aubiefifty

i am guilty of wanting all to be positive as long no one pisses me off.....grins

i am one of those that are grateful for bruce and company. i used to watch us go to the NIT and just get killed. i can take the bad with the good because at the end of the day bruce has us relevant and i would never worry about us going down and staying down with him. but i try to keep things simple.

concerning bruce he had some health issues as some players as well. but if basketball continues to be a rough as it has gotten we might need some bigger boys. i am not calling our players out but it seemed when the games get rough we get beat up by size. maybe we need a bigger mean streak?

rollingstone.com Trump's Lawyers Brace for Indictment Over Stormy Daniels Hush Payment Asawin Suebsaeng 8–11 minutes Skip to main content Trump Says Arrest Coming Tuesday as Lawyers Prepare for Booking in Manhattan DA Probe As the former president predicts his arrest, his legal team is talking about how to keep him out of handcuffs Former President Donald Trump Alex Wong/Getty Images Donald Trump is predicting his arrest is imminent, and his legal team has been actively preparing for it. In recent weeks, Trump and his team have held discussions on how to handle the indictment they’re expecting soon from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, two sources familiar with the matter tell Rolling Stone. Those conversations have included discussions of the legal and logistical questions surrounding an indictment of a former president, the sources said. “How would this work with the Secret Service? What would booking Donald Trump even look like? How big of a show is Alvin Bragg planning on putting on? How cooperative should the [former] president be?” one of the people says. “These are all the types of questions that have been asked, including by [Trump]…because this is unlike anything that’s happened before in our history.” Trump on Saturday morning wrote on his Truth Social platform that he expects to be arrested Tuesday. At the end of an all-caps post criticizing Bragg and proclaiming his innocence, he wrote: “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Despite Trump’s assertion, the timing remains unclear. A Trump spokesperson subsequently told The New York Times that Trump did not have direct knowledge of an indictment coming Tuesday. Fox News reported Friday that Manhattan prosecutors had requested a meeting with law enforcement to discuss logistics surrounding the possible indictment of Trump. The former president has around-the-clock Secret Service protection, raising questions about how routine procedures — such as fingerprinting — would work amid a coterie of armed guards and obvious security concerns surrounding an ex-president. Fox News, citing a source, said that Manhattan prosecutors had requested a sit-down Thursday to “discuss logistics for some time next week, which would mean that they are anticipating an indictment next week.” Editor’s picks It is thought that the possible indictment will relate to a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn Actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016. Daniels was poised to go public with her allegation that she and Trump had a sexual encounter some 10 years. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, made the payment. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to illegally paying off two women “at the direction” of Trump. While it’s not illegal to pay somebody to keep quiet about something embarrassing, prosecutors could contend that Trump’s repayment of Cohen could involve falsified business records, The New York Times reported. Court documents in Cohen’s federal prosecution, the newspaper noted, said that Trump’s company falsely described the repayments as legal expenses. While they prepare for possible charges, much of Trump’s team is not worried about the political repercussions. In fact, within the twice-impeached ex-president’s inner political orbit, there is a widespread belief that any criminal charges from the Manhattan DA would only boost Trump’s popularity among 2024 Republican primary voters. “Every other legal persecution of him — two impeachments, the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago and the attacks [on] his business — backfired,” John McLaughlin, a top pollster for Trump, argues on Friday afternoon. “It will backfire enormously.” (After the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s popularity surged among GOP voters in an August Morning Consult/Politico survey.) The expected charges against Trump come after years of Manhattan prosecutors’ sprawling investigation into alleged financial crimes. In May 2021, then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. convened a grand jury to investigate him. In July 2021, Trump’s longtime chief financial Allen Weisselberg — as well as the former president’s eponymous companies — were charged in relation to tax fraud for facilitating the payment of $1.7 million in untaxed benefits to the ex-president’s moneyman. Related Weisselberg copped to tax crimes in August saying that he “engaged in a scheme” with the Trump Organization to skirt taxes. In December, Trump’s namesake company was found guilty of tax fraud in a bombshell Manhattan trial where prosecutors alleged that he “explicitly sanctioned” financial misconduct. While Trump’s indictment must follow the same legal procedures as others, it’s unclear whether he will get the same treatment as any other disgraced celebrity facing charges — and how access to proceedings will be impacted because of his status. Trending In high-profile cases, defendants are typically walked through the courthouse hall, in front of TV cameras and still photographers, as they are led into the courtroom, and they are usually cuffed. And while high-profile court proceedings have far more space constraints and chaos than run-of-the-mill hearings, they are nonetheless public — meaning press and spectators alike are permitted to come and go as they please. It’s unclear how much Bragg’s office has thought about this element of logistics planning. “Our law enforcement arm has not had an official or unofficial meeting about anything yet,” a New York state courts spokesman said. “At the appropriate time, should there need to be a discussion, there will be.”

