Men vs Arkansas Game Thread

[Tigerfinz 1,363]

This is a really big win. Auburn has had about as much success in Bud Walton arena as it has at Vanderbilt and Florida.  We were fortunate to get the win, but they played about as good as they could have expected, while we still had an average game.  That place is raucous and intimidating.  Doughty and McCormick played very well tonight, minus a few boneheaded plays.  They are the reason we won. Glad I can go to sleep with a win! 

[slyinsocal 831]

1 minute ago, Hopsing said:

This loser whining mentality is getting old by fan bases! I guess every fan thinks even their mediocre teams should be undefeated! And the Kentucky fans think they should be undefeated forever. They are the Baja of sec b-ball!

Fouls - Auburn 23, Arkansas 22. Both teams had a player foul out. Auburn 5 players in double figures. Arky with 3, 1 with 40 points. Gotta have better point distribution. The Arky buddy should know this.

[GwillMac6 20,744]

2 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

This was NEEDED so much! Hopefully he doesn't go back into a slump because we can't get through these next several games without him going off.

23 against UK was his most ever vs a sec team. He is THE one with okoro who should have their hands on the bball late in games and late in the shot clock!!!! J'von holding the ball for 27 seconds is infuriating. Bruce has got to put a stop to it!!! I'm losing my mind late in games seeing j'von with the ball so much!!! Lol.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,754]

13 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Huge effing win. Don't ever count these kids out

I think they create situations that allow them to remain in kicking distance. I don't think we win if Jones doesn't get banged up, definitely seems like he started pulling alot of his FTs early due to that. But otherwise, our guards having more in the tank than Sills, being able to outlast his full court sprints. He might've exerted too much during that 10+ point stretch they had. Took Wiley off the court when it was clear that the size adv just didn't mean anything positive.

I write all this but it really did come to us making shots and having made it so tough for them even when they were scoring that they were just tired. They would've collapsed if it went to another OT. That's pretty much the entire pro of Cambridge and Flanagan (who did play okay defense overall), ensuring 1-5 can get quality rest as long as one of Samir or Jvon is out there.

[JDUBB4AU 5,123]

Great win and big time effort . This win will build a lot of character . 

[doverstutts 1,643]

To old for all of these nail biters...I'll read the game thread tomorrow morning.....need sleep if possible after that

[slyinsocal 831]

Don't mind J'von having the ball at the beginning of the shot clock, but Bruce needs to have Doughty and/or Okoro coming off screens, as opposed to forcing J'von into driving all the time.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,754]

7 minutes ago, Hopsing said:

This loser whining mentality is getting old by fan bases! I guess every fan thinks even their mediocre teams should be undefeated! And the Kentucky fans think they should be undefeated forever. They are the Bama of sec b-ball!

To me, its the same thing as when some of us were complaining about fouls when it looked like we were gonna lose: there were far bigger causes. The commentators said it ad nauseam, but apparently their third best with the Joe fella out? Did nothing. All day. Sills couldnt maintain his effort. Guys lost Jvon twice in the most important part of the game. There's bigger causes than just "fouls" 

[tgrogan21 6,198]

6 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

23 against UK was his most ever vs a sec team. He is THE one with okoro who should have their hands on the bball late in games and late in the shot clock!!!! J'von holding the ball for 27 seconds is infuriating. Bruce has got to put a stop to it!!! I'm losing my mind late in games seeing j'von with the ball so much!!! Lol.

Jay G Tate has said multiple times on the Brain Drain that Pearl sends the plays in to J'von and he either doesn't hear them or doesn't do a good enough job of communicating it to everyone else. Also said Pearl has said that if he knew how to fix it he would have already done so. I love that J'von balled out in the last 5 minutes but he needs to be consistent. Still, though, I want to see Okoro taking the ball up the court every time. Just don't think J'von has the skills to be a QB for the team, unfortunately.

[slyinsocal 831]

3 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I think they create situations that allow them to remain in kicking distance. I don't think we win if Jones doesn't get banged up, definitely seems like he started pulling alot of his FTs early due to that. But otherwise, our guards having more in the tank than Sills, being able to outlast his full court sprints. He might've exerted too much during that 10+ point stretch they had. Took Wiley off the court when it was clear that the size adv just didn't mean anything positive.

I write all this but it really did come to us making shots and having made it so tough for them even when they were scoring that they were just tired. They would've collapsed if it went to another OT. That's pretty much the entire pro of Cambridge and Flanagan (who did play okay defense overall), ensuring 1-5 can get quality rest as long as one of Samir or Jvon is out there.

Wiley was effectively neutered in this game. He could not cope with their quickness. They harassed and bothered him to death. Good call to get him out.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

23 minutes ago, Eagle-1 said:

In other news, Tennessee comes back to beat Bama

As much as I love bama losing ... I wish they wouldn't. We don't need that loss to become a Q2 loss. That's a BAD loss for them.

