Alabama Game

[dave69 1]

Let me say first that I think that coach Barbee is the best basketball coach Auburn has had since Sonny Smith.  Secondly, Barbee is an outstanding defensive coach, which I also applaud (and I think he is the best thing to happen to Auburn basketball in a long, long, time).  But I would like to share a couple of my observations about this team:

1. Any player who scores less than 70% on free throws should be required to spend 2 hours a day shooting free throws.  And don't be afraid to experiment.  100% of free throws in college and the pros are attempted with the set shot.  The set shot was very common in the 50's.  Since then the most accuracy in basketball has come from the jump shot.  I am 69 years old and in my lifetime I have never seen anyone attempt a jump shot from the free-throw line.  Why not try it?

2. Any player who attempts an off-balance overhand push shot (straight at the basket) from 5 to 8 feet out should be kicked in the liver from everyone on the team.  That is the lowest percentage shot in the game, by far.  I would rather see someone attempt a half-court shot.

Believe me this is intended as constructive criticism.  There is noone who wants Auburn to suceed more than I.  Also, please don't consider this a critisism of coach Barbee.  As I said previously, I think he has Auburn going in the right direction and I love what he is doing for Auburn basketball.

WDE

[AUTUmike 79]

Let me say first that I think that coach Barbee is the best basketball coach Auburn has had since Sonny Smith.  Secondly, Barbee is an outstanding defensive coach, which I also applaud (and I think he is the best thing to happen to Auburn basketball in a long, long, time).  But I would like to share a couple of my observations about this team:

1. Any player who scores less than 70% on free throws should be required to spend 2 hours a day shooting free throws.  And don't be afraid to experiment.  100% of free throws in college and the pros are attempted with the set shot.  The set shot was very common in the 50's.  Since then the most accuracy in basketball has come from the jump shot.  I am 69 years old and in my lifetime I have never seen anyone attempt a jump shot from the free-throw line.  Why not try it?

2. Any player who attempts an off-balance overhand push shot (straight at the basket) from 5 to 8 feet out should be kicked in the liver from everyone on the team.  That is the lowest percentage shot in the game, by far.  I would rather see someone attempt a half-court shot.

Believe me this is intended as constructive criticism.  There is noone who wants Auburn to suceed more than I.  Also, please don't consider this a critisism of coach Barbee.  As I said previously, I think he has Auburn going in the right direction and I love what he is doing for Auburn basketball.

WDE

I'm with you here. Until a few years ago I actually thought it was a rule that a free throw had to be a set shot. I think Nick Van Exel used to shoot his FTs from a few feet behind the line and I've seen others shoot an offset FT. Anything but what we're doing.

[au03cobrafan 0]

Let me say first that I think that coach Barbee is the best basketball coach Auburn has had since Sonny Smith. 

Cliff Ellis rarely had teams this bad.  I do think Barbee is bringing in a lot of talent so he may actually be as good as Ellis once he gets some talent.

[GoBull367 0]

Let me say first that I think that coach Barbee is the best basketball coach Auburn has had since Sonny Smith. 

Cliff Ellis rarely had teams this bad.  I do think Barbee is bringing in a lot of talent so he may actually be as good as Ellis once he gets some talent.

I don't know much about the history of Auburn basketball, but I believe that Barbee is the right man for the job. 

[danno 2]

I was at the game and I cannot ever remember seeing officiating that bad. No doubt we made alot of mistakes but it appeared to me that the refs took the desire right out of the team. They never looked like they were in it mentally in the second half. We have got to work on free throws.

[AuburnKev 15]

So disapointing to play flat against your biggest rival. The only way to make this up to the fans is to return the favor in Tuscaloosa. 

[AU64 10,122]

Well....that was bad ! 

JMO but the officials cut the heart out of our team during a 5 or 6 minute stretch in the first half with a series of BS calls and Barbee just could not get them focused again.  Sure the fundamentals were bad but despite that, it was a good game until the refs took control.  The old turnover and foul shooting problems returned for this game after several games that were pretty sound....but we know the Tigers can play better.   

But, that's only one game and the kids have another at Ole Miss in just a few days.  I hope they can shake this one off and be ready to play.  The NIT is still not out of the question.

[auriptide 0]

So disapointing to play flat against your biggest rival. The only way to make this up to the fans is to return the favor in Tuscaloosa. 

This was a HUGE loss for two reasons.

#1 It's our in-state rival and you want to win at home.

#2 Barbee is trying to build a fanbase and getting beat down at home by bama, isn't going to help.

[au_weagle 0]

So disapointing to play flat against your biggest rival. The only way to make this up to the fans is to return the favor in Tuscaloosa. 

This was a HUGE loss for two reasons.

#1 It's our in-state rival and you want win at home.

#2 Barbee is trying to build a fanbase and getting beat down at home by bama, isn't going to help.

This.

[Blue_Sky 0]

Well....that was bad !   

JMO but the officials cut the heart out of our team during a 5 or 6 minute stretch in the first half with a series of BS calls and Barbee just could not get them focused again.   Sure the fundamentals were bad but despite that, it was a good game until the refs took control.   The old turnover and foul shooting problems returned for this game after several games that were pretty sound....but we know the Tigers can play better.   

But, that's only one game and the kids have another at Ole Miss in just a few days.   I hope they can shake this one off and be ready to play.   The NIT is still not out of the question.

Agree! Looked to me like that was the intent of the officials. Put us down and pump up bammer. I hope that CB files a complaint on the officials.

