Florida St. Game

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

Cant blame the coach for this one guys.  This is an attitude issue, and those take time to change.  we are more talented this season, and have more coming next season so i like where we are headed.  It it obvious that CTB is trying to change these kids mindsets, sometimes it takes getting embarrassed.  Give the man three full seasons and we can evaluate, so far we are improved over last season.  Time will tell.

As for  the players themselves, most of the guys coming off injuries don't seem back to normal.  There are obvious chemistry issues in the half court and not enough intensity on defense.  Chemistry takes time, intensity doesn't.  I don't think everyone has bought in at the moment, we'll see if CTB can pull them together. 

[mustache eagle 2,412]

Cant blame the coach for this one guys.  This is an attitude issue, and those take time to change.  we are more talented this season, and have more coming next season so i like where we are headed.  It it obvious that CTB is trying to change these kids mindsets, sometimes it takes getting embarrassed.  Give the man three full seasons and we can evaluate, so far we are improved over last season.  Time will tell.

As for  the players themselves, most of the guys coming off injuries don't seem back to normal.  There are obvious chemistry issues in the half court and not enough intensity on defense.  Chemistry takes time, intensity doesn't.  I don't think everyone has bought in at the moment, we'll see if CTB can pull them together. 

we will have 4 (maybe 5) new barbee recruits/(transfers) in next year.  at that point barbee will have the talented depth to allow him to thump, sit, boot, cuss or whatever he needs to do to players to motivate them or replace them.  I bet you some of these guys are going to have some serious gut check issues in the future.  the scholly numbers already show 1 or 2 existing guys wont be here next year.  the seniors leaving versus new recruits/transfers dont add up.  unless we get a couple of unexpected guys to jump ship (nba or other wise)

[AuburnBasketball 0]

Cant blame the coach for this one guys.  This is an attitude issue, and those take time to change.  we are more talented this season, and have more coming next season so i like where we are headed.  It it obvious that CTB is trying to change these kids mindsets, sometimes it takes getting embarrassed.  Give the man three full seasons and we can evaluate, so far we are improved over last season.  Time will tell.

As for  the players themselves, most of the guys coming off injuries don't seem back to normal.  There are obvious chemistry issues in the half court and not enough intensity on defense.  Chemistry takes time, intensity doesn't.  I don't think everyone has bought in at the moment, we'll see if CTB can pull them together. 

I agree with all of this

[jwmboom7 0]

Okay, this might take some space, so here goes...this FSU team, sans their 1st round NBA pick Chris what's his face from last yr's team, obviously remembered their crappy performance against an inferior AU team last year and took care of their business to the embarrassment of AU.  This team looks like they have no heart, no desire to compete once things get tougher than the vaunted Bethune-Cookman's and Flordia A&M's of the world at Auburn Arena.  They absolutely fall apart.  Happened at SH, in Hawaii, and now in Tallahassee.  This team obviously is just a bunch of un-connected parts that doesn't really know what they're ultimately trying to do (win a bball game) or how to really go about doing it.  They don't have an understanding of team basketball at the D1 level; they didn't last year and they don't this year.  I know CTB is an articulate, knowledgeable professional, but what he's saying and doing is not working with these players. 

What happened to Frankie Sullivan?  Under Lebo, he was setting himself up as a future team leader/SEC star his Frosh and Soph yrs.  He led the SEC in free throw % his soph yr. and he had some SWEET moves.  I know the blown knee was tough last year, but his lack of production to me is, quite frankly, shocking, and it makes me think that this team's players don't respect or respond to CTB's coaching style.  We definitely needed to let Coach Lebo go and find a replacement that would work, but in 1.5 yrs now, I just don't see an improvement.  I mean, if we had a premiere coach like Coach K., Pitino, Donovan, etc., do you think this same team of players would look this terrible at this point in?  I don't think so.  I don't expect to have as poor a performance for the rest of this bball season by this AU team, but that's not saying much, b/c it frankly couldn't get worse than tonight. 

So, having said this, is the problem that the players don't like/respect CTB as coach or as a person, and they're just not coming together under his leadership, and the result is the weak product displayed on the hardwood?  Or is it a matter of Coach Barbee just not having enough of "his" players to work with (see the attrition of Coach Ellis' players Lebo's 1st couple of yrs.)?  Something is terribly off in the men's BB "program," and it shows.  Whether it's this week, this season, or whenever, for AU to get any better, their mindset has to completely do a 180, and I'm at a loss for how or when that's going to happen.  A historical triple-double didn't do it; getting back Noel Johnson and Varez Ward didn't do it; getting back a "healthy" Frankie Sullivan didn't do it.  Having a cupcake non-conf. schedule mostly at home hasn't done it.

