February 2018

Lyle's Corner

February 2018

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018

Auburn's hopes of a share of the regular-season SEC title are now hanging on by a thread. The 14th-ranked Tigers, playing their third game in seven days, couldn't overcome the Arkansas Razorbacks in a 91-82 loss last night in Fayetteville. "They were better tonight," head coach Bruce Pearl stated. "They were much more aggressive, and we couldn't do anything defensively to disrupt them. They did whatever they wanted to do on the offensive end. Our kids played hard and they really battled. To be a little discombobulated and still be in the game was encouraging, and that's what I told the guys."

Mustapha Heron, in particular, vied to keep Auburn in the thick of things, as he finished with a game-high 28 points and eight rebounds. This marked the second straight contest that he has scored 20 or more points, and the eighth time he's done so this season. But every time the Tigers tried to make a game of it, Arkansas responded with a small scoring barrage of its own.

Jared Harper also scored 20 points and was a perfect 11-of-11 from the foul line. Bryce Brown was 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, and recorded 12 points on the night. As a team, Auburn was hot in free throws, going 31-of-34 in that department. Unfortunately, the Tiger defense was doomed by the absence of Anfernee McLemore, the SEC's leading shot blocker, as Auburn could not slow down freshman Daniel Gafford, who tallied 21 points, 10 boards and seven blocks. Also, Auburn's Horace Spencer, Chuma Okeke and Desean Murray all got into foul trouble in the game. Specifically, Spencer fouled out after just 12 minutes of action. Despite that, the Tigers yanked down 37 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive side. Okeke led the team with 10 boards.

"I thought Chuma had another huge game," Pearl pointed out. "His numbers might not have been nearly as good, but he plays 31 minutes and doesn't have a turnover. He gets 10 rebounds. We didn't do a very good job of getting him the ball. I've got to do a better job of getting him the ball." While Auburn has clearly fallen into a recent slump, it will get a chance to claim a share of the league crown in its own arena on Saturday afternoon against South Carolina. It may serve the Tigers well, as they are currently 14-1 in Auburn Arena this season.

The determined squad isn't about to give up on its goal. (Our confidence) is still high," Harper said. "It's the highest it's ever been. This is a tough conference. We've had two tough road games - at Florida on Saturday and here. These are two tough environments to play in. We're trying to get better with the same goals we've had from Day 1. Going into our last game against South Carolina, we just want to put ourselves in a position to win the conference. That was our goal this whole season. It's right in front of us."

The Tigers will host the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- The baseball team edged South Alabama last night 7-6 in Mobile. They will return to action on Friday in hosting BYU at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at the SECN+.

- The softball team will host UNC-Wilmington in the Wilson/DeMarini Classic on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, February 25th, 2018

Auburn's dreams of claiming at least a share of the SEC title were put on hold last night, as the 12th-ranked Tigers fell to Florida 72-66 in Gainesville. Mustapha Heron led Auburn with 22 points, but it wasn't enough to cancel out a lackluster offensive performance. "We've been winning a lot of different ways, but one of the ways is that we force turnovers," head coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. "Florida leads the lead not turning the ball over, and they did a great job tonight only turning it over eight times. Offensively, we turned the ball over a lot. We didn't play very well. Give Florida a lot of credit."

Auburn's troubles began early, but the Tigers kept scrapping and battling back time and time again, and even took the lead at one point, but the Gators scored the game's final six points to end any hope of a Tiger comeback. Florida stormed out to a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes, and the water only got higher from that point forward. Horace Spencer's tip-in tied the game at 15-all, but the Gators closed out the half with an 18-9 run capped by an improbable nearly full-court bomb at the buzzer by KeVaughn Allen, who finished the night with a game-high 24 points. The Tigers trailed by a respectable 33-24 margin at intermission.

"It's tough, but I think that's a hole that we dug ourselves in," Heron stated. "We can't do things like that, especially on the road. It's a lot harder on the road to come back with the crowd against you and different factors against you. I think we dug ourselves in that hole, and that's something we've got to go back and look at the film and work on." Heron began the second half with a trey that sparked a Tiger rally, and he later connected from beyond the arc again to put Auburn on top 57-56 - its first lead of the evening - with four minutes left to play. He finished 8-of-11 from the floor.

Heron was not alone, of course. Chuma Okeke (12) and Desean Murray (10) also scored in double figures for Auburn. Okeke also yanked down 10 rebounds and recorded his second consecutive double-double off the bench. Spencer started in place of the injured Anfernee McLemore and tallied six points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, junior Bryce Brown had five assists.

Despite the loss, Auburn remains one game ahead of Tennessee in the league standings, and can still gain a share of the regular-season conference crown when they play at Arkansas on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by the SEC Network. Heron is well aware of what the Tigers must do to reach their goal. "We have to go back and look at the film, get better and get ready for Tuesday," he said. "It's a short turnaround, so (we have to) get ready for Tuesday."

In other news....

- The baseball team defeated Bryant University 3-1 yesterday. They will return to action on Tuesday night at South Alabama in Mobile at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Jag Nation TV.

- The softball team beat Oregon State 10-7 yesterday. The team returns to action this Friday, March 2nd when they face UNC-Wilmington in the Wilson/DeMarini Classic at Jane B. Moore Field. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be available online at SECN+.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, February 24th, 2018

Former Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson has been striving to latch onto a professional football team since going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, he has reportedly found a home, although it's not necessarily in the big leagues. According to AL.com, Johnson will play this spring in the American Arena League with the Peach State Cats.

