AU HOOPS: SEC play opens with question marks

Based on all the preseason prognosticators, elevated expectations for Jeff Lebo’s sixth Auburn basketball team are sparse, if not non-existent.

The Tigers were picked to finish last in the SEC West and, at times throughout their non-conference schedule, have looked the part.

Sounds a lot like last year, huh?

Facing similar circumstances to this year — lack of bigs, inconsistent shooting, questionable bench production — last year’s Tigers went into SEC play without much of an identity, scuffled some more, figured something out and rattled off eight wins in their final nine games for one of their best seasons in years.

And just as he did last year, Lebo isn’t ready to buy stock in his team just yet. He has no problem pointing out the obvious flaws and concerns, bugaboos he hopes will work themselves out through time and patience.

With SEC play opening today against South Carolina at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, Lebo said he’s seen improvement, he’s seen things that simply can’t be replicated from last season and, most importantly, he’s seen a team that has yet to play its best basketball.

“I think we are getting better,” Lebo said. “We still have some limitations. We are missing some key parts and some very experienced players. Even though we do have some seniors, we have some guys who really weren’t integral parts for us that we are asking to be integral parts for us.”

Excluding point guard DeWayne Reed, Auburn’s major contributors this season were role players the year before. And excluding forward Brendon Knox, the Tigers’ contributing bench players weren’t even on the team last season.

That, alone, made the non-conference schedule quite the roller coaster ride, one that included major, last-second wins against Niagara and Virginia, but also featured ugly losses to Missouri State, UCF, Troy and Sam Houston State.

“It has been difficult trying to find early in the season a rotation that we are comfortable with,” Lebo said. “I have about six that I am pretty confident that I know what I am going to get every single night. I need to get that seventh, eighth and ninth guy really comfortable and confident.”

Lebo has a bevy of options for those seventh, eighth and ninth positions, but none of his five newcomers have emerged as a true, go-to performer.

“I think all of them have different things that they bring to the table, but as a group, I think we still have a lot of work to do as freshmen,” senior forward Lucas Hargrove said. “I think they can get there because they are very talented. So it’s a big upside for them.”

Freshmen Earnest Ross has been the steadiest, having started the first seven games of the season in place of an injured Tay Waller, but hasn’t brought much of an offensive punch. Kenny Gabriel was considered to be the most battle-tested of the group, but was inhibited by an early season injury and is just now getting in game shape, Lebo said.

Tony Neysmith hasn’t seen the court much, while Ty Armstrong and Andre Malone have been largely inconsistent.

“I don’t know who it is going to be night in and night out,” Lebo said. “Those three positions for us are what is key for us we haven’t found. It has been different guys different days.“

The one constant has been Reed.

Averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, the senior point guard has seemingly improved with every game. He’s coming off a 20-point, six-assist effort against West Georgia and will have to be just as good during conference play if Auburn has hopes of surprising outsiders for a second consecutive season.

“It is vital,” Lebo said.

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