Home Stretch

[wesfau2]

4 games left:

@UTenn tomorrow
MissSt
@Mizzou
UGA

I'll mark Mizzou a win.  They stink on ice.
Home games should be considered dubs at this point.

So...if we can pull a win in Knoxville, we'd be 13-5 in conference play.

UT has a murderer's row of a remaining schedule: AU, @Bama, @USCe, UK.  They'll be lucky to go 2-2 on that stretch, leaving them at 13-5.

Bama has: @OM, UTenn, @UF, Arky.  Tough, but manageable, call that 3-1.  14-4.

Rounding out the likely candidates for SEC Champ are the Carolina Cocks.  Remaining schedule: @A&M, UF, Tenn, @MissSt.  They'll split these to end 12-6.

Looking like the SEC championship likely lives in tuscaloosa this year.  That said, they could drop 1-2 more of that last run and fumble the bag, putting us in a few different tie/tie-breaker scenarios.

Fun stuff to be this knotted up at the finish line.

[wesfau2]

Well, that sucked in ways a bit different than I expected.  I expected to lose in rather undramatic fashion with their entire offense running through Ziegler.

Instead our defense was tenacious.  Smothering, even.  Ziegler was uncomfortable from the get and they were clearly discombobulated.  Jaylin made an appearance, Aden was decisive at the point.  There is fucking HOPE for a win tonight, hold me!

Except they had another mutant white kid who fucking killed us with approximately 934 points.  Between that and the fucking refs having a collective iq of 12... We weren't winning that game.

I thought I was resigned, but they gave me enough hope to have me loudly questioning the parentage of Rick Barnes, the refs and the fucking broadcast booth.

That team felt something tonight and grew a bit.  This one will pay dividends.

[jmar]

My thought is that Broome might have improved as much as any player I have seen in many years. Baker-Mazara is a must at crunch time.
We simply couldn't match baskets with Dirk hitting NBA 3's while we were chasing Ziegler around. Defense was stellar. Not dispirited at all. We needed one more guy cutting back door and following up to match their length around the rim and it just wasn't there.

[wesfau2]

My thought is that Broome might have improved as much as any player I have seen in many years.

QFMFT

[Buzz Killington]

That team felt something tonight and grew a bit.  This one will pay dividends.

Ed Zachary.

Connect only really had 2 uncontested shots in the 2nd half and he just lit us up. One 3 when we inexplicably decided to go zone and a layup when the Jewish Assassin was guarding him. Tip your cap and move on.

I saw a team that was hungry and played together that had an 8 point lead at the #4 team in America's house until Teenage Mutant Ninja Whitey decided to go off.

[AUJarhead]

We play like that in every SEC game, we only have one conference loss.

Team showed me they are capable of a deep NCAA run.

[Snaggletiger]

Late in the game last night, they fed the rock to John Eye in the paint.  He made a couple of moves to work his way to the basket, then whipped it out (Oh yeah!) to Aden in the corner, who promptly drained a 3.

What Auburn and Broome are doing is, with a few exceptions, almost unique to the college and NBA games these days.  There are very few "centers" left in the game.  Basketball has become almost confined to drives to the basket, or launching 3's. Very little mid range game, and certainly not much in the way of back-to-the-basket big men, who you feed and let them use their game to score, get fouled or dish.  Broome gives Auburn that element.

And when he's dealing inside, defenders have to drop down to help, leaving someone open on the perimeter.  It's fun to watch.

[wesfau2]

Late in the game last night, they fed the rock to John Eye in the paint.  He made a couple of moves to work his way to the basket, then whipped it out (Oh yeah!) to Aden in the corner, who promptly drained a 3.

What Auburn and Broome are doing is, with a few exceptions, almost unique to the college and NBA games these days.  There are very few "centers" left in the game.  Basketball has become almost confined to drives to the basket, or launching 3's. Very little mid range game, and certainly not much in the way of back-to-the-basket big men, who you feed and let them use their game to score, get fouled or dish.  Broome gives Auburn that element.

And when he's dealing inside, defenders have to drop down to help, leaving someone open on the perimeter.  It's fun to watch.

JB4 did that more than once last night.  Dude was en fuego.

[wesfau2]

Big game against Miss St Saturday.  Also have some recruiting work to do.  Pettiford will be there with the nation's No. 1 player in the 2025 class, 6-9 small forward AJ Dybantsa.

[wesfau2]

4 games left:

@UTenn tomorrow
MissSt
@Mizzou
UGA

I'll mark Mizzou a win.  They stink on ice.
Home games should be considered dubs at this point.

So...if we can pull a win in Knoxville, we'd be 13-5 in conference play.

