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Posted on 5/29/19 at 8:13 am to Rig
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If the NCAA wants to further the gap between mid-majors and P5 programs, this is a quick way to do so.
I disagree, I think the top P5 coaches will be the failure points to take advantage though.
The teams that best take advantage of spacing from Villanova/AU in CBB to the Warriors in the NBA, share similarities regarding player freedom and shooting green lights.
At the college level though, the top coachesare often defined by players conforming and buying into rigid, disciplined systems with limited freedom to make plays.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 9:36 am to GenesChin
When you space the floor, talent takes advantage.
You’re right in that coaching can make up the gap and it’ll likely happen in college basketball because there’s a large gap between good and bad coaches.
But in the near term, extending the 3 pt line does nothing to help mid-majors or less talented P5 programs.
You’re right in that coaching can make up the gap and it’ll likely happen in college basketball because there’s a large gap between good and bad coaches.
But in the near term, extending the 3 pt line does nothing to help mid-majors or less talented P5 programs.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 4:07 pm to Rig
Everything Bruce Pearl said during SEC Spring Meetings
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On Jared Harper, Chuma Okeke staying in NBA Draft
Certainly, there could be a last-second change of heart. My job is to support those guys and help them get to where they can go. I believe they both can play in the league. For Chuma, it’s as soon as he gets healthy. For Jared, it’s going to be the right club — one that wants to speed guard and change pace. There are teams that won’t want a smaller guard like that, but I do think the league is getting smaller. The three-point shot is even more of a factor.
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Bryce Brown could be a combo guard in the pros?
I think he has the ability and just his size. He’s going to be a secondary ball-handler. He was a primary play-maker for us — with the ball. He was not a true combo in the sense of … we allow out point guards to do the lion’s shore of breaking pressure and setting the offenses. Bryce will look to try to do more than that. We put him in the best position as a college player to suit his ability and our team’s needs. The next step now is for him to make that transition to professional basketball and do more ball-handling and setting offenses.
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Do you feel like the deadline for players to stay or go should be extended (currently May 29)?
I’d like for it to go as long as it can do … because I want those guys to have the information they need. I’d almost love to see there to be a way to stay in the draft until the draft. If they don’t get drafted, then they have the ability to come back. They don’t have that figured out yet. There are a lot of challenges involved in all this. The agents are way more involved. I’m more involved in coach-control issues. If a player is putting his name in the draft and he’s able to work out with a trainer and he has agents involved but he’s got to maintain his eligibility based on the rules? There’s going to be a lot of issues — especially with guys who come back late. We’re already beginning to see that some guys are probably in so deep with the process either with workouts or trainers that they can’t come back. There’s some monies that the NCAA will allow them to actually travel like for pro workouts and some training prior to workouts and certainly the Combine. But there are day when they’ve been with trainers and workout people off campus that they have to pay for on their own. How do you figure that out? Who’s responsible for figuring that out. Is that NCAA legislation? Is that a coach-control area? You don’t even want to get the kids in a position where they can’t come back because they’ve run up a bill. There’s a lot of moving parts to it — and whatever we do, we should do it in the best interests of the student-athletes.
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How is recruiting for 2020 class?
We are still going to be in a place where I’m not able to reload. For whatever reason. As opposed to Kentucky or Duke or Kansas or some of the other high-profile programs that are there every year. If we’re able to have a great year in 2020, it’s because we’ve laid foundations, we’ve built relationships, we’ve recruiting the kind of kids and the kinds of families who have been able to watch our program over time. We’ve got to lay foundations. Can we pick up a grad transfer? Can we pick up somebody who maybe can give our program a little bit more? Yes. But we’re not able to just get involved late with the best two guard in the country because Jared’s not coming back or the best power forward that we weren’t recruiting all year long because we thought Chuma would be coming back. We just don’t have that ability.
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Has Final Four appearance impacted scheduling?
The issue with schedule would be, I think now, there are some teams that are interested in us going there — and coming to Auburn. I think it’s got a chance to have helped the schedule. We haven’t announced some things but we’re definitely in some conversations with some higher-profile people. Whether or not that plays out and finishes out, we’ll see, but in other words I’m actually now able to make a call and talk to some, let’s say, top-25, non-conference opponents that are even a little higher than the ones we’ve talked to in the past — and getting a Final Four team there now is attractive, or a higher RPI team. I would say it’s probably helping our ability to schedule tough.
