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December 1 Sheet

Western Kentucky vs Auburn (pick) - Nashville, TN - 12:00pm Pacific
Auburn will be much improved this season after a year of turmoil that led to a 12-16 record a year ago. It started at the end of the 2000 season when point guard Jamison Brewer surprisingly declared himself eligible for the NBA draft. That left Auburn without a point guard. At the start of last season, senior guard Lincoln Glass was academically ineligible for the first semester and later was kicked off the team. Versatile small forward Marquis Daniels took a shot at the point with mixed results. Finally freshman Lewis Monroe recovered from injury and took over the job for keeps with 9 games left in the season. By then the season was already lost for the most part, but they were able to build on something for this season. The Tigers were also hurt by injuries to center Kyle Davis. Auburn started SEC play at 1-8, but improved down the stretch to win three of their last seven SEC games.

The good news this year is that Auburn was able to play a lot of youngsters last season. Sophomore starting point guard Lewis Monroe is not much of a scorer but is a solid ball handler who showed he could run the team last year. Sophomore Marco Killingsworth (7.8ppg, 4.2rpg) is a great power player who showed signs of brilliance in his first season. He will have much more of an impact (18.5ppg, 8.0rpg in 2 games) this season. The remaining starting spots are filled by upperclassmen. Senior Marquis Daniels (11.6ppg, 5.3rpg) finally is able to play his natural small forward position after playing a little bit of everything his first three seasons here. He has averaged 21.0ppg in first two games. Senior two guard Derrick Bird (10.6ppg last year, 12-for-15 FG's to start season) is a standout defender and streaky three point shooter. 6-10 junior Kyle Davis is back at center. He was hampered by a hand injury most of last season but even in limited minutes still ranked 11th nationally in blocked shots at 3.3 per game. He has blocked 16 shots in 2 games already this year and has made strides on offense as well. He will be a real force this season. JC transfer guard Troy Gaines, senior forward Donny Calton, and transfer forward Rodney Tucker (former Florida State letterwinner) are the key reserves. All 5 starters have significant starting experience.

Western Kentucky comes into this game overrated. They have not come close to covering the spread in either of their two games this season. They lost at Arizona by 39 points as a +15 dog and then needed overtime to beat an average at best VCU team at home as an -11 favorite. They were very fortunate to even get the game to OT, as they trailed by 16 points at one point in the 2nd half before going on a 3-point shooting barrage. Fans are up at arms regarding the Chris Marcus situation. Marcus, a 7-1 center and future lottery pick, shocked everyone by coming back for his senior season. However, he has not played in a game yet due to injury rehab and appears to be in no hurry to return. Head coach Felton says that his first priority is being healthy for the NBA workouts at the end of the season. He returned to practice this week, but only participated in 1-on-1 workouts and is not expected to play in this game. Meanwhile, junior starter F/C Todor Pandov, was lost for the season with an injury in Arizona game. Big things were expected from Pandov this season (12 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes vs Arizona, 22.0ppg in 2 exhibitions) and his loss leaves a gaping hole inside. Also gone from last year is starting point guard Derek Robinson who was the teams unquestioned leader. Without Marcus, Pandov, and Robinson, this is simply not the same team that went 28-4 last year. This team is left with very little depth (3 bench points vs VCU in last game) and not enough talent to compete with an SEC team on what is more or less a neutral court setting.

Auburn has looked like a different animal from last season in two early games vs lesser competition this year. Georgia State (NIT last year) is defending Atlantic Sun conference champ and favored to win again. Auburn smoked them by 29 in last game and could not have looked much better doing it. GSU head coach Lefty Dreissel said: “It looked like a group of men playing a bunch of boys. I haven’t lost a game like that in the some 47 years I have been coaching. They just annihilated us.”

Auburn led the SEC in FG% defense last year (.403) and should be even better defensively this year with a healthy Davis and a starting backcourt that goes 6-4 & 6-5. All five positions can rebound. Cliff Ellis speaks very highly of this team. Tigers are still waiting for the return of sophomore forward Brandon Robinson (eligibility issue, has not played this season) but have plenty available talent to be victorious without him today.

Auburn  1 UNIT

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