al.com Joseph Goodman: The inside story on Auburn’s big miss Published: Mar. 19, 2023, 6:46 a.m. 6–7 minutes The dream ended for Auburn on Saturday night in Birmingham, and Alabama is moving on in the NCAA Tournament. To understand the vast differences between the two teams, the box score and stats don’t tell the whole story. Not even close. Alabama and Auburn compete at the highest levels of college basketball these days, and in that world it’s not just about the talent on the court. It’s also about the talent that got away. Really, to fully grasp how everything went down at Legacy Arena this week, it requires an appreciation for Auburn coach Bruce Pearl’s major letdown way back in 2021. This entire season would have been different in the SEC, and in this NCAA Tournament, too, if Pearl had landed super-recruit Scoot Henderson instead of Henderson and his family choosing a new option available to high school players, a path straight to the pros through the NBA’s G-League. RELATED: ‘Frustrating’ free-throw struggles sink Auburn RELATED: Rewinding Auburn’s loss to Houston RELATED: San Diego State coaches says he needs to study up Pearl revisited Henderson’s choice in the news conference after Auburn’s 81-64 loss to Houston. How did the decision of Henderson reshape the SEC? Pearl didn’t answer that question directly, but he did offer keen insight into the inner workings of modern day team building for major programs like Auburn and Alabama. “That was pre-NIL,” Pearl said. “So is there a chance that with NIL Scoot Henderson comes to Auburn? Possibly.” And along with Henderson, other elite players probably would have followed. Maybe even some of the players on Houston and even Alabama’s team. “I finished second on a bunch of the guys in this tournament,” Pearl said on the day between Auburn’s first- and second-round games. Pearl got the most out of a limited roster this season. It might not feel that way with Alabama clowning teams in the NCAA Tournament like the Harlem Globetrotters, but Auburn will remain an elite basketball destination after this season. Why? One reason is because Pearl is a great coach, but another is because Auburn has made a major commitment to helping grow that thing called NIL. “NIL,” or name, image and likeness, represents a path for NIL collectives to match or exceed money from the G-League. Universities can’t pay players as employees, but NIL collectives associated with universities can pool the money to pay players for their NIL. It’s a shady workaround, but that’s the business of college basketball and football these days. Under that backdrop, and behind the scenes, the money of the game is reshaping the sport of college basketball and this NCAA Tournament is being affected by it. How do you put together a championship contender of future NBA players? You pay them money through NIL collectives, and then convince them to play defense. College athletics are changing, and the NCAA Tournament games in Birmingham and elsewhere served as the stages for the opening weekend of a new era. Now it’s on to Louisville for Alabama and the Kansas City regional for Houston. Guess where Duke and North Carolina will be? Back at home. The ACC used to be the best and the baddest basketball conference around. Maryland joined the Big Ten long ago, Duke went out to Tennessee on Saturday and the only teams from the ACC that remain in the field are Miami and Pitt. Both play on Sunday. North Carolina didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament, and then the Tar Heels refused to play in the NIT. In Birmingham, the two best basketball players here took over their games on Saturday when the moments called for greatness. It doesn’t always happen that way in the NCAA Tournament, which banks — and makes huge bank — on the big guys cracking under pressure, but the No.1 seeds in Birmingham proved they were made of tougher stuff than the top-line teams elsewhere on the first weekend of March Madness. No.1 Purdue fell to 16-seed Fairleigh-Dickson on Friday and No.1 Kansas flamed out against No.8 Arkansas on Saturday. Something tells me Fairleigh-Dickinson’s NIL stores probably don’t come close to matching the resources of an Arkansas team backed by Wal-Mart money. It wouldn’t surprise me if Alabama met Arkansas in the championship game of this tournament. The Hogs, like Alabama, are loaded with future pros. Alabama has Brandon Miller, who is projected to be one of the top picks in the NBA, and he played great in the Crimson Tide’s easy 73-51 victory against eight-seed Maryland. Houston’s star was Marcus Sasser, and he delivered the goods despite playing with an injury in the Cougars’ mauling of Auburn. In the end, it was about unmatched talent, and more than likely it will be that way until the Final Four in Houston. Alabama looks unbeatable with its length and its defense. Houston’s athleticism is equaled only by its furious effort. They started together in Birmingham, and perhaps they’ll end it all together, too. It’s all about the players, though, and Birmingham’s return to the NCAA Tournament proved that in more ways than one. Either coaches land the blue-chip recruits needed for a deep tournament run, or they’re nine-seed Auburn. The Tigers didn’t lack anything for energy. Skill? Auburn could have used a little more. In the end, Auburn missed 20 free throws and only made four field goals the entire second half. In the beginning, and I mean long before this season, Auburn missed out on one of the best players in the country when teams built like Houston and Alabama did not. Houston had Sasser, and he made five 3-pointers. Alabama had Miller, and he took over the game when the run of play demanded it. Auburn, like Pearl said after his loss, will be out recruiting on Sunday, and this time the Tigers better not miss. Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