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Can we guess about some of those teams?
You can guess. I’m not going to confirm any, but, yeah, absolutely. You know guys, when I withhold information it’s because things aren’t done and I will try to never mislead you or provide you false information.
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How is Austin Wiley's thumb?
I think he’s doing really well. Nobody expected Austin to still be at Auburn but for a variety of different reasons this is where we find ourselves. I’m just excited about the potential for him to have a dominating year. he’s got to stay healthy and I think if he does, we’re going to be the beneficiary. He’s got a great future. He’s only 20 year old. That’s the thing you have to keep reminding yourself. The other thing, too, is he’s had a lot of summer travel and he’s been on a lot of different teams — and this summer it’s going to just be training. There’s not going to be spring combine work. There’s nothing else like that.
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But Austin Wiley's thumb is healthy after surgery last month?
His thumb is now healthy. He’s going to start getting back to playing pretty quickly, but I’m going to remind people, he is still low mileage. Like with a car. When we’re looking to buy a brand new car or a used car, a lot of times, it’s, how many miles are on that car? Austin might be entering his fourth year at Auburn, but it’s low miles. There are low miles on those legs. So, from that standpoint I think he’s going to be fresh still and if we can get his movement and a little more explosive, a little faster, a little lighter, I think he’s in a really good place.
quote:
Could Austin Wiley play 20 to 25 minutes next season?
Oh, gosh, he could give me 20-25. He could play 30. The reason why last year he wasn’t able to play more because he didn’t come back to us, especially the second time around, until mid-SEC season. And I’ve got Anfernee out there, we have Chuma out there, we have Horace out there, we’ve got some other guys out there. Danjel was playing some. And so a combination of not being 100 percent healthy and just the chemistry with our team, he played a great role off the bench but I just didn’t want to mess with the chemistry. And by the time he was ready to maybe go was late March.
This post was edited on 5/29/19 at 4:15 pm
Posted on 5/29/19 at 4:13 pm to AUFan2015
quote:
Can you be an NCAA Tournament team in 2020?
You just have to step back and you look at we lost three seniors, two juniors and four of our top five players and we’ve got a good 2019 class coming in but not great from a standpoint that we didn’t have three 5-stars or 4-stars, you know? But I think we all know this is a pretty good group of veterans with five seniors. It puts us in a position where there’s some experience, guys have been there. Four or five good freshmen that are in position to come in and make a difference, and that’s going to be what’s going to be interesting about this summer: who and how quickly can those freshmen be that are going to come in and play a role this year? And we’ve got some other guys who have been in the program: Jamal Johnson was out there last year, sat out last year. Can he fill in the shoes of a Malik Dunbar or a Bryce Brown in a different way? I think he can.
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On basketball programs improving so much in SEC
Is the window shrinking? What the fact that I'm third in seniority and I've been at Auburn for five years. Yeah, those windows are shrinking. The league has gotten a lot better. The grind of the SEC. We lost seven SEC games last year. I would say with the exception of, you know, Ole Miss at home was a tough loss, we didn't start off very well. We didn't start off very well, but every game we won was, they were a little precious and few there for a little while. So it's can you get through the grind, and get to the other side of the grind and make the Tournament and have a high enough seed. Like, in other words, I think the shirts that I should be producing are, 'All I want to be is a 5 seed.' Like what did we have to do to get to be a 5 seed. We had to win our last four SEC games on the road at Georgia and Alabama, at home against Mississippi State and Tennessee, man, but that get gave us the 5 seed, which then let us get the 5-12 and then advance through the four, not the three or the two and gave us the road to the Final Four. Now I know the paths of teams we played were historic, but, so whatever it is for next year, it's gonna be a grind, and we've demonstrated that we've been able to play through that.
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On Samir Doughty possibly stepping up
No question, there is Samir, there is J'Von, there's Danjel and there's Anfernee and there's Austin and there's Isaac, and there's Jaylin and there's Ty and there's Allan and there's Jamal and that's the group we roll with. The confidence level perhaps is a little bit higher because you've seen us put it together before when it wasn't expected. I don't think the preseason stuff is gonna be -- we're gonna be in anybody's top 2 or 3 like we were last year. But I think we'll probably be in the upper division, upper division in the SEC means NCAA Tournament.