[gr82be 14,472]

The fact that this team has been down double digits in quite a few games and fought back to win all but two is going to pay huge dividends in March. They don't feel they're out of any game. Scrappy lunch pail type of team is fun to watch. 

[GwillMac6 20,744]

3 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

Jay G Tate has said multiple times on the Brain Drain that Pearl sends the plays in to J'von and he either doesn't hear them or doesn't do a good enough job of communicating it to everyone else. Also said Pearl has said that if he knew how to fix it he would have already done so. I love that J'von balled out in the last 5 minutes but he needs to be consistent. Still, though, I want to see Okoro taking the ball up the court every time. Just don't think J'von has the skills to be a QB for the team, unfortunately.

Well somehow someway we managed to squeeeeeze 20 wins out of this team when our starting PG is from somewhere called Lee college!!! Lol. All haiiiiil Bruuuuuce!!! We rock out and ride fast again with cooooop coming in. Woooo!!!! This was always going to be a stop gap season at PG when Jared left early and we didn't land Tucker.

[jared52 4,354]

18 minutes ago, auburntiger1987 said:

Sounds like he didn’t watch the same game. 

He did. Everyone feels like they got jobbed by the refs every night. They were evenly bad for both teams tonight. 

[slyinsocal 831]

2 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

Jay G Tate has said multiple times on the Brain Drain that Pearl sends the plays in to J'von and he either doesn't hear them or doesn't do a good enough job of communicating it to everyone else. Also said Pearl has said that if he knew how to fix it he would have already done so. I love that J'von balled out in the last 5 minutes but he needs to be consistent. Still, though, I want to see Okoro taking the ball up the court every time. Just don't think J'von has the skills to be a QB for the team, unfortunately.

There should be some hand signals or something. I can't believe there is not an easy fix. Everyone should be looking at the bench in these end of game half court situations. Bruce has to got to stay on him. J'von should understand it actually benefits him by taking some of the pressure off of him. Get a breather once in awhile while still part of the offense. It's understandable to miss the call a few times, but man.

[jared52 4,354]

7 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

As much as I love bama losing ... I wish they wouldn't. We don't need that loss to become a Q2 loss. That's a BAD loss for them.

Nah, AU controls its own destiny at this point. uat can lose out for all I care. 😂

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

This was two teams playing with heart Arkansas really only had a six man rotation and all six played hard against a much bigger and more talented team. What I saw from Auburn was different players stepping up at different times and in different ways. Doughty carried us in first half and Okoro played a great all around game. J'von scored late when we made it despite not playing that well most of the game.  Towards the end when J'Von would stand out near half court just dribbling and dribbling I saw a lot of comments to give ball to Okoro and that J'von was killing us but I didn't see coaches telling him to move or give up the ball.  Samir and Danjel hitting some key FT's at the end.  The whole team working the Offensive boards.  5 players in double figures so had balanced scoring with Samir leading the way. Mac 11 points and 10 rebounds he gave us what Wiley has been giving us. Purifoy 10 points 9 rebounds,  J,Von 16 points and 6 rebounds,  Okoro 14 points 7 rebounds and great defense, Samir  23 points 3 rebounds and got some people in foul trouble. 

All that we win and still did not shoot that well especially from 3.

[GwillMac6 20,744]

 

[AUDub 11,184]

I both love and hate Mason Jones. Dude carried them. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,754]

13 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

As much as I love bama losing ... I wish they wouldn't. We don't need that loss to become a Q2 loss. That's a BAD loss for them.

I dont think any series of events is going to make that bama game not look like a bad loss brother. just gotta live with it 

[willido 3]

Man, I know its overstated, but CBP has ascended past just a BB coach, he is taking over AU.  He promotes all the sports, is the most likable polished guy in the room, and loves AU.  Does he even have a key to the city yet?  If not, that first.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,754]

as long as your contemporaries are losing to SFA and Evansville, thats fine IMO

[slyinsocal 831]

I would feel better about our chances at catching/surpassing LSU, IF.....LSU played KY twice same as us. They play KY once, at home. They still have road games with Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Arky, and Bama. Well forget Bama. They have no chance. 

[slyinsocal 831]

1 minute ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I dont think any series of events is going to make that bama game not look like a bad loss brother. just gotta live with it 

Bama was a decent team with some shooters. But the injuries have derailed them. Jones is that glue guy everyone needs, huge loss. And Bolden, a premiere backup PG is gimpy. He missed their Arky home loss as well.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

7 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I dont think any series of events is going to make that bama game not look like a bad loss brother. just gotta live with it 

A Q1 loss is better than a Q2. That's the only thing I'm holding on to, dang it! We're one of only 12 teams in the country to not have any Q2-Q4 losses.