Auburn crumbles in 2nd half of season-ending loss to top-seeded Houston Updated: Mar. 18, 2023, 11:23 p.m.|Published: Mar. 18, 2023, 8:34 p.m. 7–8 minutes A return trip to Kansas City for another Sweet 16 was within reach for Auburn midway through its second-round game against top-seeded Houston. Instead, Bruce Pearl’s team was left with a sour taste in its mouth as its season came crashing down thanks to a disastrous second half at Legacy Arena. The Tigers surrendered a double-digit halftime lead and were rendered helpless as their offense went stagnant in the second half of an 81-64 loss to the Cougars. Read more Auburn basketball: “Frustrating” free-throw issues sink Auburn in second-round loss to Houston Rewinding Auburn’s 81-64 loss to Houston Five-star freshman Yohan Traore addresses future “I didn’t know Houston was going to come out in the second half and just punch us in the mouth,” Auburn guard Zep Jasper said. Houston outscored Auburn, 50-23, after halftime as the Tigers struggled to sustain any semblance of an offense over the game’s final 20 minutes. Auburn shot just 4-of-24 (16.7 percent) in the second half, which included a stretch of 11 consecutive missed shot attempts over the span of 10 minutes and 37 seconds, and committed twice as many turnovers (six) as assists (three). “I think we got some pretty good looks,” Pearl said. “There wasn’t a lot of, like -- there wasn’t a ton of panic. Maybe a few possessions in the last 5 or 6 minutes when we didn’t run (the offense) -- panic meaning we didn’t run anything, overdribbled. In the second half we drove it downhill and sometimes we got fouled and sometimes they blocked our shot. And in the first half we had much more purpose driving it, passing it. We didn’t share the ball in the second half.” Houston ramped up its defensive effort in the second half, extending its pressure above the 3-point line and shoring up its presence inside. Auburn missed all five of its 3-point attempts in the second half and had one-third of its shot attempts blocked, with Houston registering a block on 40 percent of Auburn’s misses; Jarace Walker and J’Wan Roberts each blocking four shots in the second half and combing for 11 of the Cougars’ season-high 12 blocks on the night. “They’re just athletes, dawg,” center Dylan Cardwell said. “They’re all athletes. I’ve never seen a team that short be the No. 1 shot blocking team in the nation. They got to some balls that surprised me. They’re not as tall as they look. But I think they clamped down on defense, they were more locked in and it came down to the free throw battle and we lost by a big percentage.” Auburn watched its 10-point halftime lead evaporate during that stretch, emerging from the drought trailing by three. AAC Player of the Year Marcus Sasser drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, the second coming with 12:55 to play to give Houston its first lead since the 6:15 mark of the first half. Sasser, despite being hampered by foul trouble in the second half, finished with 22 points. Sasser picked up his fourth foul with 10:53 to play and went to the bench with Auburn ahead by two. By the time he checked back into the game with 3:37 remaining, Houston built a 13-point lead. That was in large part due to Tramon Mark, who finished with a game-high 26 points, 20 of which came in the second half. Mark tied the game at 50-50 with 9:55 to play, and Jamal Shead put the Cougars in front for good with a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession. During the seven-minute stretch that Sasser was on the bench with his fourth foul, Mark scored 16 points -- doubling Auburn’s total during that span as Houston went on a 24-9 run. “You know, this isn’t Tramon’s team, it’s Marcus’s team,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “...When Marcus went out and Jamal went out, we knew exactly what we were going to do, and Tramon was ready for it because he’s a really good player.” As Houston found its footing offensively, hitting tough shot after tough shot, Auburn simply couldn’t cobble together quality possessions and was completely dreadful from the free-throw line despite being in the bonus with more than 10 minutes to play. Auburn went 15-of-26 from the free-throw line in the second half and finished just 19-of-36 at the line for what was one of its worst foul-shooting performances of the season — and at the most inopportune time. Houston, meanwhile, was a perfect 18-of-18 from the free-throw line in the second half. “Shots just weren’t falling,” Auburn point guard Wendell Green Jr. said. “.... Essentially, they were making free throws the last 10, eight minutes, we were both going to the free-throw line. They were making them, we were missing them. That’s kind of when the lead went away.” Things went about as poorly as they could for Auburn in the second half, which represented a direct inverse of what was a nearly flawless first 10 minutes against the tournament’s No. 2 overall seed and one of the nation’s best defenses. The Tigers took a 41-31 lead into the break after closing the half on a 17-4 run. “We had great halves in a whole season, we just never had a great game,” Cardwell said. Auburn shot 55.2 percent from the field in the first half, including a 5-of-11 clip from beyond the arc. That included two more triples from freshman Tre Donaldson, whose NCAA Tournament career started with five consecutive makes after his 3-for-3 performance in the opening round against Iowa. The Tigers had eight assists on 16 made baskets in the first half, and they committed just two turnovers during the opening 20 minutes. They even held an edge on the boards, outrebounding the Cougars, 21-9, despite Houston opening the game with seven offensive boards in the first 10 minutes (including three of them on the opening possession of the night). Defensively, they limited the Cougars to 34.4 percent shooting and just 2-of-12 from 3-point range. More importantly, after Sasser scored nine points in the games first five-plus minutes, Auburn held him scoreless for the final 14:37 of the half. It was an almost flawless first half for Auburn against the field’s No. 2 overall seed. The only thing that didn’t go the Tigers’ way? Free throws. Auburn was just 4-of-10 from the charity stripe in the opening half, including an airball from Donaldson after his hot start. Turns out, those struggles at the line were a harbinger of things to come, as the Tigers’ season and hopes of another NCAA Tournament run fell apart over the final 20 minutes in Birmingham. “When it was so easy in the first half, I think there was a chance we thought that’s how it was going to be for the rest of the game,” Pearl said, “because we were dominated in the second half on both ends of the floor.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