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Means you're doing a good job?
So you're saying I got a chance. So you're saying there's a chance.
Still looking to add grand transfer?
I mean, other than we are still involved with some guys. We still are involved with some guys that are out there. And I'd like to add one or two more. I would.
A combo?
Yeah, I'd love to be able to, based on the positions we've lost, we've lost Chuma, we lost Bryce and Jared, so maybe a piece there and a piece there, but only if it's going to get us where we want to be. I know it's gonna help us. I'd rather play with 11 guys and put two guys on scholarship that are non-scholarship than take guys that can't get us there. Or it's about putting them in positions to be successful. Maybe a guy you feel like you can develop, but I'm not big on running him in and out. I'm not big on, well, if they don't fit in, just, they'll transfer. If I don't believe in that they can be successful and help us, then I'm not gonna recruit.
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On Rod Bramblett
You guys knew him, and I offer my condolences to all of you because you guys knew him, you worked with him, he was a colleague. And that's what he was to me, he was a friend. I didn't get the pleasure of listening to his calls, except I did some amazing football calls. But when you spend a half hour, 90 minutes before every game and you go over the game plan and you go over what you think you're gonna do, and then you visit after the game and you travel together. Look, Rod cared about you, he cared about your kids, he cared about your players, he cared about your wife. The things I loved about Rod is Rod never apologized for loving Paula and telling you how much he loved her and how much he appreciated her. Didn't brag on his kids, but you could tell how important it was for him to be a great father. And then the other things that people don't understand, while he had the job of his dreams, and he wouldn't do anything other than what he did, I don't think anybody realized how hard he had to work to do what he did. I mean when you go to football to basketball to baseball, all the preparation, and he never complained. He never complained. That just was part of his job. It just was sad. We're sad, because, he and Paula are in a better place. But we are not, none of us are. And we all worry about his children. I'm proud of the Auburn family for stepping up and being supportive financially. The coaches at Auburn I know are going to be doing some things to help along those lines as well. And we'll celebrate his life. He replaced a legend and in many ways he became one himself. I think there's gonna be — I'll be talking to Kirk Sampson and the leadership at Auburn, and I would think at some place at Auburn Arena, or some place over at football or baseball, there needs to be a media room, or some place that we congregate and have press conferences that's maybe, has Rod and Paula's name on it. That'd be something. I know Rod would appreciate that.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 4:51 pm to AUFan2015
quote:
I think there's gonna be — I'll be talking to Kirk Sampson and the leadership at Auburn, and I would think at some place at Auburn Arena, or some place over at football or baseball, there needs to be a media room, or some place that we congregate and have press conferences that's maybe, has Rod and Paula's name on it. That'd be something. I know Rod would appreciate that.
What a great fricking idea
Posted on 5/29/19 at 5:56 pm to HailToTheChiz
Sam Blum
@SamBlum3
Allen Greene says that Ira Bowman is still "on leave."
That means Bowman has been getting paid by Auburn to not work for exactly 11 weeks.
As for why it's taken so long, Greene said: "Some things don't move along as fast as you'd like them to."
Posted on 5/29/19 at 6:00 pm to jangalang
quote:
Auburn's 'Big Cat Weekend' has been synonymous with the football team's prime recruiting weekend over the last decade. While many of the top football players in the country will make their way down to the Plains for the football festivities, the gridiron players won't be the only high-profile recruits on campus. Bruce Pearl and his staff have also utilized the weekend as a big recruiting pitch for the basketball team in recent years, too. This year will be no different. In fact, you can make the argument that this could be the biggest recruiting weekend for the basketball program in its history as it hosts 'Fish Fry Weekend.'
The Tigers are expected to host up to ten of their biggest targets on the hardwood, headlined by three five-star 2020 prospects. Walker Kessler, one of the top big men in the country from Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy, will make his official visit to campus, while travel teammates Brandon Boston and Sharife Cooper (pictured above) will also make the short trip over from Georgia unofficially. The two top rising seniors in Alabama will also be on campus in 2020 Jeff Davis (AL) power forward Rongie Gordon and 2020 Mountain Brook (AL) guard Colby Jones. Both players have seen their recruitments go to the next level in recent weeks with multiple high-major scholarship offers. Auburn is expected to be the next offer for Jones, who has excelled on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring.
