESPN2.
This bracket includes top-seeded Oklahoma and No. 3 seed North Carolina.
MY THOUGHT: Tough bracket draw. Playing at Rutgers in the second round could be a tall order.
Hey everyone. I'll be heading up to Auburn in a bit to watch the women's NCAA Tournament selection show with coach Nell Fortner et al.
ESPN.com currently has the Tigers (29-3) as a No. 2 seed playing at Rutgers. Yes, Rutgers is in the tournament. I doubt Fortner would consider that a friendly pairing, but the Scarlet Knights haven't been all that good this season.
(ESPN.com is very accurate when it comes to seedings, but somewhat inaccurate when it comes to sites. They have Vanderbilt playing in Chattanooga and no SEC team playing in north Atlanta.)
Anyway...
The selection show begins at 6 p.m. I'll be updating as the day progresses.
************************* Tickets will go on sale Monday morning on-line at www.auburntigers.com and at the Auburn Athletic Department Ticket Office.
Reserved tickets are $15 in sections 29-33 (lower level), $10 general admission for the rest of the building and $5 for college students and those 18-and-under.
So now we know. Auburn didn't get in the NCAA Tournament field for a sixth consecutive season.
The Tigers, 22-11, will get a No. 1 seed for the National Invitation Tournament. That means the team will play its games either at home or at Madison Square Garden for the semis/finals.
JEFF LEBO SPEAKS: On the general situation: "Our team is disappointed. Our kids are disappointed. There's not a whole lot you can say to then. They were hurt. They made a heck of a run at the end and put themselves in position to get it."
On Auburn's weak strength of schedule: ``When we scheduled (George Washington), they were coming off two or three tournament appearances. People think you can just go out and schedule people. It's tough to get some teams to play you home-and-home. You don't just call up North Carolina and get a home-and-home."
On how to fix things: "I don't know how you can pick one (team) over another. I've always been for expanding the tournament. You get the right draw, you could go to the Sweet 16. There are so many good teams out there."
On if he'll talk with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, a member of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, about the Tigers' plight: "Yeah. Pretty much every coach does that. Our RPI was still a little bit too high and a couple more wins would have made a big difference."
RAHSEEM BARRETT SPEAKS: On the general situation: "Growing up, every kid wants to play in the NCAA Tournament. We still get postseason play; we still get to play another basketball game."
On the team's emotional fragility: "I'm sure a couple guys are hurt. We played our hardest and gave it all this season. To win 10 games in the SEC, I think that's enough. We still have to come in tomorrow and practice hard."
On if he watched the MSU-Tennessee game this afternoon: "I took a nap. I'm proud of Mississippi State. People said the West was terrible. Look what happened."
FOOTNOTE: Former Auburn guard Toney Douglas, who fled the Plains three years ago for Florida State, will end his final college season in the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles qualified.
Hey everyone. Mississippi State, which finished behind your Auburn Tigers (and lost to them twice), has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Meo Stansbury's husband guided his team past Tennessee in the SEC final, 64-61.
What does that have to do with Auburn?
Well, that's probably a wrap on the Tigers' NCAA hopes. Both Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Jerry Palm (CollegeRPI.com) left Jeff Lebo's boys off their proposed brackets ... and that was before MSU earned the unexpected bid.
Barring some completely unforeseen development, Auburn will make the National Invitation Tournament as a top-three seed.
BASEBALL UPDATE: Auburn def. Tennessee, 8-5 (game one) Tennessee def. Auburn, 7-1 (game two) **Tigers hit four homers in Game One. Now up to 39 this season. **Tigers saw their 11-game winning streak broken. **Tigers now are 13-5, 2-1.
• THE RING OF FIRE • INAUGURAL CLASS Phormerly Phred Scottie B. in Tennessee crudup
Hoopie Ron Mexico
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jhag**FRANCHISE PLAYER**