si.com Takeaways from Auburn basketball’s NCAA tournament loss to Houston Jeremy Robuck 2–3 minutes The Tigers watch 10 point halftime lead vanish as their dance comes to an end. The Auburn Tigers fell to the NCAA Tournament favorites Saturday night. Auburn led by 10 at halftime, but missed free throws and stagnant offense got them in the 2nd half. The Tigers showed they had what it takes to play with the best teams all year, but struggled to close games and felt like they were an offensive piece away. Auburn basketball will come back stronger next year. Here are a few takeaways from tonight’s game. Free throws Auburn went 19-of-36 from the foul line. That's 17 missed free throws. Auburn lost by 17. Embarrassing way to lose a game. Chip on the shoulder This is Auburn basketball, playing hard like everyone is against you. Auburn dominated the first half, and led Houston at the break by 10. The Tigers looked like veterans out there. They looked confident. They played like they have been capable of playing and showed that they belong on the floor with the best. The SEC has been dominate The Southeastern Conference has multiple teams still dancing in March. It has been a down year in college basketball, and the SEC isn’t as strong as it was last year. However, it may be less a down year for the SEC than any other conference. The Big 12 has had a good year, but Arkansas took down Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16. The Vols defeated Duke today and will keep dancing. Kentucky as well as the bloody tide are still alive. The SEC is becoming a premier conference in college basketball. Tre Donaldson What a tournament for the freshman. Donaldson has looked talented but timid this year. He seems to have shed the timid lately. Donaldson has had an amazing tournament. He hit his first 5 three pointers across the first two games. He found some confidence on offense, and is really showing his potential value to the Tigers future.

