Men's BB going forward

[AURex 1,998]

My brother keeps wanting to try to put this all on CBP. Like, he just finds guys and lets them run around and do whatever they want, not running disciplined plays on the offensive end. not taking care of the ball, throwing away passes, etc.

I'm thinking instead, CBP pulls in the best guys he can lure to Auburn. They aren't the superstars that end up at UNC, Duke, UKY, Kansas, but they are the best he can lure to football school Auburn. Sometimes he gets really lucky and ends up with a final four team. Other times, he has superstars but they don't gel as a great team (Jabari/Kessler).

Thing is, when your team is made up of players who were good at a lower level, fact is they are now playing against teams at a higher level.

And truth -- teams often get better as the year goes on. Kentucky today is not Kentucky of 6 weeks ago.

Can Auburn rebound and beat Miss State at home? I dunno. If the MSU big man is healthy and playing well, well, that's a big problem for Auburn.

Personally, I'm hoping the guys can get their shiiiiiite together and play out with a good showing in the SEC tourney and get past round 2 of the NCAA. Is that realistic?

 

[e808 3,026]

On 2/19/2024 at 6:48 PM, AURex said:

My brother keeps wanting to try to put this all on CBP. Like, he just finds guys and lets them run around and do whatever they want, not running disciplined plays on the offensive end. not taking care of the ball, throwing away passes, etc.

I'm thinking instead, CBP pulls in the best guys he can lure to Auburn. They aren't the superstars that end up at UNC, Duke, UKY, Kansas, but they are the best he can lure to football school Auburn. Sometimes he gets really lucky and ends up with a final four team. Other times, he has superstars but they don't gel as a great team (Jabari/Kessler).

Thing is, when your team is made up of players who were good at a lower level, fact is they are now playing against teams at a higher level.

And truth -- teams often get better as the year goes on. Kentucky today is not Kentucky of 6 weeks ago.

Can Auburn rebound and beat Miss State at home? I dunno. If the MSU big man is healthy and playing well, well, that's a big problem for Auburn.

Personally, I'm hoping the guys can get their shiiiiiite together and play out with a good showing in the SEC tourney and get past round 2 of the NCAA. Is that realistic?

 

I would say first they have to worry about getting past UGA as they are pretty feisty. This also gives someone to step up as Jaylen hasn’t been playing well.

  I believe the team with Okoro would have been interesting if Covid didn’t happen . Then u really had a night and day team when Cooper played. That was rough being that the team couldn’t play in the lost season.

Next u have Westry and Traore not working out and then it seemed Auburn was a lock to get Henderson but he decide to go pro.

 Although CBP is a players coach the team has been lacking a floor general. Imagine this team with Sears . Aden wouldn’t have as much pressure on him and JW injury probably wouldn’t sting so bad with a scoring point guard to pick up the slack.

All we can do is hope some of the deficiencies can be fixed. Probably if one of the areas are fixed Auburn has two or three more wins

Edited February 22 by e808

[Mikey 16,600]

9 hours ago, AURex said:

Personally, I'm hoping the guys can get their shiiiiiite together and play out with a good showing in the SEC tourney and get past round 2 of the NCAA. Is that realistic?

As many players as Bruce is playing, it's expected that there would be up and down games. It takes a long time for even 7 or eight to jell as a team, let alone 11. Here's hoping that it all comes together sooner rather than later.

[gravejd 3,270]

Outside of the Cooper season we’ve been in the conversation for SEC title every year. Won the regular season title 2 years ago. Still have an outside shot this season at the title. So I guess the question for you and your brother are what are you expecting/wanting from AU each season?

if the answer is SEC title, national championship, and no loses each year then that’s going to be tough to deliver. You might have to adjust to never being happy with the basketball team. Every team out there has bad loses on the resume. Even those ones with elite players like you called out. 
 

I think Pearl compiles the best team he can every season. We’ve had 1st round NBA talent every year for since chuma until this season. This year we have a deep team with a bunch of solid but not great players. I don’t think that means we won’t have 1st rounders again. That’s just what the team ended up like this year. 
 