Johnson, who passed for 2,224 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 210 yards rushing and nine scores as an Auburn Tiger, agreed to terms with the team earlier this week. Johnson had also made efforts to get into a basketball career after college, but he is now trying his hand at the gridiron once again. Peach State will begin its 2018 season against the Carolina Cowboys on March 24. Best of luck, Jeremy. I wish you great success.

In other news....

- The baseball team defeated Bryant State 13-4 in the first game of its doubleheader with the team today at Plainsman Park. The second game will begin at 5 p.m. CT, and will be available online at SECN+.

- Most importantly, the basketball team plays at Florida tonight at 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. A share of the SEC title is at stake. Cheer your hearts out, Auburn fans!

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, February 23rd, 2018

The SEC announced the 2018 Media Days schedule yesterday, even though the event is still a few months away. The four-day event will take place July 16-19, and will change locations this year from Birmingham to Atlanta at the College Football Hall of Fame. While the student-athletes attending the event will be announced in due course, the full team schedule is out. It is as follows:

Monday, July 16th

- Kentucky: Mark Stoops

- LSU: Ed Orgeron

- Texas A&M: Jimbo Fisher

Tuesday, July 17th

- Arkansas: Chad Morris

- Florida: Dan Mullen

- Georgia: Kirby Smart

- Ole Miss: Matt Luke

Wednesday, July 18th

- Alabama: Nick Saban

- Mississippi State: Joe Moorhead

- Missouri: Barry Odom

- Tennessee: Jeremy Pruitt

Thursday, July 19th

- Auburn: Gus Malzahn

- South Carolina: Will Muschamp

- Vanderbilt: Derek Mason

Mark your calendars accordingly, folks.

In other news....

- Auburn football's eight early enrollees are now officially members of the Tiger football team, as each has been assigned a jersey number entering spring practice. Auburn's 2018 recruiting class ranks No. 12 in the nation and No. 3 in the SEC. The early enrollees represent only a third of the total number of prospects signed by Auburn.

The roster posted on the team's official website lists the following jersey number and position for each of the program's eight newcomers:

- Joey Gatewood; QB; #1; 4-star recruit

- Christian Tutt; DB; #6; 4-star recruit

- Jamien Sherwood; DB; #9; 4-star recruit

- Shedrick Jackson; WR; #11; 3-star recruit

- Asa Martin; RB; #20; 4-star recruit

- Smoke Monday; DB; #21; 4-star recruit

- Josh Marsh; LB; #36; 3-star recruit

- Daquan Newkirk; DL; #44; 4-star recruit

- Yesterday, the softball team beat Notre Dame 6-2, but lost to Wisconsin 3-2 in a doubleheader at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California. Today, the Tigers will face San Jose State at the same location at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will not be available for viewing anywhere, but you can listen on the Auburn Sports Network.

- Don't forget: The men's basketball team plays at Florida tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. A victory would give Auburn a share of the conference title.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

An hour prior to Auburn basketball's showdown with Alabama last night, word came out that Mustapha Heron, the Tigers' second-leading scorer, would not be available for the game due to a stomach bug. That only complicated matters for an already shorthanded Auburn squad that lost Anfernee McLemore for the season due to a dislocated ankle.

Never fear. Chuma Okeke came to the rescue with a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the 12th-ranked Tigers pounded Alabama 90-71 in Auburn Arena to move one step closer to the SEC title. "I just knew I had to step up with two of our teammates down," Okeke said. "I knew I had to pick it up in rebounding and scoring, too." He wasn't alone, of course. Jared Harper also pitched in with 21 points and six assists. Malik Dunbar, who stepped in for Heron, tallied 14 points and seven rebounds. Bryce Brown scored 18 points.

"When Chuma's playing like that, we're very hard to beat," Harper stated. "I just want to come out every game and prove I'm one of the best guards in the country and one of the best guards in the SEC. It doesn't matter who the matchup is, I'm just looking forward to every game just to prove to everybody what I'm capable of doing." Auburn came out steaming, jumping to an 8-0 lead in the first 1:12 on Spencer's layup and treys by Harper and Dunbar. Harper then hit a 3-pointer from eight feet away, and another trey by Dunbar increased the Tiger lead to 14-2. Later, Brown canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put Auburn up 26-17 with 8:37 left in the first half.

The Tide rallied with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 30, but the Tigers responded with their own 8-0 run, led by treys from Okeke and Brown. Alabama's Collin Sexton, who led the Tide with 25 points, sank a shot at the buzzer to cut Auburn's advantage to 40-35 at the break. In the second half, though, the one-sided shellacking began to take shape as the Tigers went on a 17-2 run, highlighted by Spencer's incredible follow-up slam. Okeke's 3-point play off an offensive rebound made it a 67-55 Auburn cushion. "He can play," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "He really stepped up. So did Davion (Mitchell) in the second half." Mitchell nailed a pair of treys to increase the count to 75-60. Later, a jumper by Brown mounted the margin to 20 at 82-62.

Auburn never trailed all night. They outrebounded Alabama 41-35. With three games left to play, the Tigers lead Tennessee by two in the league standings. "Just a tremendous team effort," Pearl said. "One that, if we can win this championship, I think will be pretty historic." He also credited the sellout crowd, Auburn's sixth of the season, for the blowout win. "I'm not sure if there was a better environment anywhere in college basketball tonight."

The Tigers are now 24-4, 12-3 in the SEC. They will play at Florida on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. "It's special beyond compare," Pearl stated. "This team is trying to make history. We've got a long way to go. What we're seeing is rare. This combination of grit, determination, resiliency, family, it's all right here. Enjoy this, because it doesn't happen very often."

In other news....