do what you want bro. he trolls the dumnases on the other side that should not be in politics and i love it.

one of the few bits of news i have heard is the O line is already much improved and those guys have just started practicing with the big boys.

guys there is some film bew on twitter but it does not tell anything. yes i am not computer minded as they were punch card machjines when i was a child but i will accept some embarrassment to further the cause.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Dillon Wade ranked among top underrated SEC transfers daniellocke ~2 minutes Offensive lineman Dillon Wade announced his decision to transfer from Tulsa to Auburn on early signing day. Hugh Freeze hiring Phillip Montgomery, the former head coach of the Golden Hurricane, played a role in landing the four-star offensive tackle. An article from Mike Farrell Sports titled “Top 5 Under-the-Radar Transfer Portal Additions in the SEC” was written by Mark Pszonak and included Wade on the list. The other names were defensive back Duce Chestnut who transferred from Syracuse to LSU, tight end McCallan Castles who transferred from Cal-Davis to Tennessee, wide receiver Tre Harris who transferred from Louisiana Tech to Ole Miss and offensive lineman Marques Cox who transferred from Northern Illinois to Kentucky. Buy Tigers Tickets Upon his arrival, new head coach Hugh Freeze knew that he had to revamp the offensive line. He has done so by adding several interesting pieces through the portal, including Wade, who looks likely to start at tackle this fall. Fellow transfer Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky) may very well start at the other tackle spot, but the current thought is that Wade is the one who will make a more powerful immediate impact. Wade is the No. 26 ranked player in this year’s transfer class and the No. 4 ranked offensive lineman according to 247Sports. Avery Jones, an offensive lineman transferring from East Carolina to Auburn, is also among the top transfers, ranking No. 12 according to 247Sports. Improving the offensive line has been perhaps the biggest recruiting focus for the Tigers and Wade will help check that box in 2023.

247sports.com Auburn making four-star OT Jameson Riggs feel like a priority Steve Wiltfong ~2 minutes Hiram (Ga.) High four-star offensive tackle Jameson Riggs was back at Auburn this weekend after visiting The Plains in January. The 6-foot-4 1/2, 300-pound Riggs is a top target for Hugh Freeze and his staff in the 2024 cycle. “It was good, really enjoyed watching practice and seeing the guys compete,” Riggs said. “I definitely like the coaching staff, Coach Thornton is awesome and I think they have a good thing being built over there. Plus it’s close to home and and all that other stuff.” Auburn is battling the likes of Clemson, Tennessee and Georgia Tech, where Riggs visited in January after attending games at each of those programs during the fall. Ohio State, Duke and North Carolina are a few other contenders for Riggs who is ranked as the nation’s No. 18 offensive tackle by 247Sports. Auburn is one of the programs recruiting Riggs the hardest. “They care a lot about people and relationships which is something I value and that not every program focuses on,” Riggs said. “I’m in communication with them more than I am some other teams for sure.” ">247Sports

but does tj stay if he is told he will not be guaranteed the job? i guess it depends on the new staff. but i just think as upset as he was maybe he goes to play with his brother without that guarantee? it is hard to figure out. just from tidbits and rumors they say he is tearing it up and the others have taken a step backwards.

part two................ There's some quotes from people talking about K Faulk. He is having a big spring and has been unblockable at times. He and the Vandy transfer are the top 2 there with no mention of D Brooks. C Brown is also having a big spring so far and the clear #1 at wr Like said above TJ is at this point the clear 1 at qb. He's been throwing the ball well and impressed with his ability to fit the ball into tight windows. It's basically 7 on 7 at this point though so well see what happens when he gets a rush and is forced to move a little. He was always accurate last season as long as he was in rhythm. It was when he had to move a little that his footwork broke down and he was consistently off target. Robbie had a very bad day yesterday. Inaccurate and took back to back sacks in a 7-7 drill. Geriner was with the 3rd team. Had a couple nice throws but not enough talent around him that far down the depth chart to really do anything