I love watching our team play ball. It’s not always pretty but go find me a team that always looks great. Our guys play hard and we play a style of basketball that is fun to watch. And occasionally we play some pretty great basketball while we are at it. I think this team has over achieved if anything and I’m excited to see how they finish out the year. I think they can definitely go deeper than round 2. Will they?? Who the hell knows. Our final 4 team was lucky to win their first round game. Then went on a tear against some great blue blood teams. 

[Win4AU 4,052]

No denying what Bruce has done to elevate this program butttttttt a pattern is developing that doesn’t bode for long term success.  Something is broken with recruiting and hopefully it can be turned around.   Auburn seems to be hitting their head on the glass ceiling and I gotta believe it has to do with reliance on transfers the past 3-4 years.  I’ve said it before but there is no reason for Bama to be out performing Auburn on the recruiting trail.

 

 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

Margin of error is tighter with being a non-basketball school + being a top 20 football program + being an Under Armour school 

 

you can ofc still make a run, but in terms of the recruiting and managing talent, it’s a different challenge. I don’t think we have the on the court coaching acumen as Bama, Tenn, Florida, maybe even SCar, etc, but there definitely has to be something to be said how hard the challenge is of maintaining all of this. Even with 2020, which is one of the worst seasons of any of the tier 1 SEC programs in the 2020s, they’re still in that tier 1. 
 

Sometimes, I think about UK post Fox and Monk. With how bad Calipari was as a Xs and Os, this stretch translated with the talent around them being raised. Sometimes your philosophy can still give you tons of success, maybe just not the type of success that it got you before. 

[aubaseball 2,610]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

No denying what Bruce has done to elevate this program butttttttt a pattern is developing that doesn’t bode for long term success.  Something is broken with recruiting and hopefully it can be turned around.   Auburn seems to be hitting their head on the glass ceiling and I gotta believe it has to do with reliance on transfers the past 3-4 years.  I’ve said it before but there is no reason for Bama to be out performing Auburn on the recruiting trail.

 

 

I would counter this with a, why?   If you look at past history, Alabama has been the better basketball program.   The transfer thing is here to stay as much as I don’t like it.   Auburn and Alabama are currently having some of the best seasons in their basketball history.   

[nthemix 89]

nobody wants to admit this but  … the AU ptb are very happy with 20+ wins & a trip to the NCAA Tournament every year … anything beyond that is icing  … sorry but that’s the truth 

[GwillMac6 20,678]

30 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Margin of error is tighter with being a non-basketball school + being a top 20 football program + being an Under Armour school 

 

you can ofc still make a run, but in terms of the recruiting and managing talent, it’s a different challenge. I don’t think we have the on the court coaching acumen as Bama, Tenn, Florida, maybe even SCar, etc, but there definitely has to be something to be said how hard the challenge is of maintaining all of this. Even with 2020, which is one of the worst seasons of any of the tier 1 SEC programs in the 2020s, they’re still in that tier 1. 
 

Sometimes, I think about UK post Fox and Monk. With how bad Calipari was as a Xs and Os, this stretch translated with the talent around them being raised. Sometimes your philosophy can still give you tons of success, maybe just not the type of success that it got you before. 

Coaching acumen!?! Sir. Siiiiiiir. This is not a top 4 talented roster in the SEC. If it weren’t for coaching we would look exactly like Mississippi state has looked the last 2 seasons. Mid and on the bubble. 

[GwillMac6 20,678]

4 hours ago, Win4AU said:

No denying what Bruce has done to elevate this program butttttttt a pattern is developing that doesn’t bode for long term success.  Something is broken with recruiting and hopefully it can be turned around.   Auburn seems to be hitting their head on the glass ceiling and I gotta believe it has to do with reliance on transfers the past 3-4 years.  I’ve said it before but there is no reason for Bama to be out performing Auburn on the recruiting trail.

 

 

Recruiting? High school recruiting isn’t near important as it was pre transfer portal. How is it broken? We get one 5 star prospect each year most years  correct? Is that not par for the course for most seasons since Bruce got here? What are you trying to say? Bama isn’t good this year because of high school talent. It’s because of the transfer portal. Same with Florida and a host of other schools. It’s why there is so much parity in college bball and more upsets than usual are happening on any given night. 

