Behind 8-3 late in game 2 so it definitely did not get better. These opening 4 series are just brutal. I know the boys rebounded from a slow start/tough schedule last year, but I just get the feeling this could be a rebuilding year. Would love Power and the more baseball-informed on the board to talk me off the mini-ledge though; after all, it is a road series against number 9. Take one on the road series, two on the home series is always a good SEC outcome.
Basketball is such a crap shoot, over 300 D-1 teams compared to NCAAF where the power 5 dynamic features about 60 teams whereby only 20-30 can truly win a championship.
I disagree with you on the "slipping away from a potential championship." I think it's obvious this team's ceiling probably isn't championship, but Auburn basketball is becoming a perennial top 4 SEC team; you have to have that reputation to keep the recruiting cycles going to hope to catch lightning in a bottle. One great point guard or two good shooters away from making another 2019 run in either 2025-2026. I still think this team ends up in the Sweet 16 though.
Hope Jaylin's ok but that didn't look good at all. With the road ahead though, a 13-5 final conference record is likely. Win one or two in the SEC tourney and that 4-seed line should be solid. Otherwise, a 5 seed with the right 4-seed opponent in the round of 32.
Pattern this year of running sets off ball screens to claw back into games, and then taking ill-advised threes 10 seconds into the shot clock to try and land a hype moment just when they're in striking distance.
One more run should give us the lead...lets go
Hope to be proven wrong, but I've gone out of "The young point guard is in a slump" into "Yikes, this looks like a complete bust of a signing" territory
Curses usually at least have cool stories. Can we trace the curse at the O-Dome back to anything cool? Did Wes Byrum's Gator chomp anger the basketball gods lol?
SEC Road teams are 26-37 on the road in conference. Auburn is 3-3. I get it's frustrating to acknowledge it as anything but an excuse, especially when AU is getting boat-raced, but it is what it is.
It's not like we're watching a highly-touted team fail to meet lofty offseason expectations. We appear to be what many thought we were, an upper middle place team in the conference. "Sky is falling" if you will, but just hope the guards get lukewarm in March, get a good matchup in the NCAA tourney as a 6-seed to make a Sweet-16 and keep momentum with the program.
Admittedly, I havent kept up with the program, but know they've spent a good amount of time in the top 20 the last couple of years. This release from the AD reads to me like something unpleasant happened...any insights?
@AUGoldMine
From Auburn Athletics... Auburn Athletics has made a change in leadership within the women’s tennis program. Effective immediately, Caroline Lilley will no longer lead the women’s tennis program. “The program will be under the direction of members of the men’s and women’s tennis staff on an interim basis, as the search for a permanent replacement begins. We will work closely with members of our tennis staff to ensure they have all the resources necessary to support our student athletes throughout the remainder of the 2024 season” said Director of Athletics John Cohen on Sunday.
Looking forward to February 16! Just noticed our Conference Schedule though...
at Vanderbilt, Arkansas, at TAMU, UTenn, UK, at MSU, at LSU, Ole Miss, at Mizzou, Alabama
Another strong competition year in the conference!