It was another busy weekend at Auburn. Let's review everything that happened in a variety of sports ...

FOOTBALL

We'll start with the sport you likely most care about. Former Auburn running back Ben Tate had a great workout at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He finished with a 4.43-second time in the 40-yard dash, trailing only Cal's Jahvid Best and Clemson's C.J. Spiller of the running backs. He showed some versatility by then bench pressing 225 pounds 26 times, tied for tops among running backs with Fresno State's Lonyae Miller. Tate was also second in vertical jump (40.5 inches), second in broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches) and sixth in the 3-cone drill (6.91 seconds). Defensive lineman Antonio Coleman is set to participate in workouts Monday.

BASEBALL

The big news was the Wall of Fame induction, which we covered in depth here and here, but the Tigers had some success on the field, going 2-1 against three different opponents. Brian Fletcher's walk-off home run lifted Auburn to a 6-5 win Friday night against Boston College. Left-handed pitcher Cole Nelson (12 K's, 6 IP) looked solid again in a 17-4 win in the weekend finale against Florida Atlantic. The Tigers lost the middle game of the weekend 11-7 to Missouri. Auburn is 4-2 with a pair of mid-week games against Davidson on Tuesday and Wednesday before a weekend series against Miami (Ohio). All five games are at Plainsman Park.

SOFTBALL

Auburn went 2-3 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus. The Tigers lost to Kent State (1-0 on an eight-inning, no-hitter), Illinois State (5-4) and Southern Illinois (1-0). They beat Virginia Tech and N.C. State (2-1). Not a terrible showing, considering the level of competition at the event (every team involved qualified for a regional at some point in the last two years.) The Tigers' murderer's row of non-conference games continues when they host No. 4 Michigan on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

We covered Auburn's win against LSU in depth as well, so this is more about what's coming up this week. The Tigers will play the last basketball game at the 41-year-old Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday against Mississippi State. They've won four straight at home and are hoping to send the arena out in style. Two games remain in the regular season and Auburn is jockeying for seeding in the upcoming SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn. The Tigers are currently the fourth seed, one game ahead of Alabama. The teams play Saturday in Tuscaloosa. What's really at stake? Well, the West's No. 4 seed plays the East's No. 5 seed in the first round. The West's No. 5 plays the East's No. 4. That's the difference between getting an NCAA tournament-bound team like Tennessee or Florida or an NIT-bound one like South Carolina. Two wins to close the season would give Auburn an outside chance to catching Ole Miss or Arkansas, who are both 7-7 in the SEC.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

The Tigers close their Beard-Eaves-Memorial slate on a high note, clobbering No. 14 Kentucky 63-53 on Sunday. That's all for Auburn (14-15, 5-11 SEC) in the regular season. The Tigers enter this week's SEC tournament in Duluth, Ga., as the No. 10 seed. They open against seventh-seeded Florida on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Gators won the teams' only meeting this season 71-68 in double overtime in Gainesville. A win would put Auburn in the quarterfinals against, guess who, second-seeded Kentucky. This might not be a bad draw for an Auburn team that needs to win twice to be eligible for the women's NIT.

Here's my story for today's newspaper about Auburn's Wall of Fame induction at Plainsman Park on Saturday:

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s Tay Waller grew up with a shooter’s mentality, so he’s never shied away from firing away at will from 3-point range.

“I’ve always been told when I miss, there’s something wrong with the goal,” he said.

Nothing has been wrong with the rim of late for Waller, who scored 26 points to lead Auburn to a 74-59 victory Saturday against LSU in the second-to-last game at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

The senior guard has scored 84 points in the last three games, going 21-for-31 from 3-point range.

He’s the first Auburn player to score 25 or more in three straight SEC games since Wesley Person in 1994.

“You can’t count on that every night,” Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said. “It’s just insane how he’s playing. But we’re not going to complain.”

The win vaulted Auburn (14-15, 5-9 SEC) ahead of Alabama into fourth place in the SEC West with two games to play. DeWayne Reed scored 12 points and Brendon Knox added 10.

Bo Spencer led LSU (10-18, 1-13 SEC) with 23 points.

For once, the Tigers built a halftime lead even they couldn’t let slip away. Auburn, which has lost five SEC games after leading at the break, hit eight 3-pointers to build a 17-point halftime advantage that never dipped below nine the rest of the way.

Waller was the spark plug, making two 3-pointers in the first minute and a half as Auburn raced to a 9-0 lead.

“Reed told me once I get going, they can relax because they can always rely on me to hit a shot when they need it,” Waller said. “When I come out and make shots, our team plays much better.”

“When he makes them like that, it opens up a lot of things for us,” Lebo said. “It opens up things inside. It opens up for us on the perimeter, as far as driving lanes. You’ve got to guard him all over the court in a different way. ... Even when he’s not getting shots, he’s getting shots for other people because of how they’re defending him.”

Auburn turned the tables on LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell, who torched the Tigers for a season-high 38 points in the teams’ first meeting in January.

With guard Frankie Sullivan in street clothes after suffering a concussion during Friday’s practice, Auburn freshman Earnest Ross got the start and the job of guarding Mitchell. He did so with some success last time against LSU, slowing the SEC’s third-leading scorer down in the final minutes in Baton Rouge and drawing a key offensive foul in a four-point Auburn win.

