Tall Gators a tough match for Auburn

AUBURN — Throughout the year, Korvotney Barber has walked into the post-game media room, slumped in a chair and acknowledged his conspicuous exhaustion to reporters.

At first, Barber’s apparent fatigue could be attributed to his return to everyday action since early last season, when a hand injury kept him out through Auburn’s entire run through the SEC.

But after Saturday’s loss at South Carolina, a night in which Barber played 36 minutes because key reserve Johnnie Lett was held out for unclear academic issues, it was genuine. It seemed unrealistic at best to expect one of Auburn’s lone big-man — or anyone for that matter — to be able to keep up with that pace as the competition escalated.

Fortunately for Barber and the Tigers, the oxygen will be in greater supply from here on out, as Lett was ruled eligible for the remainder of the season, an Auburn spokesman said Tuesday.

“I’m kind of used to playing a lot of minutes,” Barber said Saturday, “but we need him to rebound and block shots.”

Lett’s numbers certainly don’t jump off the stat sheet, as he averages 3.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. But the 13.7 minutes he contributes are key, and were certainly missed Saturday.

Barber grabbed 14 rebounds in the first half against the Gamecocks, but only picked up four more in the second half, when he was noticeably fatigued. At one point, Barber and South Carolina forward Mike Holmes leaned on each other as they ran up the court.

“To be effective in this league, I think that’s too many minutes,” coach Jeff Lebo said. “You say, ‘What’s the difference between 35 and 30?’ It’s a lot over the course of the season. It really is.

“He’s been more effective playing in the 26-25 minutes per game.”

Even with Lett’s return and the likely drop in Barber’s minutes, issues still abound with Auburn’s inside-outside game as it heads into today’s game with Florida. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Barber has appeared to grow stronger as a rebounder as the season has progressed, but has yet to present a consistent scoring threat.

In his 18-rebound night Saturday, Barber scored just six points on seven shots against the Gamecocks, one of the smaller teams in the SEC. Meanwhile, guards DeWayne Reed and Tay Waller combined for 32 shots.

“He’s got to be a guy that we can go into occasionally to keep the defense honest. There’s no doubt about that,” Lebo said. “He’s not a gigantic guy in there … He’s not going to be a guy that’s going to flat-back you in and try to score over guys who are 6-10, 260.

“We’ve got to find some different ways to get him the basketball.”

Getting it to him hasn’t exactly been as easy as Lebo desires. Barber, who rarely handles the ball unless he’s 5 feet from the hoop, leads the Tigers with 41 turnovers.

“At his position, that’s an area of concern,” Lebo said. “We’ve got to get more positive things out of him when he gets the ball inside.”

Today’s test may be the toughest for Barber and the rest of Auburn’s big men. Florida starts three players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller. The Gators don’t get much smaller on the outside, either, as point guard Nick Calathes, who averages more than 17 points and nearly 7 assists per game, stands at 6-foot-6.

“They’re always going to be good,” Lebo said. “The one thing when you play them lately is their ability to shoot the basketball in a variety of different spots. They’ve got terrific skill players.”