- Auburn baseball edged Troy 6-5 yesterday at Plainsman Park. The Tigers will return to action tomorrow when they host Bryant University at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

- The softball team shut out CSNU 8-0 yesterday. Today, they're playing a doubleheader at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California. The first game is against Notre Dame at noon CT, and the second is against Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. CT. You can listen to both games on the Auburn Sports Network.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, February 21st, 2018

It looked bleak for the Auburn baseball team yesterday. The Tigers were trailing by a run and down to their last out in the final inning. Never fear. Conor Davis and Brendan Venter drilled the game-tying and walk-off hits as Auburn rallied to top Georgia State 3-2 in Plainsman Park last night. The Tigers are off to their first 4-0 start since 2013. Meanwhile, the Panthers slipped to 2-2.

With Will Holland in scoring position, Davis smacked a grounder to the right side that ricocheted off the glove of Georgia State first baseman Jack Thompson, allowing Holland to slide home ahead of the throw. Just two pitches later, Venter nailed an 0-1 pitch into right field, enabling Jeremy Johnson to score from second and secure a thrilling victory.

Head coach Butch Thompson applauded his team's persistence. "I thought our approach really changed at the end of the ballgame," he said. "Our last three hits were to the backside. Conor Davis making a commitment to put the ball in play, and then Brendan Venter reached base four times - two singles, a hit-by-pitch and walk. Those last two hits were the other way, and that's what we have to do in that moment if we want to have a chance to win."

Freshman pitcher Cody Greenhill (1-0) was credited for the win after he came on in relief in the sixth inning and did not give up a hit while posting four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of play. He retired the first six batters he went up against in just his second appearance as a Tiger. On the other side of the coin, GSU's Jansen Acton (0-1) took the loss after allowing the tying and walk-off hits by Davis and Venter. "We were putting barrels on balls all game, and the rule of averages says a few are going to fall eventually," Venter stated. "We just kept competing at the plate. It gave me an opportunity to come up there at the end, and it's a pretty cool feeling being able to get it done."

The Panthers drew first blood with an RBI double in the top of the first inning. They then doubled the margin to 2-0 on an RBI single two innings later. It was the first time Auburn had trailed all season. Fortunately, the Tigers' bullpen combination of Corey Herndon, Blake Schilleci and Greenhill did not surrender another hit to the Panthers in the final 5.2 innings of action, keeping Auburn right in the thick of things.

Herndon, who made his starting debut in relief of starter Ryan Watson in the fourth inning, retired all five batters he faced and struck out two. Schilleci made his Auburn debut in the sixth and shortened the gap to Greenhill. With the bases loaded for the third time in the contest, the Tiger offense rose up and cut GSU's lead in half in the bottom of the eighth before the real action began in the ninth.

Auburn hopes to extend its winning streak today when it hosts Troy at Plainsman Park at 4 p.m. CT. The game will not be televised anywhere, so have your radio, computer, or mobile device handy. Redshirt senior Andrew Mitchell will start for the Tigers at pitcher against Troy's C.J. Carter

In other news....

- The men's basketball team hosts Alabama tonight at 7:30 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

- The softball team plays at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) today at 4:30 p.m. CT. That game will not be televised, so tune in to the Auburn Sports Network.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, February 19th, 2018

I'm going to be relatively short and to the point today.

Yes, I watched Auburn's 84-75 loss to South Carolina this past Saturday. Yes, I'm well aware that Anfernee McLemore suffered a dislocated ankle that will cause him to miss the rest of the season (although he himself tweeted that he'll be back in 4-6 months). The team itself looked completely unprepared in the first half. In the second half, however, the Tigers made a valiant comeback and tried to pull off the impossible. But they simply ran out of firepower.

However, I'm much more concerned about where Auburn goes from here in McLemore's absence. Well, we should likely expect most of the playing time to go to Desean Murray and Chuma Okeke. Murray's main obstacle will be avoiding the cramp issues that have arisen at various points this season. Mustapha Heron and Jared Harper are also certainly dependable in their own way. Bryce Brown is still dealing with his strained shoulder that he sustained against Texas A&M, as well as a foot injury that occurred last week. But he still seems determined to press on, as his injury certainly appears to pale in comparison to that of McLemore.

Auburn still has a lot at stake, but they'll have to make the best of being a bit short-handed on scholarship players. McLemore was the team's best shot blocker, but now someone else will have to take on that role. Offensively, the Tigers will need to brush up on free throws above all else. We'll see if those mistakes have been corrected when they host Alabama on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- The baseball team certainly started its season on a high note with a sweep of Longwood this past weekend, with respective scores of 6-0 on Friday, 25-1 on Saturday, and 3-0 on Sunday. The Tigers will return to action on Tuesday when they host Georgia State at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be available online at SECN+.

- The softball team stands at 13-0 so far, having shut out Georgia State yesterday by a score of 5-0. They will return to action on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CT against CSUN (California State University, Northridge) in Northridge, Calif. You can listen on the Auburn Sports Network, as the game will not be available on television or online.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Friday, February 16th, 2018

Auburn football's spring practice schedule for 2018, including notable scrimmages, was released yesterday. The first thing we know for certain is that the Tigers will not practice on consecutive days this spring. Auburn is set to begin spring practices March 1st, the first of 15 days of spring camp that includes two major scrimmages and the annual A-Day Game.

The team is expected to conduct major scrimmages on two Saturdays: March 24th and 31st. The A-Day Game is set for April 7th in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers are expected to practice twice following the A-Day Game, but those dates were not included on the schedule released yesterday via Twitter. Auburn will practice four times before taking a 12-day break that coincides with the university's spring break. The team will return to practice on March 20th. All practices are expected to be closed to the public. While that doesn't surprise me, I'm sure that the media will be allowed to view practices for a short period of time in each session, and updates on what they see in those sessions will inevitably be provided.

