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Auburn #60


Justin5

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http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/conten...&CID=700849

Backcourt

All five starters return for the second season in a row, including the guard trio of Quantez Robertson, Rasheem Barrett and Frank Tolbert.

AUBURN TIGERS

Josh Dollard and the forwards will be the focus of the Auburn offense.

Probable Starting Five

G Quantez Robertson (8.2 ppg, 5.1 apg)

G Rasheem Barrett (11.0 ppg)

G Frank Tolbert (11.8 ppg)

F Korvotney Barber (11.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

F Josh Dollard (12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

Top Reserves

F Quan Prowell (11.4 ppg)

G DeWayne Reed (5.4 ppg)

Robertson, a rising junior, has started all 60 games since arriving on campus. He has more assists in his first two seasons than any other player in Tigers history. He also led the team in steals and minutes played.

Barrett dropped off from his first year. He made the Freshman All-SEC team two seasons ago. His shooting percentages from the field, the free-throw line and the 3-point line all dipped by at least 8 percent. "Rasheem had a tough year last year," coach Jeff Lebo said. "We hope he has a year like he had his freshman year, maybe even better than that." Barrett, a senior, has steadily improved in his time on The Plains and is one of the most athletic guards in the SEC.

DeWayne Reed was a Freshman All-SEC selection who can play either guard spot.

Frontcourt

In Korvotney Barber, Josh Dollard and Quan Prowell, the Tigers have a nice rotation of interchangeable forwards. They all are athletic and run well, and all three of them can finish at the rim.

Prowell is the best of them from the outside (35 of 81 on 3-pointers to lead the team at a 43.2-percent clip). He also played well this summer on an SEC select team that toured China.

Barber gets his points on the inside (60.7 percent shooting, no 3s attempted). Dollard emerged as the leading scorer, averaging 14.4 ppg over the last 13 games.

Freshman Boubacar Sylla is the tallest player in Auburn history at 7-1. He won't be counted on too much early, but he could provide a defensive presence Auburn has lacked the past couple of seasons.

Offense

Lebo wants to play fast. He has the horses to do it, too, because he has players who can run and jump with anybody.

The first options are working the ball inside to Barber and Dollard because the Tigers were the worst 3-point shooting team in the SEC last season. Their guards often have a size advantage, but they lack some quickness.

Teams will dare Auburn to make outside shots, something it will have to prove it can do better this season. The guy who needs to turn it up in the perimeter shooting category is Barrett.

The Tigers also were the worst free-throw shooting team in the SEC (63.1 percent).

Defense

The Tigers are primarily a man-to-man team, but they do mix in some zone. They were one of the worst defensive teams in the SEC last season (10th in field-goal percentage defense, last in 3-point field-goal percentage defense, 11th in scoring defense).

All of the guards will have to defend better on the perimeter, and Tolbert has to be less aggressive (he fouled out eight times in 32 games). They do a decent enough job on the boards when they can force the opposition to miss.

Outlook with postseason forecast

Lebo's bunch got a jump on the season with 10 days of practice and a trip to Mexico for an exhibition tour in August. Oftentimes such trips prove to be invaluable. They allow a team to build chemistry in a relaxed environment and give a coach a chance to try new things without the bright lights. Barrett scored 26 points in the first game on the trip, and that can only boost his confidence. If Barber and Dollard continue to improve at the pace they have to this point, that would go a long way toward moving the Tigers up the standings in the SEC West. Lebo also has to get his team to play better defense. It doesn't have to be good, just better than bottom three in the league. If that happens, an NCAA bid is a possibility. More likely this is an NIT team that will look improved on the court but maybe not in the standings.

Shoes to Fill

None.

Must Step Up

Barber. The former four-star prospect and McDonald's All-American showed significant improvement in every category from his freshman to sophomore season. He raised his scoring average from 6.8 points to 11.3 points and his rebounding average from 4.8 to 6.6.

The problem is, if he has a player beaten in the post it's much safer to foul him than let him get the ball anywhere near the rim. Barber is a 42.6 percent shooter at the line in his college career.

Impact Newcomer

None.

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