Edited February 22 by GwillMac6

[Auburn93 539]

On 2/19/2024 at 10:48 PM, AURex said:

My brother keeps wanting to try to put this all on CBP. Like, he just finds guys and lets them run around and do whatever they want, not running disciplined plays on the offensive end. not taking care of the ball, throwing away passes, etc.

I'm thinking instead, CBP pulls in the best guys he can lure to Auburn. They aren't the superstars that end up at UNC, Duke, UKY, Kansas, but they are the best he can lure to football school Auburn. Sometimes he gets really lucky and ends up with a final four team. Other times, he has superstars but they don't gel as a great team (Jabari/Kessler).

Thing is, when your team is made up of players who were good at a lower level, fact is they are now playing against teams at a higher level.

And truth -- teams often get better as the year goes on. Kentucky today is not Kentucky of 6 weeks ago.

Can Auburn rebound and beat Miss State at home? I dunno. If the MSU big man is healthy and playing well, well, that's a big problem for Auburn.

Personally, I'm hoping the guys can get their shiiiiiite together and play out with a good showing in the SEC tourney and get past round 2 of the NCAA. Is that realistic?

 

Truth is Auburn is in 3rd place in a 14 or 16 team league. What about those other teams and all of their deficiencies? Truth is Auburn is living the glory years of basketball. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

48 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Coaching acumen!?! Sir. Siiiiiiir. This is not a top 4 talented roster in the SEC. If it weren’t for coaching we would look exactly like Mississippi state has looked the last 2 seasons. Mid and on the bubble. 

I don't know why you inherently look at these things as insults or something. Pearl isn't better at on the court coaching than Nate Oats. I don't see what would be the argument to put him over Rick Barnes. Todd Golden's whole shtick is being an offensive guy and one of the best at it (this one is contestable, with Auburn's defense being what it is). SCar was a bit of a paper tiger, but what Lamont Paris did with their team and that roster has been incredible. Their defense, their efficiency, has been stellar. 

 

It's not an insult to be where he is in the second or third best conference in basketball. 

[GwillMac6 20,678]

1 hour ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I don't know why you inherently look at these things as insults or something. Pearl isn't better at on the court coaching than Nate Oats. I don't see what would be the argument to put him over Rick Barnes. Todd Golden's whole shtick is being an offensive guy and one of the best at it (this one is contestable, with Auburn's defense being what it is). SCar was a bit of a paper tiger, but what Lamont Paris did with their team and that roster has been incredible. Their defense, their efficiency, has been stellar. 

 

It's not an insult to be where he is in the second or third best conference in basketball. 

lol why are you so quick to say Oates is better than Bruce!? You serious Clark???? Man GTFO with that little brother syndrome. Bruce turned around the worst power 5 bball in the country which we absolutely were at the time when he took over. He’s won big wherever he’s been and proven it for 30 years. Bruce is a better coach than Oates because Bruce can beat you with teams that are known for great offenses or great defenses. He doesn’t have a strict system like Oates does. Bruce can beat you a number of different ways. O and btw our 2018/19 team is Oates wet dream for what a team of his would look like.
 

And Barnes may get there this year but bruce has still taken  Tennessee further than any coach in their history in the ncaa tourney. 

Edited February 22 by GwillMac6

[slawtiger 35]

I am amazed at some of our fan base.  Oates is better than Bruce Pearl....just dayum. 

I love watching this team play.  I love how loud and intense our atmosphere is at our home games.  I love everything about our basketball team, including our head coach.   

Rather than being critical of a gift horse that has become Auburn basketball, I am thankful that rather than dissecting every game, criticizing players and coaches, and coveting other programs when they have success - I can sit back and appreciate how much fun it is to watch our team and cheer for Auburn to win!  And when we get beat or lose, I know those kids and the coaches take it more personally than anyone.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

8 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

Coaching acumen!?! Sir. Siiiiiiir. This is not a top 4 talented roster in the SEC. If it weren’t for coaching we would look exactly like Mississippi state has looked the last 2 seasons. Mid and on the bubble. 