Ross rattled him again Saturday. Mitchell scored a season-low six points on 2 of 8 shooting before fouling out on a charge with 9:12 to play.

Ross, meanwhile, scored six points, grabbed six rebounds and notched four steals in 29 minutes.

“You always worry about putting a freshman on a fifth-year senior,” Lebo said. “We did a pretty good job on him. (Ross) was physical and quick.”

The Tigers, who have won four straight at home, are hoping to send Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum out on a high note. The 41-year-old arena will host its final basketball game Wednesday when Auburn takes on Mississippi State.

“A lot of players played in this gym and we’re going to be the last ones,” Reed said. “So that’s a great honor for me.”

We're covering a basketball game, but here are some quotes from today's Wall of Fame ceremony at Plainsman Park that honored former Auburn greats Bo Jackson, Greg Olson, Frank Thomas and Tim Hudson.

BO JACKSON (1983-86)
(How was the weekend)

"Today was the first day I saw some of my old teammates. I haven’t seen them in 20-something years. It’s just the camaraderie that you have spending three or four years with guys, riding the Southeast on a bus and having a good time."

(All four of you are good)

"Well, everybody is great within their own right. To be mentioned in the same sentence as Tim Hudson, Greg Olson and Frank Thomas, you've had to do something right. ... It's great to come back here and reminisce."

(Talk about Hal Baird)

"I put Coach Baird in the same mold I put Coach (Pat) Dye in. Coach Baird is not as vocal as Coach Dye, but they got the same point across to their players, which is go out and play hard and everything will pay off in the long run.

(Talk about your Auburn baseball career?)

"A lot of people say, 'Bo Jackson is just about football.’ I took just as much pride coming out on this baseball field."

GREGG OLSON (1986-88)
(How great is it to be in the inaugural Wall of Fame class)

"I think it's great. You look at the guys you go in with and that was probably one of my favorite stories from the weekend. A couple of Missouri guys were coming back from practice after Thursday night and we were just checking in. We started talking and it was late at night for practice, and they were out here at about 9 o'clock. He goes, yeah, we're pretty excited because Bo Jackson, Tim Hudson and Frank Thomas are going into the Hall of Fame this weekend. I was like, Cool. All right. Fourth wheel. But to go in with these guys is great. I haven't seen Bo and Frank for a while. So it's a huge honor."

(You ever get back to Auburn?)

"Everything's changed. All the roads that I used to drive around on here are dead ends into buildings and sororities, so I'm completely clueless where I'm going here. I don't get back enough. I've gotten back about once in the last eight years. I've got four kids and we live in Southern California, so it's not real easy to get back. Planning on, oh, let's go play to a football game this year. Something happens and I've got all three kids in sports and can't make it. But it's definitely something I need to do more. And every time I'm here I regret not being here more."

(Why did you choose Auburn?)

"It's funny. I look back and it's one of those decisions that I don't really know why I made it. And I'm not saying that negatively because I've been asked that question: would I change anything. And in hindsight, I wouldn't change a thing. Knowing what I know, I still would have come here. It was three of the best years of my life. It was an unbelievable decision that I don't think I had all the information that I probably needed to have. It came down to Mississippi State, Arizona and Auburn. And the other two had some things that I didn't necessarily like. And Auburn nothing ... I'm trying to word this correctly. It didn't have anything I didn't like. A couple double negatives. But it was perfect, so the baseball team I thought was up and coming and I thought I could help right away, and those were two big points for me."

(Baird said you helped this program turn the program in the late '80s)

"I never really looked at it that way, but it was funny. While I was in the big leagues and going on a rehab stint, I ran into so many people that were major leaguers or minor leaguers that I recruited. So we brought a lot of people in here and it seemed like I took them all on recruiting trips and some of them came, some of them signed, some didn 't. I never looked at it like I had this influence on the program. It was just, I'm here and I'm doing well and it's part of my responsibility to bring more guys here. So I never looked at it like I was the guy that made it turn the program. When he said it, I was kind of looking at him like, 'Hal, come on.' So it wasn't a point I really thought about. "

FRANK THOMAS (1987-89)
(Does it feel nice to be back in Auburn?)

"Auburn is Auburn. I’m just happy to be back in the old stomping grounds. I spent so many days going to visit my parents back in Columbus and all the familiar roads. I made the bus go all the way down to Toomer’s Corner. I wanted to make sure it was still standing and it looks great still. I’m just proud to be back here."

(How does it feel to be in the first class on the wall)

"It’s tremendous, especially with so many talented guys. They had a hell of college careers but also unbelievable pro careers. It’s a proud day for Auburn baseball."

(What are your memories of Baird?)

"At the time Hal definitely pushed me. He would always compare and say, ‘Bo could go on top of that building out there in centerfield.’ I said, ‘Yea, you’re right.’ He said, ‘Maybe if you work out a little harder maybe you can accomplish some of those things.’ I was like, ‘Coach, there’s only one Bo Jackson.’ But he pushed me and got me ready to play at the next level. I’m thankful for that and it was so good to see Hal today."