Kentucky guard Justin Powell, who has already earned an offer from the Tigers, will also make the trip to campus. He has averaged 13.2 points per game while making 11 of his 20 attempts from three with Indy Heat on the EYBL circuit. The rising seniors and 2020 class won't be the only prospects in town for the festivities. Pearl also expects to host some of the best 2021 guards in the Southeast. J.D. Davison, the top overall prospect in Alabama's 2021 class, will make the short drive over from Letohatchee (AL) Calhoun School to take in the weekend, while the top 2021 player in Mississippi, Daeshun Ruffin, will also be on campus. Ruffin was one of our top performers from the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions recently. Ruffin averaged 25.8 points per game for MEBO Express on EYBL, headlined by a 51-point performance this past weekend in Dallas, Texas. Since hiring Wes Flanigan as an assistant coach last year, Auburn has made it a priority to recruit the state of Arkansas. Flanigan was formerly the head coach at Arkansas-Little Rock before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach. 2021 Marianna (AR) Lee wing Terran Williams will be in attendance for the premier weekend, too.
Auburn also hosted a big visit weekend during the fall as the basketball program hosted its pro day for NBA teams. Boston, Cooper, and 2019 signee Isaac Okoro were among the players on campus that day. If the past few years are any indication, Pearl and the Tigers are in for a successful recruiting weekend.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 7:25 pm to jangalang
Adam Zagoria
@AdamZagoria
2020 F Greg Brown Will visit Auburn on an unofficial on June 5th, his dad tells me.
.. I will forgive the bagmen for blowing off the OL if we get this cat.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 7:37 pm to jangalang
Rayjon Tucker is staying in the draft so no Memphis either.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 7:48 pm to Smoke7024
Rumor is Memphis was running out of room lol.
Posted on 5/29/19 at 8:49 pm to jangalang
Hopefully their bagman was running out of cash
Posted on 5/29/19 at 9:39 pm to Rig
quote:
But in the near term, extending the 3 pt line does nothing to help mid-majors or less talented P5 programs.
I guess I'd argue that midmajors are more likely to trailblaze on small lineups, spacing, increased 3FGA shooting
In the college game for FB/BBall, the powerhouses are always some of the slowest adopters of game trends
Posted on 5/29/19 at 10:06 pm to jangalang
I actually heard he may have work to do to qualify for a P5 school? It would make sense considering he didn’t even get an invite to the combine or the elite camp... Pretty odd move IMO considering his pedigree. A good year at a P5 school against good competition could really shoot him up the boards. We’ll see where he fall, I’d guess late 2nd no guaranteed contract.
On another note getting Greg Brown back is HUGE. This guy is an absolute freak athlete. Legit 6’8 and super long. If he can develop some better ball handling and shot you may be looking at a superstar. Hopefully that helps at least get Cooper to make the trip. Here’s Brown if you’d like to look LINK /
2020 class of Cooper, Brown, Kessler, & Powell would be unreal. Have a chance to get them all together this weekend.
On another note getting Greg Brown back is HUGE. This guy is an absolute freak athlete. Legit 6’8 and super long. If he can develop some better ball handling and shot you may be looking at a superstar. Hopefully that helps at least get Cooper to make the trip. Here’s Brown if you’d like to look LINK /
2020 class of Cooper, Brown, Kessler, & Powell would be unreal. Have a chance to get them all together this weekend.
This post was edited on 5/29/19 at 10:07 pm
Posted on 5/30/19 at 7:19 am to SECTiger92
I would love to see what Bruce could do with a big like Kessler.
Posted on 5/30/19 at 8:13 am to AA7
Brown and Boston would be great.. but if I'm picking 2 of the 4 give me Kessler and Cooper. You can build a team around those 2 day 1.
Posted on 5/30/19 at 11:32 am to auburnnyc94
Just my opinion, but i think Kessler is just enjoying the trip.
I don't think AU is a serious choice for him....
I don't think AU is a serious choice for him....
Posted on 5/30/19 at 12:24 pm to AuSteeler
We definitely have work to do with him but we are legitimately in the mix from what I've heard
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