Flip side.... who is responsible for this not being a top 4 roster in the SEC......

[TAYLORKEETON 792]

Some of y’all are TRIPPING. Do you not remember what bball was like before BP?

 

Lose a few games & everybody loses their minds. win or lose, we are in the golden era of AU bball. So much negativity when you should be appreciative. Some of us can never be satisfied and it’s sad. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

16 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

lol why are you so quick to say Oates is better than Bruce!? You serious Clark???? Man GTFO with that little brother syndrome. Bruce turned around the worst power 5 bball in the country which we absolutely were at the time when he took over. He’s won big wherever he’s been and proven it for 30 years. Bruce is a better coach than Oates because Bruce can beat you with teams that are known for great offenses or great defenses. He doesn’t have a strict system like Oates does. Bruce can beat you a number of different ways. O and btw our 2018/19 team is Oates wet dream for what a team of his would look like.
 

And Barnes may get there this year but bruce has still taken  Tennessee further than any coach in their history in the ncaa tourney. 

In all of this, you never once posted anything relevant to my point, which was coaching acumen/Xs and Os. This is why I do not like these debates with you - you will literally make up a point not related to my original post. 
 

Oats is better at scheming than Bruce Pearl; that is all my post said. Do you understand where I am coming from now?

[GwillMac6 20,678]

33 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

In all of this, you never once posted anything relevant to my point, which was coaching acumen/Xs and Os. This is why I do not like these debates with you - you will literally make up a point not related to my original post. 
 

Oats is better at scheming than Bruce Pearl; that is all my post said. Do you understand where I am coming from now?

lol. Um absolutely not I provided more facts than you. Why exactly do you believe that about Oates? Go ahead. We are all waiting. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

4 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

lol. Um absolutely not I provided more facts than you. Why exactly do you believe that about Oates? Go ahead. We are all waiting. 

1. Oats has won with bad defenses and good defenses; because his scheme is as good as it is (and because he recruits to fit it), he can have roster variance and still compete. They were 4th in KenPom last year and 3rd in overall defense. They’re 6th in KenPom and 73rd in defense now. Basically wire to wire in leading the SEC. He objectively has a more threatening/high performing offensive scheme than Pearl and has had higher performance out of his perimeter players. 
2. I don’t even understand the relevancy of the 2018/19 mention. Again per KenPom, the AdjO for that team wouldn’t be #1 for Alabama during Oats’s team. He’s also had teams with a worse AdjO that have had a better regular season record than that team, and he’s had mediocre teams with the same performance. It’s many, many points worse than the current country leading offense Bama has. In summary, it’s certainly nothing that would be a wet dream 

3. I don’t personally think trophies or anything is a direct indicator of being an elite Xs and Os coach. There’s tons of mid major programs that don’t have them, but have coaches that would outscheme the best in the “power 6”. That being said, if you included this season, Bama will have won the SEC 3 times in the last 5. They were not only not a preseason favorite (per the SEC media poll) each time, but were picked within 2 spots (2 in 2020, only 1 spot difference in the last two seasons) in each instance. So Alabama is being viewed as being comparable to Auburn coming into each season on paper, but outperforming them in each instance. You could chalk that up to Bama developing those guys into a top tier team, you could chalk it up to the coaches scheme, but it’d be hard to chalk it up to them having much better talent. Per 247 composite, Alabama has only had a higher average per recruit once since the 2020s began (2024). 
 

All in all, I only think a completely biased Auburn fan would really argue that as an on the court coach, Oats is inferior to Pearl (he’s certainly looked better H2H this decade), but if you look at the “facts” as you say, they definitely would not support that conclusion, whatsoever. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

Someone’s going to come in here and call me a Bammer like I haven’t defended Pearl on here more than virtually anyone, but I can’t come in here and lie either. You don’t win at the league leading rate they’re set to win at, while existing in the tier 2 of overall talent in the league, unless the coach is doing something right. 

[SuperAUsome09 738]

16 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Someone’s going to come in here and call me a Bammer like I haven’t defended Pearl on here more than virtually anyone, but I can’t come in here and lie either. You don’t win at the league leading rate they’re set to win at, while existing in the tier 2 of overall talent in the league, unless the coach is doing something right. 