(What are you doing now that you're retired?)

"I’m going to take it one day at a time. Nineteen years of this at the major league level, it took a toll on my life. I didn’t get to see the kids grow up like I wanted to see them grow up. You miss so much valuable time with the kids. I’m just happy to pause and take a break right now and just enjoy life a little bit."

(Any chance you'll get a job in baseball?)

"I’ve been offered a little T.V. work with Comcast Chicago so we’ll see how that works out. I just don’t want to get involved full time with anything right now. I would definitely love to get back in the next few years helping hitters or whatever else in major league baseball."

(What are you most proud of in your career?)

“Staying clean and doing it the right way."

TIM HUDSON (1996-97)

(Talk about being inducted to the Wall of Fame)

"It's a tremendous honor. Just to be able to come back and be included in a group with Frank Thomas, Bo Jackson and Gregg Olson, it's an honor. I'm thrilled to death that Auburn thought enough about me and my career to include me in such a group. It's always great to come back to Auburn and I just feel welcome. It's a big family and it's great to be back."

(Do you still have Auburn ties?)

"I do. I'm from only about a half hour from here so my mom and dad live in Auburn now and we're building a house here in Auburn. We're actually going to be living here full-time this coming offseason. It's a place that we're happy. We love it here and the people here are awesome. They've always made me and my family feel welcome and it's a place I'm going to put down my roots."

(How did the SEC prepare you for the next level?)

It was vital. Just playing at Auburn, this caliber of a conference in the SEC, it does nothing but get you better for the next level. After I got drafted, A-ball was a little bit of a step down from SEC caliber. Wasn't quite as good as Double A but it definitely got you better and got you ready for what to expect at the next level. I'm just thrilled to have the opportunity to play here and play under coach Baird. It was obviously vital in not only my career but all the other pitchers that came through here.

(Are you healthy this season?)

"I feel tremendous right now physically. There's no limitations. I came back last year and pitched at the end of the year and I felt pretty good. Didn't feel like I was quite 100 percent but I was good enough to go out and pitch. Hopefully give Braves or whatever team that was interested in me to sign me and luckily the Braves thought that I came back strong enough and extend me a few years. Right now I feel the best I've felt in, gosh, I can't remember how many years. It's great to be able to go out and pitch and feel strong and not feel like you're limited in any way physically. It's something that a pitcher, as he gets through his career, later in his career, you feel like there are a few limitations. But right now I feel like I was when I was 25."

It's a good crowd out here at Plainsman Park for Auburn's Wall of Fame dedication.

Four players -- Bo Jackson, Gregg Olson, Frank Thomas and Tim Hudson -- make up the inaugural class, who's who of Auburn baseball players.

The team unveiled pictures of each of the stars on the outfield wall at Plainsman Park to celebrate the occasion.

I'll have more in a bit, but here's each player's bio:

Bo Jackson

From Bessemer, Jackson lettered for the Auburn baseball team in 1983, 1985 and 1986. An outfielder, Jackson hit .401 during the '85 season, blasting 17 home runs and driving in 43 during his most productive season on the Plains, which concluded with his selection to the ABCA All-South Region Team. His .864 slugging percentage from that season remains an Auburn record, while his career slugging percentage mark of .715 is second all-time. A fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1986, he made his MLB debut that same season and would spend a total of eight years in the majors with the Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. In 1989, he was voted to the All-Star game and named the game's MVP.

Gregg Olson

From Omaha, Neb., Olson was a three-time letter winner on the mound at Auburn from 1986-88. As a 6-4, 210-pound right-handed pitcher, he is Auburn's only two-time All-America selection. He was also a member of the 1987 USA National Team after going 11-1 with 10 saves and leading the nation with a 1.26 ERA in 42 appearances, all in relief. The following season, he led the SEC with a 2.00 ERA while also going 7-3 with 10 saves in 36 appearances en route to becoming Auburn's highest-ever draft pick when the Baltimore Orioles selected him fourth overall in the 1988 draft. He would g on to enjoy a 14-year MLB career, six of them in Baltimore, which included being named the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year and a 1990 All-Star before finishing his career in 2001 with 217 saves.

Frank Thomas

From Columbus, Ga., Thomas played at Auburn from 1987-89 after coming to the school as a football recruit. Auburn's first consensus All-America pick in 1989, he hit an SEC-best .403 while manning first base. He also drove in 83 runs and hit 19 home runs as Auburn won the SEC tournament and advanced to the Atlantic Regional. He finished his Auburn career with a .382 batting average, which is second all-time in Auburn history, and a school-record .722 slugging percentage. His 49 career home run are third in school history, his 104 extra-base hits are fourth and his 205 RBIs are fifth. The seventh overall pick of the 1989 draft by the White Sox, he was a two-time American League MVP (1993 and 1994) and a four-time All-Star Game participant, earning starts in both 1994 and 1995. The 21st member of the 500 home run club, he recently retired following a 19-year career.