stolen from the rant. And I'm here to see TJ Finley He's balling out tho. TJ clear leader at qb. Cam brown is legit. Mba is a monster. DL is stout. Fairweather is as advertised. OL is making some holes for Hunter and Battie is a legit homerun threat. Robbie still inaccurate throwing short and long passes. Elite scrambler and athlete. Clear 2nd back up. Holden didn't impress. TJ impressed the hell out of me. Huge step forward throwing the ball. His accuracy was impressive on all throws. Only had one that was off target. We riding baws

al.com The unlikely inspiration for Auburn’s senior guard: Sonic the Hedgehog Published: Mar. 18, 2023, 7:00 a.m. 5–7 minutes Zep Jasper held up his phone and showed off a photo of a polaroid he has saved in his favorites folder. It’s of the Auburn guard wearing a hat, his hair jutting out from underneath it, and a pair of white-rimmed sunglasses obscuring his eyes as he holds up a pair of stuffed toys. One of them is immediately recognizable, with its long, spiky blue hair that — color aside — is reminiscent of Jasper’s own distinct hairstyle. Read more Auburn basketball: Five-star freshman Yohan Traore addresses his future plans while remaining focused on NCAA Tournament run Injured Houston guards “100 percent” playing against Auburn Johni Broome’s first-round performance unlike any other by an SEC player since Anthony Davis in 2012 It’s Sonic the Hedgehog, the famously blue videogame (and now movie) hero with a need for speed and a proclivity for collecting gold rings. Jasper has a fondness of Sonic that dates back to his childhood, when he became entranced by the Sonic the Hedgehog games on his Nintendo system. (Jasper is Auburn’s oldest player, but even he isn’t old enough to be familiar with the Sega system iteration of those games). “Sonic is one of those guys that he can’t be stopped,” Jasper said. “He’s fast, he’s quick, and I think no other hero can stop Sonic.” And yes, Sonic is the inspiration for Jasper’s hairdo. “That’s my favorite character,” Jasper said. “Sonic, he inspired me to have my hair like this. That’s why I like the crazy, wild look with my hair.” Jasper’s hair is unmistakable, and he says “without a doubt” that he has the best hair on the team. It was somewhat of a surprising proclamation, given Jasper’s penchant for boosting up others — from his own teammates (the enthusiasm with which he brags on them is infections) to Auburn’s biggest rival (he said earlier this week that he’s rooting for Alabama to make a run in the tournament). But Jasper’s hair is a point of pride and source of unwavering confidence. Without it, he says, he “wouldn’t be able to do nothing in life.” In other words: Jasper has no plans of cropping his locks anytime soon. But the hairstyle isn’t the only thing linking Jasper to his favorite character. There’s a tattoo, as well, on the top of his right hand. RELATED: “No injury could put me down”: Chris Moore confident despite reaggravation of shoulder injury The tattoo is of Sonic’s head, and Jasper got it on his dominant hand while he was still at the College of Charleston back during the 2019-20 season. Funny story: He got the tattoo done the day before Charleston’s game against Delaware — a game that saw Jasper’s only basket come in the form of a 4-point play with just under 3 minutes to play. “My hand was pretty swollen, and I still went out there and balled out,” Jasper said. “My hand was like all puffed up, but hey, it ain’t affecting me. I went out there and played as hard as I can.” Jasper drained a corner 3-pointer and drew a foul in front of Charleston’s bench to put his team in front for good in an eventual 80-71 win. Teammates rushed over to him and mobbed him in celebration before helping him up. Jasper’s 3-pointer and subsequent free throw were part of a 22-4 run that saw Charleston erase a 10-point second-half deficit on its home floor. “I had a lot of guys tapping my hand, but I was like, ‘Hey, Sonic did work,’” Jasper said. “I was happy that I made the shot, and I believe that it was Sonic the Hedgehog.” While Jasper is better known as the “Honey Badger” for his tenacious on-ball defense, he feels sympatico with Sonic the Hedgehog—and believes the plucky animated protagonist would make for an incredible basketball player, one that would be held in the same regard as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. While Jasper doesn’t hold himself in that same tier, he does feel like he and Sonic would share some traits on the court. “When I’m playing defense, it’s like, ‘Hey man, you ain’t going around me; I’m going to stop you no matter what,’” Jasper said. “I always got that mentality from him.” Jasper is carrying that mentality into Auburn’s second-round matchup with top-seeded Houston on Saturday night in Birmingham. Jasper and the Tigers’ backcourt will face a tall order against the Cougars, who are led by AAC Player of the Year Marcus Sasser. Though Sasser is dealing with a groin issue he aggravated in Houston’s opening-round win against Northern Kentucky, the 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Jasper thinks Sonic the Hedgehog would be the type of defender who could contain Sasser and hold him scoreless. He also thinks Sonic could stop Auburn big man Johni Broome, who scored 19 points and pulled down a dozen rebounds with five blocks in the Tigers’ opening-round win. “Sonic the Hedgehog, he all over the court,” Jasper said. “You can’t stop that dude. He’s just one of those types of guys.” Jasper will try to be that type of guy against Houston, and while he wasn’t about to assert that he’d keep Sasser out of the scorebook in the teams’ 6:10 p.m. matchup at Legacy Arena, his goal is seemingly more attainable: Win and advance to the Sweet 16. “The goal is to beat Houston,” Jasper said. “That’s going to be the goal, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

