Men vs. Kentucky Game Thread

[TigerPaw1 0]

I will say this I liked the fact that they didn't lay down. Last time against UK and even Vandy it appeared they just rolled over a died. Hopefully this intensity and anger they seem to be playing with will continue. Arkansas is a terrible road team so we can do it Wednesday if the team shows up. I am far from a Barbee lover but it does appear he is at least giving these guys some serious reality checks and trying to get these guys to play harder.

The biggest issue I have with Barbee is he isn't retaining players well. I mean guys like Payne and Denson have actually got a lot better while at Auburn. If we can keep Green, Price, Johnson, and Granger all 4 years I think you would see a solid product. The issues seems to be kids dont want to stay here which is a real cause for concern

I'm not sure how you draw that conclusion when nobody outside of the player and the coaching staff/administration knows why those players were dismissed or left. It seems like you are jumping to a conclusion without any foundation for it. I think a larger part of it is the culture that surrounds incoming collegiate athletes (in all sports). They think for whatever reason they are above the rules. That's a much more likely situation than the kids just don't want to stay here. Sure there are occasionally personality conflicts which is what I believe there was with Ernest Ross and that's why he wanted to transfer when Barbee was hired. But to label every player that leaves the program as kids that don't want to be here is a major reach and speculation, IMO.

I do agree that if we can keep the players we currently have as well as the incoming players that have signed, we can be very good in the near future.

I guess it is a bit of a jump but considering we have lost a large number of barbee recruits I dont think it is completely unreasonable. I would say koussai and moreno (I think thats his name) didnt want to be here when they basically said so leaving. Look we can spin it anyway we want the bottom line is we have not been keeping players. If that trend continues then barbee will be out of the job. If he can keep this freshman group on campus we should have a shot at being a better program soon

[IronMan70 3,277]

Why leave Sullivan on the bench the last 10 minutes ? Yell at him fine, sit him for a minute fine. But, if you aren't going to try to win the game, why play it ? We didn't go there for Barbee to look good to his buddy Calipari.

Did you see the game? He just was not running the offense, wild shots and turnovers and flagrant foul. TB gave him a couple chances and then gave up on him. I don't blame TB on that decisikn.

Luckily I was able to watch every minute of it even up here in Virginia. I hear you and as I said, let him clear his head. But, I don't think you sit the #1 scorer on your team, as well as the #3 scorer in the SEC at that time, for the entire last 10 minutes of the game if you want to win.

[AU64 10,122]

My recollection is that TB gave him a couple chances to get his head in the game after some free-lancing on drives, etc. etc. But the final straw was the turnover and then the flagrant foul afterward that really hurt the team. He was forcing shots and not moving the ball around to keep the other guys in the game...which seems to cause the rest of the team to start standing around.

I like FS and admire what he has done for AU but maybe it the pressure of the losses or who knows? .....but he just doesn't seem to be the same guy he was and is not providing the leadership the young guys need. I don't see him spending the end of the game on the bench as an indication that TB had given up. They team played hard for the full 40 minutes and IMO, JS on the bench did not hurt them....which is too bad.

[minister of music 0]

I watched the game and Frankie played like a freshman and lost his composure. He NEEDED TO SIT,REGARDLESS. He challenged Barbee and refused to listen. That said, we were outmatched,outplayed and could have been beaten by much more than 10 points. Calliperi(sp) reeled the big dogs in and let his 2 big men play down the stretch. This team is still so far behind all other teams as far as team play goes. Denson is the only one who has an inkling with what to do with the ball when he gets it. The rest have talent, but are not being coached(my opinion).... I am ready to see the end of Barbee.