Way Too Early Top 25

[rexbo 104]

I know we return pretty much everyone but I was thinking more like 10 or 12, not 5...

 

Quote

CBS Sports: No. 4

“The Tigers return the top eight scorers from a team that shared the SEC regular-season title — and are expected to also bring back Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy. Consequently, I think, Auburn should be the favorite in the SEC and a real threat to make the first Final Four in school history. Mustapha Heron is a big reason why. He averaged 16.4 points and 5.3 rebounds this season.

Ken Pomeroy: No. 4

ESPN: No. 5

“Auburn athletic director Allen Greene gave Bruce Pearl a vote of confidence last week. It was a significant gesture of support for the polarizing coach who still captured a slice of the SEC title in one of the league's strongest years. Mustapha Heron (16.4 PPG) and others could test the draft waters. But Pearl could lose a player or two and still enter next season with a stacked roster, one that will also feature a healthy Anfernee McLemore.”

USA Today: No. 6

“The Tigers should be an SEC contender again, likely returning the top eight scorers from a roster that had an unexpectedly impressive season — with Bruce Pearl’s group nabbing a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance. What’s more: Several elite players who weren’t available this past season are expected to be eligible. Austin Wiley, a 6-11 sophomore who showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman could be back (if he doesn’t turn pro) and add a big boost. Then factor in Danjel Purifoy and Samir Doughty (a VCU transfer who sat out per NCAA rules) to a group of returners headlined by Mustapha Heron (16.4 ppg) and Bryce Brown (15.9 ppg). Pearl’s biggest issue will be managing all that talent.”

The Athletic: No. 7

“Auburn won the SEC’s regular-season crown this past season and lost no one to graduation. Oh, and on top of that, the Tigers will get three terrific players in that weren’t available to them this season. Austin Wiley is a former top-10 recruit who started 22 games as a freshman – averaging more than 19 points and 10 rebounds per 40 minutes – before missing this past season. Danjel Purifoy also missed games after the 6-7 wing averaged more than 11 points. Samir Doughty scored nine points a game as a freshman at VCU and should add some scoring punch off the bench. Those three, mixed with All-SEC guards Bryce Brown and Mustapha Heron, a good point guard in Jared Harper and a loaded, athletic frontcourt featuring Chuma Okeke, Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer, should lead to an absolutely monster season for the Tigers – as long as they continue to play as hard as they this past season.”

Yahoo Sports: No. 10

“Pearl elevated Auburn from the depths of the SEC to a co-regular season championship last season. Now he has a chance to keep the Tigers near the top of the SEC. Auburn could return the core of this past season’s team and add Austin Wiley, Danjel Purifoy and the VCU transfer, Samir Doughty, to the mix. Wiley, however is considering turning pro, as is Mustapha Heron after leading the Tigers in scoring last season. If Jared Harper, Bryce Brown and Heron all come back, Auburn would once again boast one of the SEC’s most formidable backcourts. Wiley would provide the size and interior scoring the Tigers lacked this past season, but even if he goes, a healthy Anfernee McLemore will alleviate a lot of the rim protection and rebounding issues Auburn faced at the end of this past season.”

Sporting News: No. 11

“The Tigers didn’t have a single senior on their roster this season, but they do have a couple players weighing NBA decisions. Mustapha Heron (16.4 points per game) could make the jump, and Austin Wiley will test the NBA waters, too. Danjel Purifoy says he'll be back after sitting out the mandated 30 percent of Auburn's games next season. And with Bryce Brown (15.9), Jared Harper (13.2) and Desean Murray (10.1) expected back, the Tigers will be an SEC contender again.”

http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040318aac.html

 

[aujeff11 6,243]

10 minutes ago, rexbo said:

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22966716/college-basketball-way-too-early-top-25-rankings-2018-19

I know we return pretty much everyone but I was thinking more like 10 or 12, not 5...

We are a basketball school. CBB revolves around us.