[aubgregg 0]

Agree that the officiating sucked and that Coach B is the right man for the job. Problem is until we get more talent and better shooters we are going to have a lot of games like this. We usually play great defense but when we have games where we go 5 to 8 minutes without a basket like we have done several times this year, it doesn't matter how good your defense is. I believe better days are ahead if CB gets enough time to turn this around. JMO. WDE!

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

Can we stop complaining about the officials please.  The technicals on the dunks were bad calls in my opinion, but the rest of the game was pretty balanced overall (we shot more free throws than they did).  Plain and simple their players are better and played better last night. 

I made the drive from Birmingham with some friends and saw first hand that we simply aren't there yet.  Ward played awful.  More turnovers than points and assists combined.  That can't happen.  Chubb came out blazing and we never got him the ball again, he literally took 2 shots after he opened the game on fire. Gabriel and Sullivan were both pretty solid at times, but it is clear they need a point guard to set up their offensive game, and we simply don't have one we can count on right now.  I know Ward has issues with injury, and he was likely fatigued after his great effort against MSU, but his stat line simply can't happen if you want to win games.  Forbes and Wallace played hard, but are simply limited in their basketball skills.  Denson and Payne were there, which is more than can be said for Noel Johnson, who didn't appear to be anywhere.

Chubb is the player we need to be on the court in order to win, his production doesn't have to be great, but we don't have another offensive or defensive player that can replace him.  However, production wise, for our offense to go we NEED Ward.  He is the guy the others look to create. So he goes, we go.

I think his leg is still healing and getting stronger and hopefully the off season will provide an opportunity to get closer to his former self.

[AUFightingSoldiers 685]

I have to disagree about the officiating.  The only reason the rest of the game was more balanced is because they know they hosed us in the first half.  Them calling calling techs is one thing.  What they called therm for is another thing.  But the timing was the worst part.  Any time we would make a run and get some energy going, we would get a tech.  I'm told the officials this last night, and I know he heard me because he looked... I said, "None of you were ready to ref a game like this tonight.  Since YOU weren't ready, the only way to make the game what you expected is to call techs for absolutely nothing.  SEC official is the only job on earth you can suck at and not get fired."

[keesler 5,924]

I was surprised that the arena wasn't packed out for this game.  Of course the student sections were jam packed, but the fan section behind the players bench was only about 40% full when the game started and fans started leaving in droves when the bammer scoring got out of hand.

As tough as it was to watch, I stayed til the bitter end.

The officiating in the first half sucked.  Officiating aside, we played poorly.  FT shooting has to improve and the sloppy play won't get this team anywhere if they don't shape up real quick.  I feel like an invite to the NIT this season would show that improvements have been made, i guess we'll just have to wait & see how everything pans out for the rest of the season.  WDE

[juscAUse 1]

Someone should tell Frankie Sullivan to check his shooting stats from 8ft to 15ft against his 3 pt stats. You CAN score on something other than a 3 and a dunk. A running jumper from 6 ft beats a ball smacked off your head any day,and Ward,Sully, etc. should try it,especially when the refs are calling the game differently on opposite ends of the court. Also,a lost fundamental part of the game is recognizing the hot shooter. Once you do,you can't leave him. His shooting % for the year no longer matters. He's hot NOW and you have to stay with him,and yes, I do know we were in a zone and bammer had not shot that well all year.

[AUFightingSoldiers 685]

I guess the part that made me the most upset at the officials was them T-ing us up for everything, and then joking around with Anthony Grant when he is half way up the court yelling at them.

[TigerPaw1 0]

One thing I continue to find disturbing is the fact that we cannot break the press. In fact I'm not sure we have a press break play. We simply take our wing guys and tell them to get free and then pass it to the point guard and hope he breaks the press. The dumbest strategy I have ever seen... 

Also Noel Johnson needs to grow a pair or sit on the bench for the rest of the season. He refuses to block out and twice got whipped on loose balls. Also why are out big men so weak down low? Forbes is the toughest and thats not saying much. In all honesty we can whine about that awful stretch of officiating but in the end we lost because of turnovers and free throws and no matter how many techs were called we aren't gonna win playing like we did

[keesler 5,924]

One thing I continue to find disturbing is the fact that we cannot break the press. In fact I'm not sure we have a press break play. We simply take our wing guys and tell them to get free and then pass it to the point guard and hope he breaks the press. The dumbest strategy I have ever seen... 

Also Noel Johnson needs to grow a pair or sit on the bench for the rest of the season. He refuses to block out and twice got whipped on loose balls. Also why are out big men so weak down low? Forbes is the toughest and thats not saying much. In all honesty we can whine about that awful stretch of officiating but in the end we lost because of turnovers and free throws and no matter how many techs were called we aren't gonna win playing like we did

I agree, we can say what we want about the refs crappy officiating, etc.  But, we got whipped because or guys played crappy.  Free throw shooting sucked again, the turnovers and poor defense that was played last night is disappointing.

[jwmboom7 0]

How was the crowd last night? Was the arena close to full? TIA

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

How was the crowd last night? Was the arena close to full? TIA

Crowd was loud at times, but not full.  I would say 80% capacity or so.  The student section was full and loud most of the game.  There were very few Alabama fans there as well.  It was disappointing to see so much of the crowd leave early.  Felt bad for the players at that point of the game.

That being said, that is a great place to watch a basketball game.