Tim Hudson

From Phenix City, Hudson was a two-year letter winner (1996-97) at Auburn and was named the 1997 Rotary Smith Award Winner as the top player in college baseball. In 1997 he went 15-2 with a 2.97 ERA on the mound while also hitting .396 as the Tigers tied the school record for wins (50) and advanced to the College World Series for the fourth time in school history. His 15 wins led the nation and he was named a consensus All-American and the SEC Player of the Year. A sixth-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 1997, he is a two-time All-Star (1999 and 2004) and is entering his 12th major league season and sixth with the Atlanta Braves.

Auburn hosts LSU tonight in the second-to-last game at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Here's how my story in today's newspaper starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — In a season filled with defensive shortcomings, one type of player has been especially bothersome for Auburn defenders: the rangy forward capable of playing inside and out.

It’s a particular concern, considering perhaps the best of the bunch will visit the Plains tonight.

Tasmin Mitchell, the SEC’s third-leading scorer and rebounder, leads LSU into Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum against Auburn (13-15, 4-9) for a 7 p.m. game between two teams at the bottom of the SEC West standings.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Mitchell did it all when the teams last met, scoring 38 points on 15-for-22 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds in an 84-80 Auburn win in Baton Rouge, La., in January.

The senior has been a lone bright spot for LSU (10-17, 1-12 SEC), which snapped a 14-game conference losing streak with a win Wednesday against Arkansas. He’s averaged 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds and leads the SEC in playing time at 37.7 minutes a game.

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

The Auburn softball team won't have to travel far for the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus this weekend. The Tigers, who are the de facto home team, will play five games in three days. Here's how my story about the tournament starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — With multiple games running simultaneously for three days at the South Commons Softball Complex, this weekend’s NFCA Leadoff Classic is a softball fan’s dream.

“It’s a great atmosphere, this tournament,” Auburn coach Tina Deese said. “Everywhere you look, there’s a great ballgame or competition.”

Twenty-three teams from across the country will descend on Columbus for the tournament, which runs today through Sunday. The field includes several ranked teams, including co-No. 4’s Missouri and Michigan, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 18 Florida State, No. 20 Louisiana Lafayette and No. 25 Massachusetts.

To be invited, teams need to have qualified for a regional as recently as two years ago.

“So everybody’s a quality program,” Deese said.

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Auburn's 2010 annual spring football game, A-Day, will be televised live by ESPNU on Saturday, April 17.

Kickoff is 2 p.m. ET at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn's second-half woes simply won't go away. The Tigers blew a 12-point halftime lead in an eventual 85-75 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday night.

It's the fourth time in SEC play Auburn (13-15, 4-9) has blown a halftime lead.

Chris Warren finished with 26 points, Terrico White 21 points and Murphy Holloway 15 points and 20 rebounds for Ole Miss (18-9, 6-7), which had lost five of six entering the night.

The Rebels out-scored the Tigers 63-41 in the second half and out-rebounded them 50-25 in the game.

Tay Waller kept his hot hand going for Auburn, scoring 29 points for the second straight game. He made eight of his 11 3-point attempts to match a career high.

He didn't get much help. Everybody else on Auburn shot 27 percent (13-for-49). DeWayne Reed added 21 points but took 18 shots to do so. Nobody else reached double figures.

Auburn is back in action Saturday at home against LSU, which got its first SEC win Wednesday with an upset of Arkansas.

AUBURN, Ala. — Quarterback Tyrik Rollison’s Auburn career might be over before it ever really began.

Wanting to be closer to home and have an opportunity to play immediately, Rollison plans to transfer to Sam Houston State at the end of the spring semester, his father, Michael Kelly, told various news outlets Wednesday.

“It’s a go,” Kelly told ESPN. “He was just unhappy there. I think that’s the reason they went out and got another quarterback.”

The reports came after Rollison hinted at a new start on his Facebook page earlier in the day, posting a message that read: “MOVING ON FROM AUBURN...I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO IS SUPPORTING ME.’’ The status update was later removed.

Rollison’s father said his son plans to finish the spring semester at Auburn before transferring, presumably allowing Tigers coaches an opportunity to convince the quarterback to change his mind.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik did not release a comment Wednesday. An Auburn athletics spokesman did not confirm or deny the report.

A 6-foot-4, 194-pound former U.S. Army All-American from Sulphur Springs, Texas, Rollison was considered the jewel of Chizik’s first recruiting class.

He came close to earning the backup job to Chris Todd last August. Although he redshirted, with the backup duties going to the more experienced Neil Caudle, Rollison figured to be a major player in the quarterback competition this spring.

That never happened. In early December, Rollison was suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He did not practice or travel for the Outback Bowl.

“We have high standards that we have set and fully expect our team to meet,” Chizik said in a press release at the time. “When these expectations are not met, I will make decisions based upon what is best for the entire football team and the Auburn Family.”

Chizik said Rollison returned to the team in good standing last month, but Auburn’s quarterback situation had changed, with the Tigers adding five-star junior college transfer Cam Newton in late December.

Chizik declared the quarterback race “wide open” just days ago, but Newton, a 6-foot-6, 247-pound dual-threat quarterback who once backed up Tim Tebow at Florida, is the presumptive frontrunner in the competition.

In addition to Newton, Auburn has three other quarterbacks on the roster — Caudle, a senior, sophomore Barrett Trotter and redshirt freshman Clint Moseley. Onetime quarterback Kodi Burns will remain at wide receiver and be an option in the Wildcat formation.

