Gators Top Tigers

Tony Barbee (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Auburn couldn't sustain an outstanding defensive first half as the Florida Gators came back to win in Gainesville Tuesday night, 63-47. The Tigers led 30-27 at the half but the combination of a ratcheted up defensive game plan and hot 3-point shooting proved to be too much in the second half.

Arguably Auburn's biggest weapon, Kenny Gabriel, injured his lower back on two hard trips to the floor and was only able to manage 20 minutes. Gabriel's injury status will more than likely put him out for Auburn's next contest against Arkansas.

Only one Tiger managed to score in double digits, Adrian Forbes with 11. Shooting was especially abysmal in the second half, ending up just barely north of 30 percent.

"You're not going to beat an explosive team like Florida when you're not knocking down shots,"    Barbee said.

Auburn allowed Florida to shoot 53 percent from the field, including 52 percent from 3-point range (11 of 21). Florida guard Kenny Boynton scored 20 points, going 6 of 9 from behind the arc.

Auburn fell to 14-13 (4-9 SEC) on the season. The Tigers hit the court this Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Auburn Arena. Tip off of is slated for 3:00pm CT and will be televised on the SEC Network.

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Where Are They From?

Current Auburn Scholarship Football Players by State

The map above shows Auburn's current roster (including incoming signees) by player and their home state. As expected, Auburn still mainly recruits the Southeast well but you can start to see a trend of the Tigers branching out past their historical recruiting territory.

Auburn teams of the past have been dominated by players from the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and this year's squad is no different. But players like defensive tackle Angelo Blackson from Delaware and offensive lineman Christian Westerman from Arizona give Auburn's current roster a more national than regional feel.

OL Christian Westerman

Not since the days of Paul "Bear" Bryant roaming the sidelines in Tuscaloosa has instate recruiting been more challenging for the Tigers, which probably explains a small part of why the Auburn coaching staff has been looking to new areas for talent. Alabama's local recruiting success is warranted however, as they have won two out of the last three national championships. 

Auburn's current coaching staff has taken their fair share of recent instate talent but have also missed on some big time prospects during their time on the Plains. 

DL Angelo Blackson

Daphne running back T.J. Yeldon was committed to the Tigers for months before switching his pledge to the Tide in December 2011. That certainly wasn't the first big disappointment and definitely won't be the last.

Going "national" with it's recruiting strategy gets the Auburn name out there and it's starting to pay big dividends. Auburn signed Chicago, IL lineman Jordan Diamond and Parker, CO lineman Shane Callahan in the 2012 class. Both were highly rated and located in states that Auburn rarely recruited in the past.

With the caliber of recruiters Auburn currently has on staff, the sky is the limit in terms of recruiting reach. Those guys do a great job of selling Auburn University and the Auburn family to recruits and parents across the country. They've gotten their foot in the door with prospects from distant states like California and Maryland. From the looks of the early 2013 targets, there will be more long range recruiting this year than ever before.

The foot is in the door, now it's time to start delivering.

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2013 Auburn Commitment: Trey Johnson

Here are some junior highlights of Lawrenceville, GA linebacker Trey Johnson, who committed to Auburn in August 2011. Johnson has been tabbed as possibly the #1 middle linebacker prospect in the nation for 2013.

Check Johnson's junior stat line:  164 tackles (16.4 pg), 24.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries.

As a sophomore, Johnson amassed 152 tackles.

I think it's safe to say he has a nose for the ball.

CAUTION: Lots of form tackling contained in this video. Enjoy!

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I've Got 105 Reasons

Rivals.com

Norcross, GA running back Alvin Kamara came home to a full mailbox last week, filled with recruiting letters from the University of Alabama.

105 letters to be exact.

Needless to say it shocked the four star RB prospect, who is being recruited by a host of schools across the country.

"Yea it was 1 days worth of mail!" Kamara said via Twitter. "I was shocked!! I didn't even know they could do that."

Alabama Crimson Tide's head coach Nick Saban likes to stay out on the cutting edge with his recruiting tactics. Maybe spamming high school kids with recruiting propaganda is the next big thing?

With recruiting these days, who knows what's next?

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Auburn Drops #23 Mississippi State

Kenny Gabriel (AP Photo/Jim Martin)


Kenny Gabriel poured in 15 points and added nine rebounds as Auburn held on to beat the Bulldogs, 65-55 in Auburn, AL Saturday night.

Gabriel's first half reverse jam capped off an 18-2 Auburn run and made Sportcenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day.

Frankie Sullivan added a team high 16 points in a solid performance.

Auburn moved to 14-12 (4-8 SEC) on the season. Auburn hits the court next at #12 Florida. Tip off is set for 7 pm and will be televised on ESPNU.

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Another Day in the Life of Cam Newton

Cam Newton and MJ, via TrackEmTigers.com

Here is a picture of Cam Newton and Michael Jordan at a Charlotte Bobcats game last week. That's just all kinds of greatness and athleticism in one spot right there.

I think I just blew my knee out by looking at those two!

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Auburn Hires Martinez

Willie Martinez (Source/Jim Hipple)

 
Coach Gene Chizik has hired former Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez as Auburn's secondary coach, replacing long time assistant Phillip Lolley.

"This is a great opportunity to be a part of a storied program and tremendous coaching staff here at Auburn," Martinez said. "I've had the pleasure to know Coach Chizik and other members of this staff for a long time and I share their energy and passion for the game of football and developing young men. I'm appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to helping Auburn win championships in the future."

Martinez comes to Auburn from Oklahoma where he held the same position of secondary coach for the past two seasons. He has been rumored to already been on staff unofficially all week, being seen on multiple occasions around the Auburn Athletic Complex.

Today, Coach Chizik made the hire official.

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Breakout Performers for 2012

Kiehl Frazier (Source/Getty Images)



Auburn was a young football team in 2011. A quick look at Auburn's official depth chart from last season shows that.

Young Tigers on just about every unit on the team played a ton of valuable snaps during 2011, which should go a long way next season.

I have highlighted my three picks on offense and defense for most likely to break out in 2012. Take a look and see what you think.

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