35 points against Tulsa is simply embarrassing. Guess this goes to show there is only so much a coach can do with inferior talent. The most telling stat I see is Auburn's two leading assist guys only have 2.3 per game each with A/T ratios of 1.3 and 0.8. With the two leading scorers averaging 19 and 16.5 per game, they must be playing a lot of one on one and playing sloppy at that.

We can safely add Auburn to the list of teams A&M can't afford to lose to if they want to make the NCAA tournament.

They are unlikely to be a team that makes any sort of post-season (not even NIT). They have very little size or depth, using somewhat an Island of Misfit Toys roster approach at the moment.

Several struggling programs in the SEC right now though so they still might get 5-7 conference wins. Hopefully we won't be one of them.

Next year is when I think you'll start to see Pearl's rebuilding of the program really start to show.

The amazing thing is several publications (e.g. Sporting News) ranked them ahead of us and other SEC teams. I ve said before that we were underrated by all pre season SEC rankings.

We may be underrated because

1. We are always otherwise OVERRATED, and we aren't getting the benefit of the doubt this time, and

2. Nobody knew (and still doesn't know) the full impact the newcomers will have

As for Auburn being overrated, well, Pearl, that's why

Another reason is publications don't put a lot of thought into things like the order of finish in SEC basketball

They just slap it on a page and move on...

As bad as Auburn may appear, there are several teams such as Miss State, Tennessee, Mizzou, and South Carolina who may end up being just as bad or worse.

This conference is terrible. We have to be consistent to have a shot at the post season, because almost every loss is a bad one.

Pearl will have them playing better late and will win a few games he shouldn't.

Andy Katz recently tweeted:

Andy Katz @ESPNAndyKatz 16h16 hours ago
UK not the issue. Rest of SEC? Florida isn't healthy. Arkansas, Alabama decent. Texas A&M just got key players eligible. LSU? @SeanFarnham

After Kentucky...the entire SEC is all uncertainty.

I'll say it again if other sec teams aren't careful this is a one bid league.

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I'll say it again if other sec teams aren't careful this is a one bid league.

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Has that ever happened? Even came close to happening? What is the fewest number of teams to ever make the NCAA from the SEC?

Ben, Kentucky and Florida?

So why is Kentucky in the SEC again? It doesn't really make sense to me.

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So why is Kentucky in the SEC again? It doesn't really make sense to me.

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Don't know. Kentucky and Missouri are the only Union states in the SEC. Wouldn't mind trading Kentucky for North Carolina.

So far the SEC looks weak outsie of Kentucky.

All the "top teams" have lost against teams from the big conferences.

Mizzou looks bad...Alabama looks flat...Arkansas looks flat...Florida looks just ok...the rest of the SEC is all ???

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Ben, Kentucky and Florida?

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Florida isn't good enough to coast through and get in. They are reeling right now due to injuries and guys being out but they already lost at home to Miami and now play in the tough Bahamas tournament. I don't see them having any good nonconference wins. Which means don't screw around in conference. 11-7 in this conference without any good nonconference wins probably won't get you in. Last year Tenn went 11-7 and got in a play-in game thanks to the win over Virginia.

UF has a lot of issues right now. Rest of the SEC outside of UK need to keep bad loses to very very few.

1 bid from a 14-team "power" conference would be terrible

UK (anything less than 40-0 will be a disappointment for me, honestly)

One of Alabama-Arkansas-Georgia? Will any one finally break through this year?

If there ever was a year for A&M to rise up and surprise, this would be it. Quality OOC schedule, really bad SEC, etc

To be in decent shape for the NCAA bubble going into conference season, I agree with a comment by Sandhop that we probably need to win at least 2 out of 3 of Arizona State, Baylor, and Kansas State, plus win all the non-con games that we are supposed to win.

Note that Arkansas plays SMU tonight, in Dallas, which might be interesting.

Arkansas will beat SMU imo

Auburn's poor play is likely due to Pearl installing a new system over there - growing pains.

As mentioned above I expect Auburn to improve as the season goes on.

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As mentioned above I expect Auburn to improve as the season goes on.

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Once you've been taken to the woodshed vs Tulsa, held to only 35 points, there no where else to go but up!

Pearl has a long tack record of winning. They'll be fine. And this was a real rebuild unlike what Kennedy took on.

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They'll be fine. And this was a real rebuild unlike what Kennedy took on.

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Oh I agree that I think they will eventually get good under Pearl.

But not this season. Can't see it with that patchwork roster he is working with right now. Might still get a handful of wins just because the SEC is loaded with other struggling teams, but I'll be surprised if Auburn finishes higher than 10th in the conference.

I think Pearl is good at recruiting and is good at marketing and smoozing the crowd.
Not sure he is that great re the x's and o's. At UT he had some really good athletes...didn't
seem all that disciplined or that well coached to me. I think he likely relates well to the players and generally kkeps them happy. I'll submit that with enough talent that is happy, your record as a basketball coach can be pretty good. His personality and enthusiasm is contagious and that is his strength. He can hire good asst. coaches for the teaching that is needed.

Pearl also gets his guys to play their asses off. It's amazing what happens when you play harder than your opponent.

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It's amazing what happens when you play harder than your opponent.

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You still need a good roster of good players. Otherwise you lose by 30 to Colorado and then only score 35 vs. Tulsa. THIS YEAR, Auburn looks like it will be a bad team. His track record says that he'll eventually get them turned around though, and his recruiting has been going great.

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Don't know. Kentucky and Missouri are the only Union states in the SEC. Wouldn't mind trading Kentucky for North Carolina.

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Missouri was not Union

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Don't know. Kentucky and Missouri are the only Union states in the SEC. Wouldn't mind trading Kentucky for North Carolina.

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Missouri was not Union

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http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_%28American_Civil_War%29

You could very well be right. I am citing Wikipedia.

Kentucky is a charter member of the SEC, don't think they would ever be traded.

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Don't know. Kentucky and Missouri are the only Union states in the SEC. Wouldn't mind trading Kentucky for North Carolina.

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Missouri was not Union

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http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_%28American_Civil_War%29

You could very well be right. I am citing Wikipedia.

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They weren't truly confederate either. The civil war pretty much divided Missouri in half.

Kentucky was nuetral. Missouri definitely leans more to a southern culture then a union one. They also had slavery and there was quite a battle over Kansas. I lived in Kansas City for quite awhile and I can assure you the most form Missouri would bristle about being called a yankee state!

auburn beats Oregon State.

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Kentucky was nuetral. Missouri definitely leans more to a southern culture then a union one. They also had slavery and there was quite a battle over Kansas. I lived in Kansas City for quite awhile and I can assure you the most form Missouri would bristle about being called a yankee state!

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Yeah, the hatred in the Mizzou-KU rivalry is very much about issues from the Civil War.

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I'll say it again if other sec teams aren't careful this is a one bid league.

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Nope!
Mikesyracuse1

I'll wager on whether this is a one bid league or not. Ridiculous.