Lebo & Johnson Defend Auburn's Case For The Tourney

[AUChizad]

http://blog.al.com/auburnbeat/2009/03/after_auburn_beats_lsu_both_co.html

After Auburn beats LSU, both coaches offer defense of West
Posted by ewoodber March 07, 2009 20:40PM

AUBURN -- The SEC West solidarity was so overpowering Saturday that it would have been only slightly surprising if Auburn coach Jeff Lebo and LSU coach Trent Johnson had left the post-game media room with locked arms.

National pundits and bracket experts, watch out. These coaches are steamed.

Auburn finished its regular season with a flourish Saturday, handily beating SEC champion and 12th-ranked LSU 69-53 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum in front of a season-record crowd of 11,007.

Auburn (21-10, 10-6 SEC) held LSU (25-6, 13-3) to a season-low point total while winning its eighth game out of the last nine. Afterwards, Lebo defended the SEC's standing as a basketball conference and continued an increasingly passionate and aggressive campaign to get his team NCAA tournament consideration.

"I'm not one to toot our own horn, but I've got to for our kids," Lebo said. "To say that we're not even in the mix is a complete slap in the face to the Southeastern Conference and our kids. I watch a lot of basketball. These kids have put themselves in a position to be talked about."

Moments later, Johnson entered and picked up the same talking points without even being prompted.

Lack of respect for Auburn indicates a lack of respect for the SEC West and thus his own team, Johnson said.

"It's interesting, from my standpoint point, that everybody talks about Florida and Kentucky being bubble teams, but you never hear about Auburn being in the mix," Johnson said. "I've been through my share of teams and had my share of post-season experiences. That's an NCAA tournament-caliber team. They've given us as tough a matchup as anybody has all year."

Both coaches were responding indirectly to comments last week from bracket experts Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm, who said that Auburn's chances of an at-large bid were almost nil and that Auburn's only hope was to win next week's SEC tournament and its automatic NCAA tournament berth.

LSU and Auburn both have first-round byes. Top-seeded LSU will play the winner of Kentucky and Alabama in the quarterfinals Friday. Auburn, the second seed in the West, will play either Arkansas or Florida.

If Auburn wins three in a row in Tampa, Fla., the debate will be moot. But if Auburn loses, officials hope the team's at-large resume is sufficient. Team officials began touting various talking points Saturday. Among the more intriguing nuggets:

* Auburn is the only team to defeat SEC East champion Tennessee and SEC West winner LSU.

* Eight of Auburn's 10 SEC wins have been by 10 or more points. Only eight other teams in the country can say the same.

* Of the so-called BCS conference, only four others have finished the season by winning at least eight of nine. Those four -- North Carolina, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Washington -- are all NCAA tournament locks.

Auburn provided a solid advertisement for anyone who happened to be watching on Saturday. Auburn scored 28 of its 34 first-half points in the paint (the rest came on free throws), but still led by six at the break.

Johnson picked up a technical foul as he was walking off the court at halftime, although he claims not to have said a word to official Doug Sirmons.

"I looked at him," Johnson said. "I've had three (technicals), and two were for looking at somebody."

After making the two technical foul shots to start the second half, Auburn rattled off two quick baskets to take a 12-point lead only 60 seconds in the half. The crowd got loud, and LSU was never closer than double-digits for the final 17 minutes of the game.

Players said Saturday's rematch was every bit as physical as the teams' first meeting, a 79-72 LSU win two weeks ago in Baton Rouge. While longtime Auburn nemesis Marcus Thornton scored 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell was kept in check by Auburn big man Korvotney Barber. Mitchell made only 1 of 10 shots, while Barber notched his 11th double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

Barber and fellow seniors Quantez Robertson, Rasheem Barrett and Drew Smith were honored before the game. The game was so out of reach that even Smith, a practice player who didn't dress out for any other game this season, was able to play.

Auburn officials raised a partition in the upper deck to free up more seating Saturday, so there were still some empty seats. But the crowd was still the largest -- and probably loudest -- of the season.

"I hope it doesn't have to be senior night to get that kind of support," Barber said. "I hope Auburn basketball can get that kind of support from here on out."

[Tarheel]

Good article; makes some great arguments in favor of Auburn.