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Toughness Auburn's theme headed into rematch with Ole Miss

Saturday, February 11, 2012

In Tony Barbee’s nearly two seasons coaching Auburn’s men’s basketball program, he’s earned a reputation for maximizing very minimal talent.

Or at least getting maximum intangibles.

He didn’t get it in the Tigers’ 68-50 loss to Alabama on Tuesday, only Auburn’s second loss at home all season, so he delivered a maximum earful about how they got “out-toughed.”

To what effect we’ll learn today when Auburn (13-11, 3-7 SEC) seeks only its second victory away from home and first on an opponent’s home floor this season at Ole Miss (14-9, 4-5).

Early returns suggest that Barbee’s message came across loudly and clearly.

“It’s embarrassing,” guard Frankie Sullivan said after the Alabama game. “Everyone knows it’s a big rivalry, and to come out and not play to our potential or give the fans what they came here to see tonight is embarrassing.”

It was especially embarrassing in comparison to Auburn’s rival.

Alabama was just two days removed from playing a double-overtime game against Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide also seemed to be fighting internal problems, as evidenced by forward Tony Mitchell’s indefinite suspension between games.

It looked good for Auburn early as the Tigers jumped out to a 14-7 lead, but Kenny Gabriel drew a technical foul for hanging on the rim.

Chris Denson drew the same call later in the first half, and Barbee drew a technical late in the half after Rob Chubb drew a moving-screen whistle.

Alabama’s Trevor Releford hit six technical free throws, and Alabama outscored Auburn 28-10 for the rest of the first half, after the technical on Gabriel.

Auburn’s shooting also withered against Alabama’s defense, and the Tigers never made a serious run after falling behind 35-24 at halftime. They finished with 20 turnovers.

Barbee refused to blame officials and turned his fire squarely on his team.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “They just kept the pressure up, and we got a little fatigued. When we got tired, we got sloppy with the ball.

“It led to 20 turnovers that led to 26 points for them. That’s the game.”

It was a jarring turn for an Auburn team that had just scored season-high 88 points at Mississippi State, marking the Tigers’ best output in SEC play by 19 points.

“Things were going our way at Mississippi State,” Barbee said. “We don’t want to be the type of team that, just when it’s going good, do we ride that wave.

“That’s called a frontrunner, and that’s the worst thing you can be in sports. When things get tough, you’ve got to buckle up.”

That’s the theme Auburn will carry forward in today’s game at Ole Miss, which will look at avenge a double-overtime loss at Auburn on Jan. 14.

Auburn showed toughness in the first game against the Rebels, recording its first double-overtime victory since 1991.

“There were a lot of different things working against us,” Barbee said after that game. “We weren’t making shots. We were turning the ball over. I am on their tail at every timeout and every trip up and down the floor. My guys could have easily folded up the tent, with all that adversity around them.

“That is part of the growing up process. With all that adversity, you still have to find a way to tough it out and still win by doing it together, and that is what we did.”

The Tigers enter the rematch clearly having digressed against Alabama, and they’re hearing from their second-year coach.

“It’s just disappointing how we competed,” Barbee said. “Things got hard. Things got tough. We went away, and that’s not the type of trait that I want in my ballclub.”

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