2018 spring practice schedule

March 1st

March 3rd

March 6th

March 8th

March 20th

March 22nd

March 24th (scrimmage)

March 27th

March 29th

March 31st (scrimmage)

April 3rd

April 5th

April 7th (A-Day)

In other news....

- Auburn baseball opens its season tonight at 5 p.m. CT against Longwood (Va.) in Plainsman Park. The game can be viewed online at SECN+.

- The men's basketball team plays at South Carolina tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

- The women's basketball team lost to Missouri 59-51 last night. They will return to action on Sunday afternoon against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The game is set for 4 p.m. CT, and will be telecast on the SEC Network.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, February 15th, 2018

Auburn overcame a sloppy start on offense to overtake Kentucky 76-66 in Auburn Arena last night to acquire a two-game lead in the SEC with five conference matches left to play. The Tigers had not beaten the Wildcats in consecutive home games since a 77-75 decision on Feb. 20th, 1989, and a 74-70 win on Jan. 24th, 1990. Head coach Bruce Pearl credited the fan base as the big difference in the outcome. "I'm not sure there was a better environment anywhere in college basketball tonight," he said. "It was as loud as I've ever heard the building."

Auburn fans didn't have much to cheer about early on, though. The Tigers misfired on their first nine 3-point tries. The defense forced eight turnovers in the first half while the offense committed just one. But Malik Dunbar snapped the slump with a 3-pointer, part of a 5-point possession that began with a pair of free throws after a deliberate foul on Kentucky. That lit the flame for the offense, as Auburn canned six of its last eight trey attempts in the first half, including two by Anfernee McLemore, to take a 39-33 lead into the break.

"I felt confident shooting them," McLemore stated. Just another shot to diminish their lead in the first half." McLemore finished the night with 13 points.

Another large factor was having Bryce Brown back in action after he missed a game due to a strained shoulder. He scored 18 points. Jared Harper also tallied 18 of his own while also recording seven assists. "My teammates trust me," said Brown, who iced his right shoulder. The injury had him considering not playing yesterday morning. "Around shootaround it felt pretty good. From there I just decided I was going to play." His audacity paid off. He was 4-of-5 in the second half, including a 3-pointer that got the Tigers within one at 59-58.

Following a McLemore steal, Brown's jumper gave Auburn a 60-59 lead. They never trailed again. Desean Murray's steal, one of nine for the Tigers, set up Harper's alley-oop pass for McLemore's slam dunk, a part of a 7-0 Auburn run that swung the momentum in their direction. The offense continued its assault, as a Murray tip-in, a Mustapha Heron reverse, and a trey by Brown with 1:43 to go increased the Tiger advantage to 71-64. "Our conditioning, our toughness, our resilience, our grit. It's why we won the game," Pearl reasoned.

Indeed. Although the Wildcats outrebounded the Tigers 36-34, McLemore and Murray each pulled down 11 of them, with most of them coming at crucial moments. "They're both unique weapons," Pearl said. "Anfernee's a 6-foot-7, shot-blocking 3-point shooter who plays center. That's a tough matchup. Desean's a 6-foot-3 power forward who is as good a rebounder for his size as anyone who has played at Auburn since (Charles) Barkley."

Pearl was also certain to point out the entire team's unwavering determination. "Our kids do rely on each other, they do trust each other," he said. "And they count on each other. They challenge each other. Those are the things that led us to victory tonight." Auburn is now 23-3 overall, 11-2 in SEC play. The Tigers lead Tennessee by two games in the quest for the regular-season conference crown. Auburn plays at South Carolina on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- A former Auburn quarterback is returning to his alma mater. Barrett Trotter will be joining the staff as an offensive analyst, filling the vacancy left by Al Borges, who resigned to take the offensive coordinator position at UT-San Antonio. Trotter was a backup QB on Auburn's 2010 national championship team, with Cam Newton taking the snaps. But Trotter became the starter in 2011, completing 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,184 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. Current head coach Gus Malzahn was the Tigers' offensive coordinator at the time.

Trotter, a Birmingham, Ala. native, plunged into the coaching business immediately after his playing career. He started as a quarterbacks coach at Briarwood Christian High School in Birmingham in 2012 before joining Malzahn's staff at Arkansas State as a graduate assistant the next year. He went on to become a scout for the NFL's St. Louis Rams, where he remained through the organization's transition to Los Angeles. He then returned to the college ranks as an analyst for North Carolina, but was picked up by Auburn over the last month. The Tigers will begin spring practices on March 1st.

While I don't think Trotter was NFL caliber by any means, I do think he did a very solid job in his position. In my mind, the biggest pass of his Auburn career was the go-ahead TD toss to Phillip Lutzenkirchen at South Carolina in 2011. The play gave Auburn the lead to stay at 16-13, and the Tigers held on for a thrilling upset win over the 10th-ranked Gamecocks. It was the tight end throwback play, and was a mirror image of the pass that completed Auburn's amazing comeback victory in the Iron Bowl the year before, with the only difference being that Cam was the passer.

Little did Auburn fans know that on June 30th, 2012, Lutzenkirchen's life would end in tragic fashion due to his being killed (along with a drunk driver) in a car accident. God rest his soul. Please let that be a lesson to you, folks: Don't drink and drive. All it takes is one careless choice to cause devastating results.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, February 12th, 2018

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl provided a somewhat encouraging update on the injured Bryce Brown today. Brown was back on the practice floor in Auburn Arena after missing the team's win at Georgia last Saturday due to a strained right shoulder. He sustained the injury in the first half of an 81-80 loss to Texas A&M earlier in the week.

