Women drop to 4-6

[Mikey 16,643]

Well sports fans, the Auburn women's basketball team is well on its way to another disappointing season. Today's 20 point loss to an unremarkable Purdue team dropped the record to 4-6 and the SEC part of the schedule hasn't even started yet.

Losses to South Florida and Sacred Heart are the season's lowlights so far, but worse is almost certain to follow in the conference schedule.

Home games against Alabama A& M on Dec. 28th and Jacksonville State on the 30th are the two best chances to see this team win a game. The talented Allie Smalley gives 100% every game and it's worth the price of a ticket to see her play the game. The others try as hard as they can but years of sub-par recruiting are obvious. Come on out to one or both of those games and help me cheer the team on.

I guess I'm spoiled by all those years of Coach Joe Champi putting winning teams on the court, but Coach Fortner's efforts are painful for me to watch.

War Eagle anyway.

[WarTiger 3,910]

You do realize we won an SEC title 2 years ago, right?? This is also a team with only 3 seniors. 8 out of 13 on this years team are Freshmen and Sophomores. This year may not look promising record wise, but I expect us to be back in contention in the SEC in the next 2 years.

[Mikey 16,643]

You do realize we won an SEC title 2 years ago, right?? This is also a team with only 3 seniors. 8 out of 13 on this years team are Freshmen and Sophomores. This year may not look promising record wise, but I expect us to be back in contention in the SEC in the next 2 years.

I realize that this is Fortner's 8th season. There is no excuse for having numerous down years, it's not like she's just starting out.

The regular season SEC title two years ago was the result of having DeWanna Bonner, arguably the best all-around player to play at Auburn (I've seen them all since Becky Jackson, AU's first female All-Amreican) and in Whit Boddie, the best point guard. Ruthie Bolton, Kristin Mullikan and so forth could play the point with Boddie, but couldn't score with her. Fortner was able to recruit those two because nobody wanted Bonner, they thought she was too skinny and Boddie had to work in the summers during her high school years so she got no notice at summer camps and on AAU teams. Normal recruiting circumstances for those two and I don't think Fortner gets them come to Auburn.

That SEC title team should have been in the final four two years running. The first year got nothing, the second year got us eliminated in the second game of the SEC tournament and the second game of the NCAA tournament. When is the last time a #! seed only made it to the NCAA's second round?

In the short interim between David Housel and JJ as Athletic Directors three big mistakes were made. Baseball's Slater and Men's basketball's Lebo are, thankfully, gone. With any luck Fortner will realize that she's in over her head and leave after this season. I don't think there are enough people that care enough about the women's BB program for Fortner to get fired. As long as she can go 14-16, win five or six conference games and makes some PR appearances around town she'll get to stay on.