I am sincerely at the point where I now have real doubts re: Coach Barbee's ability to break through with men's basketball at Auburn.  It is still way too early for a final verdict, but evidence is there that it just might not be a good fit at Auburn.  Zero real improvement over a season and a half gives serious reason to wonder.  War Eagle.

You're crazy if you think Barbee isn't right for this job. These players have not had a chance to mold together yet. Not only that, Frankie, Noel, and Varez all haven't played competively in a year.

Name calling is 1 way to go, but please provide ample evidence to support your claim that Barbee has proved to you that he is right for the job.  BTW, I don't think he's definitely NOT right for the job (too early to make that call, and I said that)--he may turn things completely around, and I truly hope he does, but please don't read my post and just shoot back with "I'm crazy if I have this or that opinion," and then fail to provide your own detailed reasons why you think you're more correct. 

Re: your input, yes, the 3 contributors you mentioned have, as it turns out, all dealt with injuries to come back from, and VW and NJ dealt with the transfer sit-a-year rule.  Sitting out a year doesn't mean being shackled in a Philippine guerilla prison hut for a year and a half without the ability to practice, learn, be coached, etc.  The year off should have provided them an opp. to mold/meld with CTB and their teammates.  This is basketball--it doesn't take months and dozens of "competitive" games to "gel" if you're going to work together.  So, the "team hasn't had a chance to mold together (after dozens of practices, conditioning workouts, etc. and 14 games into the season)" and because 3 players "haven't played much/at all competitively in over a year" just doesn't hold much water with me.

Thanks for your opinion, which I respect greatly, and for commenting on mine.  We ALL hope the season turns around against a consistently tougher conference schedule!  WE!

We have improved greatly since last season. We have won 10 games already (a lot earlier than last year), and we have played a tougher non-conference, even though it is still really weak. We have not lost to multiple FCS opponents this year like last. Also, if you look at Barbee's years a UTEP, every season his teams progressively got better, and they won more games. We have to give him at least 4 or 5 years to have a really good look at how he is as a coach. We started a walk-on point guard last year. How are you suppose to win with that? Even the best of the best cannot win with that. Just give him time. He is a very good coach, and the program is in good hands. He was very successful at UTEP and he will be very successful here, i can assure you. Sorry, about my first remark. 

[tigeraddikt 1,616]

I admire your confidence in Coach Barbee and your optimism.  I'll just temper my expectations some and enjoy the areas of improvement we do hopefully see week-to-week.  I just get rankled when we get embarrassed on the court and this awesome message board lets me vent some.  Thanks for your counter-points.  Have an awesome weekend, and War Eagle, boomer!

[mustache eagle 2,412]

did i read earlier today (maybe yesterday) where barbee even commented that last year's team played better D  ...  and he reiterated, yet again, that this team needs to play tougher.  i believe it was along side barbee's commits about the need for communication.  barbee has been telling the guys what they need to do and is now saying it in the media and has called out players (earlier in the season).  will these guys listen to him or is he being unreasonable?

[AuburnNTexas 7,162]

A little realism needs to be done here.  We have a Center Chubb who was an after though that through hard work has improved but at best should be a backup center proving a few minutes of releif for the starting Center. His backup Koussai is athletic good shot blocker no meat so no rebounding and does not yet have an oofensive presence.

Langford and Gabriel have some Talent.  Starting Guards have been out for between 1 and 2 years. Noel Johnson was hurt to much to practice with team most of season. Denson has played pretty well.

So we have starting point guard who is rusty, same with starting shooting guard weak centers Koussai has potential for future.  Most of this team has not had much time playing together. Good D is about playing hard but it is also about playing together and knowing what other player will do. This all takes time. 

I believe our talent is better than last year but we do not have enough good to great players to be able to compete at highest levels yet.  Let this season go and watch how team improves. While Barbee praises intensity of last years team. They didn't start that way remember first half of last yearthey sucked but they improved.

As low as we were before Barbee it will take at least 3 years to be competitive and 4-5 years to be good. Great players want to go to teams that have a history of winning and putting players in the pro's. It has been years since Auburn did that. It takes time to build that type of program.

Have patience and give Coach a chance.