Rollison also considered Texas Tech as a destination, according to ESPN, but did not want to sit out a year as required by NCAA transfer rules. Sam Houston State competes in the Football Championship Subdivision, a level down from the Football Bowl Subdivision, meaning Rollison would be eligible to play right away.

Sam Houston State is best know for being the landing spot for former Oklahoma quarterback and prized recruit Rhett Bomar, who was dismissed from the Sooners in 2006 after being paid for work he never did at a car dealership owned by an Oklahoma booster. Bomar was a fifth-round NFL pick by the New York Giants in 2009.

Located in Huntsville, Texas, Sam Houston State is less than four hours from Rollison’s home in Sulphur Springs.

The Auburn men's basketball team goes on the road for a game at Ole Miss tonight at 8 ET. Here's how my story for today's newspaper starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Five losses in six games hasn’t done anything to temper Auburn coach Jeff Lebo’s praise of Ole Miss.

“They are as talented as anybody in the West,” he said.

Although meant it as a compliment, it is perhaps more a stinging indictment of the SEC’s weaker division.

Auburn (13-14, 4-8) will attempt to climb back to .500 when it travels to C.M. Smith Coliseum for an 8 p.m. game against Ole Miss today, the first of four remaining games against SEC West opponents that will round out the seeding for next month’s conference tournament.

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

I wrote a story for today's newspaper about Ben Tate and Antonio Coleman preparing for the NFL combine, which starts today. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The NFL combine has been in mind with everything Ben Tate has done at the Bommarito Performance complex in Miami the last month and a half.

The former Auburn running back’s daily schedule runs the gamut, from specific drills he’ll do in front of NFL scouts this week to full-fledged workouts to prepping for the barrage of questions he’ll be asked during the interview process.

“You know, this is a job now,” Tate said, “so definitely everything is focused all toward this.”

Tate and defensive end Antonio Coleman will be the Tigers’ two representatives at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis for the NFL’s scouting combine, which lasts from today until March 2. In that time they’ll be subjected to a seemingly endless series of drills, tests and interviews by more than 600 NFL personnel, including coaches, general managers and scouts.

Read the full story here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

And if you're interested in seeing Tate's Facebook fan page, click here.

More Eric Smith lawsuit news, and this time he's the one filing in court. The story was ably reported here earlier today (with PDF files of Smith's counterclaim in federal court last week). Here's my story:

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn running back Eric Smith filed a counterclaim in federal court last week, alleging engineering student Decari Jenkins threw the first punch during an incident last August.

Smith denied “each and every material allegation” of a civil lawsuit filed in November by Jenkins, who claims Smith and two unnamed Auburn football players assaulted him and his friend at the Lexington Hotel on Aug. 21.

Jenkins, who claims to have suffered post-concussion syndrome, is seeking punitive and unspecified compensatory damages for suffering physical and emotional damage.

Smith’s counterclaim seeks unspecified damages for physical injury, severe mental anguish and a damaged reputation.

In his lawsuit, Smith says Jenkins acted in an “unusually jumpy manner” and was bumping into various people at a sorority function at the hotel that night. Jenkins bumped into Smith and the two had words. After walking away Jenkins returned with two empty beer bottles, clanking them together in a threatening manner. Smith knocked the bottles away in self-defense.

After the situation seemed diffused, Smith claims Jenkins punched him in the nose, causing him to bleed severely.

Police reports filed from the incident state that Smith had a bloodied nose when he was arrested after officers saw him knock Jenkins unconscious with a punch to the back of the head.

Smith’s counterclaim does not address what happened after the initial punch.

Smith, 19, was eventually charged with third-degree assault. He pleaded guilty in criminal court in October and was granted youthful offender status, effectively sealing the case to the public.

Smith was suspended from the team by Auburn coach Gene Chizik for 2 1/2 weeks, missing the season opener but returning for the Tigers’ remaining 11 regular season games.

He missed the Outback Bowl after being ruled academically ineligible but is back with the team and working toward a return to the field this spring.

AUBURN, Ala. — Gene Chizik assembled what he considered to be a dream staff after first being hired by Auburn over a year ago.

He’s pleased the school’s athletic administration saw fit to keep that group together.

Speaking to the media for the first time since Signing Day, Chizik expressed gratitude Monday that his assistants’ received a salary bump last week after an offseason in which many of them drew interest for various positions with other schools.

“It was really important that there was a vote of confidence there in our administration that they see and understand the importance in the continuity of our coaching staff,” Chizik said.

“If you just look around the league, there’s been a lot changes. Of course we’ve only been here one year, but when you have very talented guys as assistant coaches there’s going to be a lot of people that are interested in hiring them.”

Auburn was the only SEC school to retain its entire coaching staff from last year.

The school gave a 10 percent pay bump to the coaches across the board, including Chizik, with the exception of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, whose salary increased 43 percent to $500,000. In all, Auburn will pay $571,000 more in football coaching salaries this year.

The rise in coaching salaries has been a trend in football lately. In the SEC alone, 10 assistant coaches will make $400,000 or more, including Malzahn and Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof ($407,000).