"I think Bryce is going to try to go today, but no contact," Pearl said at practice today. He's shooting a little bit. He's moving a little bit. He's got a better chance to play than he did on Saturday." While Brown traveled to Athens with the team for the Georgia game, Pearl noted that it was an easy decision to sit him out. "He really wasn't close. He was pretty swollen and really, really sore. He wasn't able to function as far as his mobility. He has the mobility now. It's a question does he have the stability."

That question may be answered on Tuesday. "If he can have contact tomorrow, if he can hit tomorrow, then he can play," Pearl said. Brown has averaged a team-best 16.6 points a game this season. He leads the SEC in 3-pointers with 81 and is in good position to break Auburn's single-season record. The junior showed no noticeable problems with his shot today at practice during warmups with his teammates. Pearl is primarily concerned with how Brown will handle contact on the defensive end. "If he gets it thrown back again, how does he feel after that?" Pearl noted.

Auburn (22-3, 10-2 SEC) hosts Kentucky on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Tigers will travel to South Carolina on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT tip with the Gamecocks. That game will also be televised on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- The women's basketball team hosts Vanderbilt tonight at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. BTW, I originally misinformed you that the game would be played on Sunday night (yesterday). I assure you that I did check the schedule on auburntigers.com, but evidently, I misread the date. When I checked again later, I saw my mistake, and edited the post accordingly. My apologies to those of you whom I misled. I will strive to prevent this in the future.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, February 11th, 2018

Heading into yesterday's game at Georgia, Auburn fans were understandably concerned as to whether or not their team's offense could click without leading scorer Bryce Brown, who couldn't play because of a strained shoulder against Texas A&M last Wednesday. Fortunately, it didn't take long for such concerns to evaporate. The eighth-ranked Tigers (22-3, 10-2 SEC) dominated from the opening tip, whipping the Bulldogs 78-61. The victory completed Auburn's first sweep of Georgia (13-11, 4-8) since 1986.

Jared Harper led with 24 points and seven assists, while Mustapha Heron tallied 19 points. "It was a great win for Auburn," head coach Bruce Pearl stated. "We were without Bryce Brown - our best defensive guard and our leading scorer. You could see our guys weren't intimidated. They were prepared and it was next man up. The guard play for Auburn was terrific. Jared Harper quarterbacked his team and was at a different speed, quickness and efficiency."

Harper's 24 points equaled a career high and came on an effective 8-of-13 shooting performance, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Malik Dunbar, in his second career start filling in for Brown, recorded seven points and six rebounds in a season-high 26 minutes of play. Plus, Davion Mitchell had seven points and two assists, while Desean Murray chipped in five points and a team-best seven boards. The Tiger defense was just as potent, forcing 13 turnovers, which Auburn converted into 25 points. Georgia, on the other hand, only had nine such points. Auburn outrebounded the Dawgs 31-27 and also held a 30-26 advantage in points in the paint.

In the first half, the Tigers let the crowd know that they meant business, shooting 55 percent from the floor and taking a 40-31 lead into the locker room at the break. Although the offense cooled down a bit in the second half, Auburn mounted its lead to as much as 17 to secure a crucial win. On Georgia's side, Yante Maten led with 20 points. Rayshaun Hammonds and Juwan Parker each scored 14 apiece and combined for nine boards.

The Tigers will return home on Wednesday night to host No. 24 Kentucky. The opening tip is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. One other interesting note: As I noted above, Auburn had not swept the Bulldogs in basketball since 1986. Well, the football team has still never beaten UGA in a year ending with a six. We can only hope that that streak will be broken in 2026.

In other news....

- The women's basketball team will host Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. CT tomorrow night. That game will be televised on the SEC Network.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Thursday, February 8th, 2018

Auburn could have easily folded last night against Texas A&M. They trailed by 17 in the second half. On top of that, the Tigers' top scorer, Bryce Brown, suffered a sprained shoulder and was lost for the game. But despite those dire circumstances, Auburn kept scrapping, clawing and fighting with determination and grit. The comeback fell short, though, as the Aggies slipped by the Tigers 81-80.

"I think we definitely showed some heart and some character tonight," sophomore guard Mustapha Heron said. "We definitely battled back." Indeed they did. So much so, in fact, that Auburn took a 69-67 lead with just under eight minutes to go. Unfortunately, after Horace Spencer nailed two crucial free throws to tie the score with 10 seconds left, the officials called a controversial blocking foul on Chuma Okeke with three seconds left, and Texas A&M's Duane Wilson knocked down one of two free throws that proved to be the decisive margin. Mustapha Heron had a chance to pull out a win for Auburn, but his last-gasp shot attempt glanced just off the rim at the buzzer.

Despite the outcome, the post-game locker room atmosphere was still upbeat. "Guys, I'm proud of you," head coach Bruce Pearl said to his troops. "I'm proud of the way you battled back. I'm proud of the way you trusted each other. It's only one game. Every night is a new opportunity. I love the way you guys are competing. I love the way you're handling adversity. You competed like champions, and we're still right where we want to be."

Although Heron's potential game-winner failed, he still led the Tigers with a game-high 28 points and played the entire second half in Brown's absence. It was his sixth 20-point game of the season, and it marked the most points he had scored since recording 31 against Winthrop in November. The two-time SEC player of the week is averaging 22 points a game over his last four contests. Pearl was very pleased with his performance.