[CullmanTiger 52]

1 hour ago, aujeff11 said:

We are a basketball school. CBB revolves around us.

Love It

[Turd Ferguson 38]

I like it!  3 SEC schools in the Top 10.  

[RunInRed 16,372]

 

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,290]

This is garbage. It's no different than football. Some media talking head just wants to be able to say "I told you so" when we do well.

I liked it when we were under the radar.

[AUFAN78 3,892]

Wiley and Heron are key to these rankings. Bring them back and we have a real shot IMO. 

I should have added the most important person, Coach Bruce Pearl.

[GwillMac6 20,657]

6 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

This is garbage. It's no different than football. Some media talking head just wants to be able to say "I told you so" when we do well.

I liked it when we were under the radar.

NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What we are not going to do is this. We as Auburn people HAVE GOT TO STOP embracing the underdog role and wanting to constantly be in that role. In football We are not some spunky upstart mediocre program like say a south carolina who's attitude is AWWWWWWWWWW SHUCKS and aspries to be 8-4. And as long as bruce pearl is here we are not the underdog either anymore in basketball. We need to get used to being the hunted AND START LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS and win when everyone expects us to. WOOO LETS GO!!!! WAR EAGLE BABY!!!!  THIS RANT IS NOT OVER! I am just taking a break!!!! lol @fredst gif me brother! hahahaha.

[fredst 9,064]

1 hour ago, GwillMac6 said:

NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What we are not going to do is this. We as Auburn people HAVE GOT TO STOP embracing the underdog role and wanting to constantly be in that role. In football We are not some spunky upstart mediocre program like say a south carolina who's attitude is AWWWWWWWWWW SHUCKS and aspries to be 8-4. And as long as bruce pearl is here we are not the underdog either anymore. We need to get used to being the hunted AND START LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS and win when everyone expects us to. WOOO LETS GO!!!! WAR EAGLE BABY!!!!  THIS RANT IS NOT OVER! I am just taking a break!!!! lol @fredst gif me brother! hahahaha.

 

[GwillMac6 20,657]

37 minutes ago, fredst said:

 

HAHAHAAHA OMGSH THIS IS EVERYTHING!!!!! PERFECT mr fred. YOU MY BEEEEEEEEEEEST FRAAAAAAAAAAAND! lol and for the record. YOU RULE!!!!!!

[auburnphan 6,050]

3 hours ago, AUFAN78 said:

Wiley and Heron are key to these rankings. Bring them back and we have a real shot IMO. 

I should have added the most important person, Coach Bruce Pearl.

Actually these rankings and what they can accomplish are the key to returning the roster!!!

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,290]

13 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What we are not going to do is this. We as Auburn people HAVE GOT TO STOP embracing the underdog role and wanting to constantly be in that role. In football We are not some spunky upstart mediocre program like say a south carolina who's attitude is AWWWWWWWWWW SHUCKS and aspries to be 8-4. And as long as bruce pearl is here we are not the underdog either anymore in basketball. We need to get used to being the hunted AND START LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS and win when everyone expects us to. WOOO LETS GO!!!! WAR EAGLE BABY!!!!  THIS RANT IS NOT OVER! I am just taking a break!!!! lol @fredst gif me brother! hahahaha.

When has Auburn, in any sport, EVER lived up to hype? It's what we do- come from the shadows and pounce like Tigers. 

 

I'm OK with that.

[auburnphan 6,050]

26 minutes ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

When has Auburn, in any sport, EVER lived up to hype? It's what we do- come from the shadows and pounce like Tigers. 

 

I'm OK with that.

Equestrian??

Swimming & Diving under Marsh.

Solid point made.  The chemistry on and off the court with these guys is pretty tight.  I think these pre-season rankings will only help in keeping the rest of the team together and not pursue the NBA this year.  They have the chance to do something special, a once in a life time opportunity for them and they know it.