“This profession, especially at this level, pays a lot of money,” Chizik said. “It’s definitely gotten bigger over the last few years. The supply and the demand and the importance of winning is coming through loud and clear. People are willing to pay that money to get the best people at their trade.”

It comes with a trade-off, however.

“The patience level of fans, the patience out there period, when you get paid a lot of money is shorter,” Chizik said. “When you make large amounts of money, people expect things. ... People can justify it more in their minds now: They make ‘X’ amount of money, they should be delivering.”

I had a post before, but here are some more comprehensive notes than earlier on what Chizik had to say today:

• Chizik thinks things are much calmer in Year 2 heading into the spring. “It’s much easier at this point in time,” Chizik said. “There’s a lot of variables that a year ago we didn’t know. Your second go-around is just so much easier for everybody, as you’d expect. I think it’s been pretty smooth since we came back from the bowl game.”

• The only difference will be the schedule. Chizik plans to have morning practices when spring drills begin next month. The Tigers practiced almost exclusively at night last year. Chizik wants to practice on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Saturday reserved for scrimmage-type situations. The Tigers will tentatively start March 24, after Auburn’s spring break.

• Five players — Neil Caudle, Cam Newton, Barrett Trotter, Clint Moseley and Tyrik Rollison — will participate in this spring’s quarterback competition, which Chizik called “a healthy one.” Many think the frontrunner to replace the graduated Chris Todd is Newton, the top-ranked junior college transfer in the country who enrolled in January. Chizik doesn’t think that puts any undue pressure on the former Florida quarterback’s shoulders. “Cam has, in my opinion, been very focused on what he wants to accomplish,” Chizik said. “As a staff, we’re not going to place any expectations on him that’s any different than anybody else. That’s not fair. There’ll be a battle at the quarterback position. He’s going to be part of that battle. May the best man win. Expectation-wise, he’s not going to be in a different boat. It won’t be any different.”

• Kodi Burns will continue to work at wide receiver and as a Wildcat quarterback.

• Highly-touted recruit Michael Dyer won’t enter the running back competition until he arrives in the summer, giving others the first chance to audition for the starting tailback spot this spring. Asked who will work there, Chizik listed three names: Mario Fannin, Eric Smith and Onterio McCalebb.

• Dontae Aycock, who redshirted last year, could also get a look, although Chizik has a different role in mind for him. “Dontae’s a guy we can move around and do different things with,” he said. “Obviously, he was a quarterback in high school, so he’s talented.” Chizik envisioned a role similar to Fannin’s last year, with Aycock working some as a slot option who can stretch the field vertically and catch the ball in space.

• Safety Daren Bates (shoulder surgery) is questionable for the spring, although Chizik expects him to be able to do some work.

• Chizik couldn't think of anybody else who would miss spring drills.

• DB Aairon Savage, who recently was awarded a sixth year of eligibility, will work out at corner and safety initially.

• Chizik had no definitive statement on safety Zac Etheridge’s status for the spring after he suffered a scary neck injury last fall. “He’s a day-by-day progression of getting to the point where he can play again,” Chizik said. “I don’t want to over-step my boundary; I’m not a doctor. I feel very encouraged about the progress that’s been made here in the last couple of months.”

• Junior college transfer Roszell Gayden figures to be a prime candidate to replace right tackle Andrew McCain on the offensive line, but Chizik is keeping his options open for now. "At the tackle position right now, there will be some young guys that we're going to potentially play out there," he said. "It may be a mix and match. Sometimes it could be a guard-type guy who could move out to tackle. Obviously Andrew graduated, and that's the hole we're trying to fill, but you've still got Brandon Mosley that's competing for potentially an offensive line/tight end job. He's very athletic and he can do both. Again, with our own football team, there's still some young guys that we may try out there. Maybe it's a John Sullen. It really depends. We feel like we're pretty good right now from left tackle to right guard. But again, that's going to be the one that's open, and people have to challenge it for you."

This time last year, Auburn coach Gene Chizik and his staff were scrambling to finish evaluating what they had on their roster in advance of spring practice. Things have changed this year.

"It's much easier at this point in time," Chizik said. "There's a lot of variable s that a year ago we didn't know. Your second go-around is just so much easier for everybody, as you'd expect. I think it's been pretty smooth since we came back from the bowl game."

The only real difference when the Tigers start spring drills next month will be an earlier schedule. Players have scheduled their classes for later in the day than last year, allowing Chizik the option of practicing in the morning.

He wants to work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Saturday reserved for scrimmage-type situations. He has a tentative starting date being March 24, after Auburn's spring break.

Some other notes from Monday's meeting with reporters:

• Chizik was pleased with the administration's dedication to his coaching staff. All of the assistants received at least a 10 percent raise from last season, with Gus Malzahn getting a 43 percent boost to $500,00 per year, the top salary among SEC offensive coordinators. "It's very important that there's a vote of confidence on their part and they see the importance of continuity with our coaching staff," Chizik said. "You just look around the league, there's been a lot of changes. We've only been here one year, but when you have successful coaches, there are going to be people interested in hiring them."

• Chizik said the rising coach salaries are a function of supply and demand. "It starts with the coordinators," he said. "I think people understand the importance of the leaders of your offense and defense and the impact it can have on your football team."