"Mustapha Heron was tremendous tonight," he said. "He rose up and got on another level, which we know he has. It's just a totally different gear, and that's what separates him from everybody else. He was attacking the basket, getting to the foul line, making shots, and he played 36 minutes." He was not alone, of course. Fellow starters Jared Harper (13), Desean Murray (11) and Anfernee McLemore (10) also scored in double figures. Brown, meanwhile, tallied seven points before sustaining his shoulder injury with just over three minutes left in the first half that forced him out of the game. Pearl stated after the game that Brown was pretty sore.

Auburn (21-3, 9-2) still holds a one-game lead in the SEC, and will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday in a trip to Georgia. The opening tip is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and will be televised on the SEC Network.

In other news....

- Auburn football has pushed the start of spring practice back two days to March 1st, as Gus Malzahn feels that he and the staff need a couple of extra days to prepare. It was originally scheduled to begin on February 27th. The Tigers will conduct four to five practices before entering spring break on campus from March 12th-16th. The annual A-Day game is set for April 7th. Practices will also be conducted on April 8th and 9th after the scrimmage.

- Quarterback Jarrett Stidham will unfortunately miss at least a portion of spring practices due to his injured shoulder, head coach Gus Malzahn reported yesterday. Stidham underwent a "minor" surgery to repair his left, non-throwing shoulder at the end of the season in January. Malzahn initially felt that Stidham would be healthy enough to participate in spring drills.

"At this point it looks like he probably won't be able to start to participate until after spring break," Malzahn said. While Stidham is healing, backup quarterbacks Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood will get the majority of the snaps during the first four to five practices. When Stidham returns, he will be the first Auburn quarterback to return for a second season after throwing for over 3,000 yards in his debut campaign.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Wednesday, February 7th, 2018

Another National Signing Day has come and gone. I'll get right to the list of Auburn commitments for today, with a little background information about each.

1. Caleb Johnson: 6-3, 260, DL/Columbus, GA/Northside: Recorded 104 tackles (16 for loss), eight sacks, two blocked kicks and three defensive TDs as a senior for Coach Morgan Ingram's Patriots. GSWA Class 4A state co-defensive player of the year. First-team all-state as a junior and senior. Also a baseball letterman.

2. Coynis Miller Jr.: 6-2, 300, DL/Birmingham, AL/Jackson-Olin: Imposing defensive tackle prospect. High school coach was Tim Vakakes. Played in Under Armour All-American Game and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Ranked as No. 12 defensive tackle nationally by Rivals, No. 13 by 247Sports, and No. 14 by ESPN. Also plays basketball.

3. Anthony Schwartz: 6-0, 180, WR/Ft. Lauderdale, FL/American Heritage: Dynamic deep-play receiver, guided American Heritage to consecutive Class 5A state titles under coach Patrick Surtain. Played in Under Armour All-American Game. Ranked No. 10 wide receiver nationally by ESPN, No. 28 by 247Sports, No. 31 by Rivals, No. 18 prospect in Florida by ESPN and No. 25 by 247Sports. Broward County track and field athlete of the year as a junior and an all-USA sprinter. Set a world youth record with a 10.15 second 100 meter in the Florida Relays.

4. Roger McCreary: 5-11, 180, DB/Mobile, AL/Williamson: Versatile cornerback prospect with unlimited production. Eight interceptions and more than 100 tackles as a senior for Coach Dedrick Sumpter at Williamson High. Also had over 2,100 offensive yards. First-team Class 5A all-state. Also a basketball letterman.

5. Harold Joiner: 6-3, 210, RB/Birmingham, AL/Mountain Brook: Versatile offensive threat. Scored 16 TDs as a senior for Coach Chris Yeager. Played in U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Also a basketball letterman. Ranked as No. 4 player in Alabama by 247Sports.

6. Richard Jibunor: 6-3, 215, Buck/Athens, GA/Athens Christian: Defensive prospect who played on both sides of the ball for Coach Chris Williams at Athens Christian High. First-team GSWA Class A all-state. Terrific athlete with great work habits. Ranked as a four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Native of Nigeria. Also a track and field and basketball letterman.

7. Matthew Hill: 6-2, 185, WR/Snellville, GA/Brookwood: Explosive receiver who led Brookwood to an 11-3 record and the Georgia state Class 7A final four. Also played strong safety for Coach Phillip Jones. Played in Under Armour All-American Game. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11. GSWA all-state and Gwinnett Daily Post offensive player of the year. Ranked as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Also a track and field letterman.

8. Arryn Siposs: 6-2, 200, P/Melbourne, Australia/Pro Kick Australia: Punter who trained with Pro Kick Australia and Coach Nathan Chapman. Played five seasons of professional soccer with St. Kilda in the Australian Football League, scoring 22 career goals. Graduate of Hallam Senior Secondary College in Hallam, Victoria.

9. Asa Martin: 6-0, 205, RB/Decatur, AL/Austin High: Rushed for 2,228 yards and 33 TDs as a senior. Alabama state Gatorade Player of the Year for Coach Jeremy Perkins at Austin High. Led the Black Bears to the Class 6A quarterfinals. Played in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Ranked as No. 9 running back nationally by 247Sports. Also a track and field letterman.

10. Joey Gatewood: 6-5, 230, QB/Jacksonville, FL/Bartram Trail: Led the Bears to the Florida class 7A state finals. Passed for 1,468 yards and 12 TDs and rushed for 1,100 yards and 16 scores as a senior. Elite 11 finalist. Played in Under-Armour All-American Game. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Also a sprinter in track and field.

11. Smoke Monday: 6-3, 190, DB/Atlanta, GA/Carver High: Physical safety who led the Panthers to the Georgia state Class 5A semi-finals. High school coach was Darren Myles. Played in Under Armour All-American Game. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Ranked as No. 8 safety nationally by ESPN and No. 9 by 247Sports. Also a track and field letterman. Given name is Quindarious.