theplainsman.com Tigers learning new system under Freeze ahead of spring game - The Auburn Plainsman 4–5 minutes With the annual spring football game right around the corner, the Tigers' spring practices have been ramping up in recent weeks. Auburn went 5-7 last season under former head coach Bryan Harsin, which led the university to switch to a new face of the program in Hugh Freeze. The transition has run smoothly for Freeze so far, as he has brought in a top-20 recruiting class along with multiple transfers. Now it’s time to see how this group has banded together the past few weeks and what progress they’ve made a few weeks away from the spring game. Under a new coaching staff, players are already seeing differences between the old coaching staff and this one. “I'd definitely say it’s faster,” said defensive back D.J. James. “Freeze got the whole practice moving. We’re moving fast. It’s going to be a little different this year, I feel like.” James made a big decision over Christmas break by deciding to come back for one more season, bolstering the defensive backs group for new defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. “Auburn, Auburn man, Auburn’s a family,” James said. “They treated me like family since I’ve gotten recruited here. I just trust Auburn.” A group that was criticized for most of the year was the offensive line group, which has had its own changes in the way they run things. They now must adapt to a new offense under Freeze, one that operates at a much faster pace and is more spread out. Offensive guard Jeremiah Wright was plugged into a struggling offensive line middle of last season and is now figuring out a new system under Freeze. “It’s something new for me,” Wright said. “It’s like I step up into a starting role, and I’m trying to compete. You’ve got younger guys. They’re trying to come in and compete too, so it’s something new.” When asked about the offense, he was not shy about talking about how excited he was for it. “I think it will be more explosive,” Wright said. “Pass and run. We did a lot of running last year. So, this year I think it will be evened out. Tight end Luke Deal shared the same sentiment as his teammate about the new system. “I like the idea of having defenses tired,” Deal said. “Rolling up tempo. Keeping defenses on their toes. That’s what you’ve got to do in this league, and I think we’ll do a good job of it.” There are a lot of questions about this new look Auburn team that are looking to be answered. Some of those questions may be answered when Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium on April 8 for the A-Day game. The annual spring game is scheduled to begin a 1 p.m. CST. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. William Halliday | Sports Writer William Halliday started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. He is a journalism major from Memphis, Tennessee. Twitter: @wphalliday3

i tell you what. stats stuff is so good i am going to get him to highlights running to the bathroom in my old age. grins

if this is a repeat i will delete it if someone tells me...........

man duke was a waste. i wonder if he was the jerk i heard he was. but he could ball.