• DB Aairon Savage will fit in at both safety and cornerback this season.

• S Zac Etheridge continues to make progress as he returns form a neck injury, although Chizik didn't give a concrete update on his status. "Kind of a day-by-day progression of him getting to the point where he can play again," he said. "I'm not going to overstep my boundary. I'm not a doctor. But I'm very encouraged about he progress he's made the last couple months."

• He mentioned Mario Fannin, Eric Smith and Onterio McCalebb as options at tailback this spring, with Dontae Aycock a possibility to play a multi-faceted role like Fannin did last year.

AUBURN, Ala. — Tay Waller had a hot hand he didn't want to lose. Once the Auburn guard got enough of a breather in the first half Saturday, he lobbied hard for head coach Jeff Lebo to put him back in the game.

Lebo didn't fear that Waller would suddenly get gun-shy.

"It doesn't matter if I put him down or I put him in the locker room: when he comes in, he's going to shoot it," Lebo said, chuckling. "There's not a shot that he doesn't like. He takes some teeth-clenchers that I have to chew on a little bit occasionally, but he has the ability to make them."

Lebo certainly couldn't argue with the outcome. Waller made seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 29 points as Auburn upended SEC Western Division-leading Arkansas 92-83 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

The Tigers (13-14, 4-8 SEC), who lost three of their previous four games in crunch time, put the contest away with a surge in the final three minutes. Waller, ironically, hit a two-point pull-up jumper with 2:44 left that broke a 79-all tie and spurred a 7-0 run.

Auburn followed up with three straight defensive stops in what was an overwhelmingly offensive game, a welcome change for a team that has lost tight games in every conceivable fashion this season.

The win pulled the Tigers even with Alabama for fourth place in the SEC West, with four games remaining before the conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn.

"Any time you can get an SEC win late in the season, it means you are getting on a roll," Auburn forward Lucas Hargrove said. "With the conference tournament coming up, it is good to get everyone on the same page."

The Tigers had their best offensive SEC game of the Lebo era, scoring 92 points. It was their most in a conference game since 1999.

DeWayne Reed played a controlled game at point guard, scoring 17 points to go with four assists. Hargrove (13 points), Brendon Knox (12) and Frankie Sullivan (11) all reached double figures as well.

Auburn shot 61 percent from the field (28-for-46), went 25-for-33 from the free throw line and made 11 3-pointers, the majority of which came from three free-shooting Waller.

The senior matched his season high with five 3-pointers in the first half, helping the Tigers claim a 42-36 lead.

"Every time we shoot the ball well, we win," Waller said. "Tonight it was just falling. As you can see, we played better once we made some shots. It felt really good because I have not had a game like this all year."

Waller, who has made the fourth-most 3-pointers in the SEC, kept firing in the second half. He finished 10-for-15 from the floor and made seven of his 10 3-point attempts, one shy of a career high.

"I'm not taking math this semester, but I think that's about 70 percent," said Hargrove, the team's resident jokester. "You can't beat that. You can't ask for no more than that right there."

Arkansas (14-13, 7-5 SEC) got 23 points and seven rebounds from freshman forward Marshawn Powell. Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke both added 16 points for the Razorbacks, who shot 50 percent and out-scored the Tigers in the paint 50-30.

Coach John Pelphrey was quick to credit Auburn for cooling off his team, which won six of seven entering Saturday.

"Anybody who thinks Auburn is not a very good basketball team, that's just foolishness," Pelphrey said. "They don't know what they're talking about. This is a very difficult league and Jeff's an outstanding coach. Tonight they were just better than us."

While a basketball game was going on in Auburn, the men's swimming and diving team captured its 14th consecutive SEC championship in Athens, Ga., holding off Florida. Here's how the school's press release starts:

ATHENS, Ga. -- The Auburn men claimed its record 14th-consecutive Southeastern Conference Swimming and Diving title Saturday at the Gabrielsen Natatorium hosted by the University of Georgia. The 14 straight league titles broke the previous record of 13 in a row, held by Florida from 1956-68.

The Tigers won with 784 points, while Florida finished second with 765 points. It marked the ninth consecutive year that the Tigers and Gators have finished 1-2 in the SEC meet.

The Auburn women finished third with 568 points, the 14th year in a row that the Tigers have finished third or better at the conference championships.

Leading Florida by 13 points entering the final event of the evening, the foursome of Adam Brown, Christopher Fox, Kohlton Norys and Gideon Louw, led from start to finish in the 400 free relay and secure the SEC title. The group won in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 2:49.63, to hold off the Gators who finished second in 2:49.95.

The league crown was also Auburn 16th overall league title, all coming over the last 17 years.

Team Scores:

• Women: 1. Georgia - 824.5; 2. Florida - 698; 3. Auburn - 568; 4. Tennessee - 497; 5. Alabama - 272; 6. Arkansas - 262.5; 7. LSU - 262; 8. Kentucky - 204; 9. South Carolina - 158; 10. Vanderbilt - 59

• Men: 1. Auburn - 784; 2. Florida - 765; 3. Georgia - 587; 4. Tennessee - 417.5; 5. Alabama - 340; 6. Kentucky - 320; 7. LSU - 263.5; 8. South Carolina - 183.