12. Josh Marsh: 6-2. 215, LB/Decatur, AL/Decatur High: Speedy linebacker with great production. Led state of Alabama as a junior with 206 tackles.Nominated for Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Rated as three-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Also a track and field letterman, and active in mission work.

13. Daquan Newkirk: 6-3, 280, DL/Orlando, FL/Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/First Academy: Recorded 48 tackles (9 for loss) at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College last fall. Rated as three-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Played for Coach Leroy Kinard at First Academy. Class 3A all-state. Florida Athletic Coaches Association all-district at running back and defensive line. Played in Blue-Grey All-America Game.

14. Jamien Sherwood: 6-2, 200, DB/Jensen Beach, FL/Jensen High: Terrific safety prospect. High school coach was Tim Caffey. Played in Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. Nominated for U.S. Army All-American Bowl. All-state and all-area. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Also track and field letterman in the sprints.

15. Christian Tutt: 5-11, 195, DB/Thomson, GA/Thomson High: Outstanding cornerback prospect for Coach Rob Ridings at Thomson High. Led Thomson to 10-2 record and semifinals of Georgia state Class 4A playoffs. Recorded 51 tackles and 522 offensive yards with 11 TDs as a senior. Played in U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Nephew of former NFL linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler.

16. Michael Harris: 6-2, 215, LB/Tucker, GA/Tucker High: Explosive linebacker prospect who led Tucker Tigers to Class 6A state semifinals. First-team all-state as a junior and Clayton News-Daily defensive player of the year. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. 15th-ranked OLB nationally according to ESPN.

17. Shaun Shivers: 5-7, 175, Athlete/Fort Lauderdale, FL/Chaminade-Madonna Prep: Electric all-purpose back from Chaminade-Madonna Prep. Led the Lions to the Florida Class 3A state championships. Rushed for more than 6,000 yards in his prep career. All-Broward defensive player of the year. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. State runner-up in the 100 meter dash.

18. Kameron Stutts: 6-4, 330, OL/Killen, AL/Brooks High: Agile offensive line prospect. Led Brooks to Alabama state Class 5A playoffs. Played in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Rated as three-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports.

19. Jalil Irvin: 6-3, 300, OL/Stone Mountain, GA/Stephenson High: Outstanding offensive line prospect. High school coach was Ron Gartrell. Helped Panthers to 8-4 record and the Georgia state Class 6A playoffs. Played in Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. Rated as four-star by Rivals and 247Sports. No. 5 center nationally according to ESPN.

20. Zakoby McClain: 6-0, 205, LB/Valdosta, GA/Valdosta High: Physical linebacker prospect. High school coach was Alan Rodemaker. Compiled 123 tackles (20 for loss) as a junior, leading the Wildcats to a state title. Nominated for U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Ranked No. 12 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN.

21. Seth Williams: 6-3, 215, WR/Cottondale, AL/Bryant High: Versatile contributor at receiver and safety who led Bryant to Class 6A state playoffs. High school coach was Eldrick Hill. Played in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Fifth-ranked player in Alabama according to 247Sports. Ranked as No. 10 athlete nationally by ESPN. Also an all-state honoree in basketball and also a state medalist in the long jump and high jump.

22 . Shedrick Jackson: 6-1, 185, WR/Birmingham, AL/Hoover High: Helped Hoover win Alabama Class 7A state championship. High school coach was Josh Niblett. Played in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Rated as three-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. Nephew of Auburn great Bo Jackson.

23. Kayode Oladele: 6-5, 250, DE/Miami, FL/Champagnat Catholic: Relative newcomer to American football. High school coach was Dennis Marroquin. Rated as four-star by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. ESPN's 19th-ranked defensive end prospect nationally. Native of Nigeria.

You can also find video footage of all of these players at www.auburntigers.com by clicking on the camera icon included in each name on the list. I wish every one of them nothing but the best of luck in their upcoming Auburn careers.

In other news.....

Don't forget that the men's basketball team hosts Texas A&M at 8 p.m. CT tonight in Auburn Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, February 6th, 2018

Gus Malzahn's new deal at Auburn is now official. The school released information regarding the matter today. The deal was originally agreed upon immediately after Auburn's loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The seven-year deal averages out to include a salary of $7 million per season and runs through 2024.

Despite that obviously solid average price tag, Malzahn will make $6.7 million from Auburn in 2018, and each season will add another $100,000 to his total compensation. His new deal will cap out at $7.3 million in 2024. Josh Vitale of AU Now reports that Malzahn's buyout will be set at 75 percent of the remaining compensation on his deal. So every year that he stays with Auburn, the total amount of the buyout will decrease. The initial buyout figure is set at $36.75 million.

In other news....

- Tomorrow is National Signing Day! It will air on ESPN2 from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. I'm sure that Auburn's entire list of signees will become available online in due course. When it does, I'll endeavor to fill you in on all of them here.

- Auburn basketball hosts Texas A&M tomorrow night at 8 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Monday, February 5th, 2018

The NCAA has handed down its decision: Austin Wiley will stay on the bench for this season. The Auburn basketball team had hoped to have the talented center back in action this year, but that won't become a reality. Wiley, who appeared in 23 games last year, starting 22, will remain banned for his alleged acceptance of money from former assistant coach Chuck Person.

Head coach Bruce Pearl commented on the ruling this afternoon. "You know what, I'm going to stay away from that right now because it's not my call," he said. "I do believe there has been some resolution to it, but it's not my call to make that statement. I'm very disappointed in the NCAA's decision that was made today regarding Austin. He is a terrific kid. You know he's a victim in this."

