Barbee snags another big name

Hey everyone. We have received word that power forward Luke Cothron signed with Auburn this afternoon.

Is this a big deal? Absolutely.

He's 6-foot-9 and weighs 220. He has some bulk to him. He can rebound.

Cothron, a Huntsville native who spent last season at a school in North Carolina, was coveted by big-name programs like Kentucky, Connecticut, Tennessee. They all wanted him. Tony Barbee spoke with Cothron the first day he arrived at Auburn and never relented. That effort paid off.

``Luke gives us a different level of talent," Barbee said. ``He is an immediate difference-maker for us along the front line. He is a guy who has the ability to score the ball in a variety of ways inside and outside. He has a knack for being around the ball which makes him a great rebounder."

Rivals.com has Cothron ranked as the nation's No. 11 power forward and No. 45 overall recruit in the nation.

He is Barbee's second signee. The first, small forward Josh Langford, was rated as the state's top college prospect. Not bad for six weeks of work.

Is this the next Pervis Ellison? Judge for yourself.