We better hurry and ditch Under Armor garbage quick too. Oates success and them being a Nike school doesn’t bode well for us. They had the apparel but not the coach. Now they have both.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,669]

41 minutes ago, SuperAUsome09 said:

We better hurry and ditch Under Armor garbage quick too. Oates success and them being a Nike school doesn’t bode well for us. They had the apparel but not the coach. Now they have both.

As I understand from people who are more in the know, the disadvantage it gives us ranges from a semi-important one (players preferring one brand’s gear over another) to massive (there being so many Nike and Adidas camps for HS recruits, and comparatively few for UA. Nike/Adidas reportedly shepherding HS kids to their schools over others. The statistics about non-Nike/Adidas schools being unable to win the big dance. Etc) 

I’d never come in here and lie and pretend like Oats doesn’t have it easier than Pearl does. We are starting to have donors bankroll the program, but from Pearl’s own mouth, not having that basketball only facility matters greatly. Tons of reporters and talking heads make it seem like he’s been pushing to move off of UA for a while. As far as a program builder/champion, I think the guy is second to none in the conference 

 

[KillenTime 127]

15 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

As I understand from people who are more in the know, the disadvantage it gives us ranges from a semi-important one (players preferring one brand’s gear over another) to massive (there being so many Nike and Adidas camps for HS recruits, and comparatively few for UA. Nike/Adidas reportedly shepherding HS kids to their schools over others. The statistics about non-Nike/Adidas schools being unable to win the big dance. Etc) 

I’d never come in here and lie and pretend like Oats doesn’t have it easier than Pearl does. We are starting to have donors bankroll the program, but from Pearl’s own mouth, not having that basketball only facility matters greatly. Tons of reporters and talking heads make it seem like he’s been pushing to move off of UA for a while. As far as a program builder/champion, I think the guy is second to none in the conference 

 

" Pearl’s own mouth, not having that basketball only facility matters greatly"

 

That is all on him.  The facility was approved by the board at least 2 years ago.  He put the project on hold citing he had to get NIL in order to compete.  I think the environment changed on him right in the middle of his pitch and plan to get the new facility.  Now the #1 issue and only issue is NIL -  period.  Does he use the funds donated to build a facility or does he use the money to fund NIL?  Right now he is choosing to use new money on NIL vs. completing his "much needed" facility.  

[JerryAU 1,659]

On 2/21/2024 at 6:47 PM, Win4AU said:

No denying what Bruce has done to elevate this program butttttttt a pattern is developing that doesn’t bode for long term success.  Something is broken with recruiting and hopefully it can be turned around.   Auburn seems to be hitting their head on the glass ceiling and I gotta believe it has to do with reliance on transfers the past 3-4 years.  I’ve said it before but there is no reason for Bama to be out performing Auburn on the recruiting trail.

 

 

What?

I mean not disrespect, but...............In 118 yrs of Auburn men's basketball, they've only made the NCAA tournament 12 times and 4 of those under Bruce.  In his 10 yrs at Auburn he's won 5 SEC titles, 2 SEC tourney's and made the final four. 

When will our fans stop looking to our west at what the nasty turds are doing and soak up the best ball Auburn has ever played in the sport? 

THESE are the best of times; THESE are the Golden Years for Auburn Basketball. 

 

[GwillMac6 20,678]

On 2/22/2024 at 10:32 AM, TAYLORKEETON said:

Some of y’all are TRIPPING. Do you not remember what bball was like before BP?

 

Lose a few games & everybody loses their minds. win or lose, we are in the golden era of AU bball. So much negativity when you should be appreciative. Some of us can never be satisfied and it’s sad. 

This really is the crux of the issue tbh and something that drives me absolutely bat s*** crazy. A lot of our fanbase cannot handle being invested in basketball. They lose their ever loving minds after every loss and want to dissect and over analyze every little thing in a “come to Jesus meeting”. Chill tf out and pop a Xanax. They think because we lost there is some over arching existential crisis. Even the best college basketball teams lose several games each season. It’s the reality of the sport. Again this is not just some AU only issue…