Even in Wiley's absence, the Tigers have been on a roll, going 21-2 thus far and climbing to No. 8 in today's AP poll. However, Auburn is also one of the shortest teams in the SEC, so having a 6-feet-11, 255-pound center would certainly benefit Pearl's squad. Sadly, that won't happen this year, so the Tigers will have to continue pressing on without him. Auburn returns to action on Wednesday night when they host Texas A&M in Auburn Arena at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Sunday, February 4th, 2018

Auburn's dominance from 3-point range allowed the 11th-ranked Tigers to overtake Vanderbilt 93-81 in Auburn Arena last night. The Tigers sank a season-high 17 treys. It was the team's first win over the Commodores since Jan. 6, 2007, snapping a 13-game losing streak to Vandy. Bryce Brown led the way with 25 points. Mustapha Heron recorded 23, and Jared Harper tallied a career-best 14 assists to allow Auburn to improve to 12-0 at home this season.

Head coach Bruce Pearl singled out Harper's performance as a big factor in his team's win. "I thought Jared Harper was fun to watch out there," he said. "Had great command over his team. Got the ball to the hot hand." The Tigers went 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) from 3-point range. Brown nailed 5 of 7 and Heron canned 4 of 6. "That was the easy part," Harper stated. "The harder part is making the shots. When you have guys like Staph (Heron) and Bryce having another big second half, it makes it easy for me."

Brown and Heron combined to score 30 points in the second half to enable Auburn to hold on to a double-digit lead after Vandy made a strong surge. Heron rang up 13 consecutive points in the half, then Brown stole the show with 15 straight points of his own. "I think we have a team that everybody can heat it up," stated Heron who, along with Brown, was a solid 8-of-12 from the field. "Tonight was just Bryce's and my night. With Jared having 14 assists, it was just that type of night."

This marked the Tigers' 16th double-digit victory. At 9-1 in conference play, Auburn leads Tennessee by two games and Florida, Kentucky and Alabama by three apiece. The win will most likely help the team crack the Top 10 tomorrow. Pearl used some golf terms to describe the competition in the SEC. "There are some really good teams on this back nine," he said. "We really don't have a bogey yet, but these holes are getting tougher."

For most of the first half, it looked as though this one would turn into a blowout. Harper's third trey put Auburn ahead 21-8. Its next score came on a 3 by Heron, who barely beat the shot clock. Soon after, Harper's steal and long pass to Heron for an easy layup gave the Tigers a 26-9 advantage. Auburn led by as many as 22 before Vandy made an 11-0 run to cut the margin to single digits. Chuma Okeke cradled in a loose ball and hit the Tigers' eighth 3-pointer of the half to make it a 45-35 Tiger lead at intermission. He finished the night with 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half.

Jeff Roberson led Vandy with a game-high 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes of action. Auburn will look to retain its unbeaten home streak on Wednesday night when they host Texas A&M at 8 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN2. (Surprised by the change in network?)

In other news....

- The women's basketball team plays at Texas A&M this afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. That game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Thursday, February 1st, 2018

Auburn basketball continued its winning ways on Tuesday night with a 79-70 road win at Ole Miss. The victory allowed the Tigers to secure several milestones. First off, they now have their first 20-win season since the 2008-2009 campaign (only the 10th such season in program history). They also have a two-game lead in the SEC standings entering February after Florida lost at Georgia that night. Plus, no SEC squad had won at Ole Miss prior to Tuesday.

Junior guard Bryce Brown led the way with 23 points, 19 of which came in the second half. His 3-pointer with seven minutes to go paved the way for a 13-2 Auburn run that allowed the Tigers to put this one away. However, he also showed his knack for taking it to the rim several times, as he went 6-of-9 on shots inside the arc. Head coach Bruce Pearl was pleased with his tenacity. "He stepped up," he said after the game. "He's got a different gear. He's got a swagger and a confidence, and he's not afraid to fail."

Brown was not alone by any means. He was complemented by Mustapha Heron (16 points), Jared Harper (13), and Anfernee McLemore (10). The Tigers' fifth starter, Desean Murray, was close behind with nine points and a team-best 10 rebounds on his birthday. In team stats, Auburn edged the Rebels in rebounding, 42-41. Plus, the conference's leading offensive-rebounding squad entering this game continued that trend with 19 offensive boards, including 13 in the second half. That helped the Tigers out in second-chance points, as they recorded 17 of those. Also, the defense forced 17 turnovers. That unit has now forced 101 turnovers over the past four contests.

"Our second-half defense was really good," Pearl stated. "We turned them over and disrupted them. We thought we needed to turn them over some to win." Very much so, on both counts. Auburn has now won six major road games this season, and by winning at Ole Miss on Tuesday, the Tigers accomplished something that league contenders Florida and Alabama could not earlier in January. "It just shows you we can go anywhere to any environment and pull out a win," Brown said.

Auburn hopes to extend its win total to 21 when they host Vanderbilt at Auburn Arena on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET). The game will be televised on the SEC Network. Now, I looked at Vandy's schedule for this year, and so far, they're 8-14 overall and just 2-7 in SEC play. Needless to say, it would be very easy to get overconfident. Coach Pearl had better keep his team on its toes. Otherwise, we'll fall victim to a large upset.

In other news....

- Auburn football's annual A-Day game has been set for a later time than last year. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) on April 7th. The Tigers will begin spring practice on Feb. 27th, its earliest such start under sixth-year head coach Gus Malzahn. The school is allowed to conduct 15 total practices during the spring.

The team is expected to return 12 total starters, six apiece on offense and defense, from last year's squad that won the SEC West, defeated both Georgia and Alabama in the regular season, and played in a New Year's Six bowl.

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!