Auburn basketball ups and downs

May 22, 2008

By Jon Johnson

So Auburn loses 7-foot-1 Boubacar Sylla to Wyoming, gets guard Tony Neysmith from Oklahoma and junior college transfer Francis Aihe from Sante Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla. All in a couple of days.
For most basketball programs, this would raise more than a few eyebrows. For Auburn since Jeff Lebo’s arrival, the revolving door of players has become routine.
I, like many, am convinced Lebo is a good coach on the sidelines. I, like many, am not convinced his recruiting skills and player/coach relationship skills are worth a darn.
Auburn should have a good basketball team this year, barring another incredible string of bad luck injury-wise. Lebo’s teams have been snakebit every season with injuries.
If somehow Auburn can avoid the injury bug this season, I really believe the Tigers can be one of the best teams in the SEC. Don’t laugh. If you can put Vot Barber, Josh Dollard, Dewayne Reed, Tez Robertson and Rasheem Barrett on the floor at the same time, the Tigers can compete with anyone.
There’s also a quality group of recruits coming in that will finally give Lebo’s bunch a little depth. That is, if the recruits hang around.
If things fall apart this season for any reason, then Lebo’s tenure may be over.
No doubt this is a make-or-break season for the coach.
I hope we get a chance to see how Lebo can do with a strong lineup to work with.