Takeaways from Auburn baseball's game one loss at Arkansas Originally posted on FanNation Auburn Daily By Lindsay Crosby | Last updated 3/17/23 Auburn opened conference play on the road at #3 Arkansas, dropping the contest 7-2 in Fayettville. Here's what we can take away from the contest: The margins are smaller in conference play Auburn moved grad transfer Tommy Vail from midweek, where he had excelled the last month, to Friday night. The step up in quality of the opposition was evident - Vail was cruising early, taking only 18 pitches to get through the first two innings and allowing only one walk through three before coming unraveled. Arkansas took a mound visit at the end of the 3rd inning and pitching coach Matt Hobbs had some words for the home plate umpire, Scott Cline. They appeared to have an impact. The strike zone was a LOT tighter in the bottom of the 4th and Vail never really got settled - after two leadoff walks, first baseman Brady Slavens put a 2-2 pitch pitch off the scoreboard in right field and staked Arkansas to a 3-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish. John Armstrong eventually came into the game to staunch the bleeding, but Auburn walked four total hitters in the inning and all four came around to score. Tommy Vail's final line: 3.1 IP with 2H, 4ER, 4BBs and 4 Ks in 63 pitches (34 strikes) The big inning will get you every time Among head coach Butch Thompson's points of emphasis early in the season were freebies (walks and HBPs) and who gets the "big inning" - the coaching staff believes giving those up is a path to lose, and today provided some evidence to that. Arkansas put up only two runs outside of the "big inning", the five-run fourth inning. And that big inning was made possible by two leadoff walks and four in the inning. Just days after discussing Auburn's success at moving past the free passes and focusing on the need to minimize the hard contact, Auburn backslid against a veteran team with SEC-quality batting eyes. Said Thompson after the game, "the two walks and then getting your barrel in position one time - this is an offensive ballpark, the way it's setup. We hung in there both times, but they were opportunistic and [...] in those two pressure points right there, they got their stuff done." "That was the difference in the ballgame today." For the game, Auburn's pitchers struck out eleven batters, but gave up seven free passes with five of those runners coming around to score. Auburn's hitters struggled to get it going The combination of starter Hunter Hollan and staff ace Hagen Smith, working in relief this weekend for reasons known only to head coach Dave Van Horn, held Auburn to seven hits with eight strikeouts, albeit with five walks. The lefties Hollan and Smith, despite having the same handedness, presented different profiles for Auburn hitters that kept them off-balance and never let them get comfortable. The 2022 Freshman All-American Smith was particularly effective, not allowing a hit and only walking two with five strikeouts in his three innings of work. Auburn only twice had consecutive hits in the contest, with one of them resulting in only a solo run when Kason Howell homered after Nate LaRue was picked off in the 3rd and the other resulting in a sac fly RBI by Caden Green in the 4th. You (mostly) saved the arms When Tommy Vail was knocked out of the game early, Auburn, as they often do, went to sidearmer John Armstrong. The sophomore finished off the 4th, albeit it after two base hits that scored two runs (one charged to each pitcher), but took 51 pitches to get through two full innings, departing for Chase Isbell with one out in the 6th. Final line for John Armstrong: 2 IP with 5H, 3R (2ER), 1BB and 2Ks on 51 pitches (32 strikes) Isbell worked 2/3rds of an inning and threw only 8 pitches, so he ostensibly should be available again this weekend. Armstrong could theoretically come back for a game three, but only in a limited capacity, while Parker Carlson threw only seven pitches to finish off the 8th inning. Drew Nelson strikes out the side in the 7th, finishes with 5Ks Before Parker Carlson finished off the 8th, however, it was Nelly Shove Day. The true freshman, who opened the season as the Sunday starter but was replaced in the rotation after two rocky outings, looked much more comfortable in his 1.2 innings of work. The lefty struck out the side in the 7th before coming back in the 8th and giving up one walk, but notching two more strikeouts. He was lifted with two outs in the 8th for Parker Carlson, who walked the first batter and got a groundout to finish the outing. For an Auburn team potentially still without Joseph Gonzalez, any sort of reinforcements among the pitching staff are welcome and it's good to see the true freshman succeeding against SEC opposition. Nelson's time "in the garage" was obviously valuable, and he stands to be in line for a larger role going forward. What's next? Auburn's back in action tomorrow as they look to even the series at one game apice. Start time is at 2PM, and Auburn's sending true freshman lefty Zach Crotchfelt to the mound against redshirt junior Will McEntire. The game is available for streaming on SEC Network+, and the radio call with Brad Law is available on 95.9FM and online at AuburnTigers.com as well as the Auburn Athletics app. This article first appeared on FanNation Auburn Daily and was syndicated with permission.

Some big guys surrounding Auburn QB commitment @walker_white5 today