[gravejd 3,269]

45 minutes ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

When has Auburn, in any sport, EVER lived up to hype? It's what we do- come from the shadows and pounce like Tigers. 

 

I'm OK with that.

No doubt.....i used to be like GWILL and hate the underdog attitude but its a fact in my mind at this point. AU does not do well when expected to do well. But if we are expected to suck then better watch out!

Love the excitement we have going into next season. We really need Wiley to come back for me to get on board with top 10 team idea. I think we can be a top 25 team without him but you have to be pretty elite to be considered top 10 to me. We'll have to find a way to capture that chemistry this team had through the first 20ish games of the year. Don't know if i've ever seen an AU team gel quite like they did. 

[lutzcammed 469]

18 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

This is garbage. It's no different than football. Some media talking head just wants to be able to say "I told you so" when we do well.

I liked it when we were under the radar.

I don' ever want to be under the radar again.

[Tiger 8,818]

Bruce has been stopping bad Auburn trends and streaks since he's been here and, as a winner his entire career, I am not even worried one bit about our ability to sustain success. This is Bruce Pearl we are talking about. Look where he had Tennessee. That is where he's taking us. Embrace it because as long as Bruce is here we are going to be in the top 15 conversation annually, minus a rebuilding year here and there.

[auburnphan 6,050]

2 hours ago, auburnphan said:

Equestrian??

Swimming & Diving under Marsh.

Solid point made.  The chemistry on and off the court with these guys is pretty tight.  I think these pre-season rankings will only help in keeping the rest of the team together and not pursue the NBA this year.  They have the chance to do something special, a once in a life time opportunity for them and they know it.

there went that theory Heron going pro

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Just now, auburnphan said:

there went that theory Heron going pro

Odd decision. He not gonna get drafted unless he turns into a monster at the combine 

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

27 minutes ago, tigerbrotha12 said:

Odd decision. He not gonna get drafted unless he turns into a monster at the combine 

Which means overseas he goes. 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

7 minutes ago, WarEagle1983 said:

Which means overseas he goes. 

Which means no NBA and no “living out his dream of playing basketball at the highest level.” 

[gravejd 3,269]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say losing Heron isn't a back breaker for us next season. He is a great player and might have been or best individual player but i don't think his contributions are irreplaceable. I for sure wish he would have stayed and we now have a hole to fill but i think we have the players to do it.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

14 minutes ago, gravejd said:

I'm going to go out on a limb and say losing Heron isn't a back breaker for us next season. He is a great player and might have been or best individual player but i don't think his contributions are irreplaceable. I for sure wish he would have stayed and we now have a hole to fill but i think we have the players to do it.

I can mostly agree with this statement; especially if Wiley comes back. IMO he's the key to us being an elite team. Heron will be missed but we desperately need to add 1-2 bigs to be a top 10 team. 

[Tiger 8,818]

WHY DOES DANJEL GET NO LOVE? He will be more than an adequate replacement. He started alongside Heron when they were freshman. We are going to be fine in that regard. Losing Davion will be much harder to recover from IMO. And that's not to disparage Heron at all, it's just we are replacing Heron with 4* with an NBA body

I was really hoping Dunbar's minutes would be all but eliminated from the rotation with Danjel's insertion into the lineup but looks like he will continue to get his 12-15 mpg.

[GwillMac6 20,657]

3 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

When has Auburn, in any sport, EVER lived up to hype? It's what we do- come from the shadows and pounce like Tigers. 

 

I'm OK with that.

AND WITH THAT ATTITUDE WE NEVER WILL!!!!!! I am so over being the underdog!!!! Our historical success in football does not read that of a frickin underdog. I WANT TO LIVE UP TO THE HYPE!!!!! TRUST ME we all are aware of our past shortcomings when we have had hype.  We are a fringe top 10 program all time in football. We should be living up to the got dang hype by now. And as I said before as long as Bruce Pearl is here we are not the underdog program anymore. WAR EAGLE BABY!!!!!!