UT has a murderer's row of a remaining schedule: AU, @Bama, @USCe, UK.  They'll be lucky to go 2-2 on that stretch, leaving them at 13-5.

Bama has: @OM, UTenn, @UF, Arky.  Tough, but manageable, call that 3-1.  14-4.

Rounding out the likely candidates for SEC Champ are the Carolina Cocks.  Remaining schedule: @A&M, UF, Tenn, @MissSt.  They'll split these to end 12-6.

Looking like the SEC championship likely lives in tuscaloosa this year.  That said, they could drop 1-2 more of that last run and fumble the bag, putting us in a few different tie/tie-breaker scenarios.

Fun stuff to be this knotted up at the finish line.

UPDATE at the midpoint:

AU 1-1, as predicted.  Remaining: @Mizzou, UGA.

TN 2-0, as...uh...predicted.  Remaining: @USCe, UK.

Bama 1-1, as predicted. Remaining: @UF, Arky.

USCe, a surprising 2-0.  Remaining: Tenn, @MissSt.

UT has pretty much sewn up the regular season championship at 13-3 after whooping bama on their own court.

Our guys are playing well and we have two (relatively) easy games to warm up our run through the SEC and NCAA tourneys.

Lastly, I hate it for the kid, but if we had to sacrifice a knee to the tourney gods (shoutout to Chuma!), thank god it's Lior's.

[Snaggletiger]

UT:  13-3

USCe:  12-4

Bama:  12-4

Auburn:  11-5

UK:  11-5

So what if, the Vols lose to Sakerlina and UK? (13-5)  The Cocks beat UT and lose to MSU (13-5).  Bama loses to Florida but beats Arky (13-5).  Auburn and Kentucky win out (13-5).

Hmmm....

On the national front, current rankings show each conference represented in the top 25:

SEC:  6

Big 12:  4

Big East:  3

Big 10:  2

ACC:  2

Pac 12: 2

West Coast: 2

I think Tennessee is the most complete team in the SEC as far as make up.  Great guard play, shooters, plenty of size down low.  Kentucky may be next with their guards starting to play so well, and March Madness is all about consistent guard play.  Some SEC team you don't expect always gets on a run, like Auburn, South Carolina and Arkansas.  But I honestly don't see team from the league that's a real threat to win it all.   

[AUJarhead]

But I honestly don't see team from the league that's a real threat to win it all.

Can say that about the other teams in the top 25, too.  Lot of really good teams out there, but no great one.

[Snaggletiger]

Can say that about the other teams in the top 25, too.  Lot of really good teams out there, but no great one.

True dat.  I could see a UConn/Houston match up for the brass ring. 

[AUJarhead]

True dat.  I could see a UConn/Houston match up for the brass ring.

The two teams that played at Thompson-Boiling on Feb 28th, if they play at that same level as that night, are both capable of making a national title run.

And Fuck Georgia (sorry, been slipping in that category, my bad).

[Snaggletiger]

The two teams that played at Thompson-Boiling on Feb 28th, if they play at that same level as that night, are both capable of making a national title run.

And Fuck Georgia (sorry, been slipping in that category, my bad).

Thank you for keeping this mantra fresh in the minds of all Auburn fans.

[jmar]

The two teams that played at Thompson-Boiling on Feb 28th, if they play at that same level as that night, are both capable of making a national title run.

And Fuck Georgia (sorry, been slipping in that category, my bad).

Agree that game at UT was a doozy. I know Broome should have hit his free throws but the same can be said for Zeigler uncharacteristically missing the front end of 2 one and ones.


Our lone defecit on that night is that they were unchallenged around the rim off of our misses.


We lacked the Okeke effect inside the five minute mark.

[wesfau2]

Well, that was a satisfying night of Tuesday basketball.

The Tigers beat Mizzou's knock-off version of the the jungle cats in ho hum fashion by about 25.  The kids were clearly having fun and there was never a real threat of losing this one.  Good morale builder after the news about Lior.

And...also...

Bama got FUCKING SMOKED in G'ville.  It was a lot of fun to watch them shit their pants.

Updated home stretch standings:

AU - 3-1...as predicted.  Remaining: UGA; 12-5

Tenn - 2-0, still.  Remaining: @USCe, UK; 13-3

Bama - 1-2.  Remaining: Arky; 12-5

USCe - 2-0.  Remaining: Tenn; @MissSt; 12-4

Crystal Ball Projection:
Tenn: 14-4
AU/Bama: 13-5
USCe: 12-6

[Snaggletiger]

Pulling for the Cocks tonight.  It's in Sakerlina, and they've already handled the Vols once this year.  If USCe pulls out a win, Saturday becomes a lot more interesting.

[Snaggletiger]

The Vols lock up the regular season championship with a 7 point win on the Cock's floor.