• Auburn Top Finishers - Women: 1650 Free -7. Katie Gardocki (16:17.20);
  200 Back - 8. Melissa Marik (1:58.56); 100 Free - 1. Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (47.93); 200 Breast - 8. Abbey Macgregor (2:15.58); 200 Fly - 6. Ava Ohlgren (1:57.32); Platform - 2. Vennie Dantin (311.15); 400 Free Relay - 3. Hannah Riordan, Ohlgren, Marik, Vanderpool-Wallace (3:15.26).

• Men: 1650 Free - 10. William Dove (15:31.53); 200 Back - 3. Pascal Wollach (1:41.74); 100 Free - 1. (1:55.68); 200 Fly - 6. Gideon Louw (42.36); 200 Breast - 2. George KleinTyler McGill (1:44.04); 400 Free Relay - 1. Brown, Fox, Norys, Louw (2:49.63).

AUBURN, Ala. -- Tay Waller made seven 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 29 points as Auburn knocked off SEC West Division-leading Arkansas 92-83 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

DeWayne Reed added 17 points, Lucas Hargrove 13 and Brendon Knox 12 for the Tigers (13-14, 3-8 SEC), who avenged an overtime loss in Fayetteville, Ark., two weeks ago.

The Tigers shot 61 percent from the field (28-for-46) and made 11 3-pointers. Waller's jumper with 2:43 left broke a 79-all tie and spurred a 7-0 Auburn run that was the difference.

Marshawn Powell finished with 23 points and seven rebounds for Arkansas (14-13, 7-5 SEC), which had won six of seven entering the game. The Razorbacks are tied for first in the SEC West with Mississippi State.

Auburn returns to action Wednesday at Ole Miss. Tip-off is 8 p.m. ET.

The Auburn men's basketball team will try to stop its season from sliding away tonight at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum against Arkansas. Here's how today's story starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — With five seniors on the roster, Auburn didn’t expect its freshmen to play a large role this season.

But with the Tigers’ season slipping away and their starters carrying a high burden of minutes, that group is expected to receive more playing time.

Auburn coach Jeff Lebo plans to give his reserves a healthy number of minutes when the Tigers (12-14, 3-8 SEC) host division-leading Arkansas (14-12, 7-4) tonight at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

In a 78-70 loss at Florida on Thursday, freshmen Ty Armstrong and Earnest Ross combined for 10 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes, the duo’s longest extended playing time this season.

“We wanted to get them in early,” Lebo said. “We wanted to get our guys some rest early to hopefully be there at the end. We’ve been struggling at the end a little bit. …

“You are getting a little fatigued at this time of the year. Not only a physical fatigue, but a mental fatigue gets there.”

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn baseball team’s 2010 opener bore a striking resemblance to the latter half of its 2009 season, with ineffective pitchers, a comedy of errors and poor clutch hitting.

The Tigers gave up four multiple-run innings, committed five errors and left 10 runners on base in a 13-8 loss to Southeast Missouri at Plainsman Park on Friday.

“Obviously very disappointed for our kids and our program,” Auburn coach John Pawlowski said. “These guys, they worked so hard in the preseason and put so much effort into it, and unfortunately today we weren’t very good.”

Auburn (0-1) hoped a deeper pitching staff would give it more options this year. Instead, it simply provided more pitchers for the Redhawks (1-0) to batter around.

Starter Jon Luke Jacobs (0-1) lasted only 4 1/3 innings, tagged for six runs (four earned) on five hits.

“He’s been throwing the ball well, but you know how it is when the season starts, you’ve got to be able to execute,” Pawlowski said.

The big blow came in the third, when Southeast Missouri catcher Jim Klocke got a hold of a changeup Jacobs left out over the plate, crushing a towering three-run home run that snuck inside the right field foul pole for a 4-2 lead. Klocke went 3-for-6 with five RBIs.

Auburn relievers Bradley Hendrix (two runs in 2/3 innings), Sean Ray (four runs in 1 1/3 innings) and Michael Hurst (one run in two innings) all failed to halt the Southeast Missouri onslaught.

The Tigers’ fielders did little to help their cause, committing five errors that led to six unearned runs.

Shortstop Jordan Neese, who started in place of the injured Casey McElroy, misplayed two ground balls. Left fielder Brian Fletcher let a ball go through his legs and roll to the fence on a routine single. And catcher Ryan Jenkins skipped a throw into center field, leading to another run.

“In college baseball there are too many good teams,” Pawlowski said. “When you make five errors, you should lose.”

Auburn managed eight runs on 12 hits, getting solo home runs from Justin Hargett and Justin Fradejas and three-hit efforts from Creede Simpson and Hunter Morris.

But the Tigers failed to capitalize on a number of opportunities. After drawing within four in the eighth with one out and runners on second and third, Dan Gamache grounded out to the pitcher before Jenkins flew out to center to end the rally.

Making matters worse, Auburn suffered another injury. Fradejas left early with a hand injury, forcing Tony Caldwell, a catcher by trade, to play right field.

The Tigers were already playing without McElroy and starting center fielder Trent Mummey, who is out four-to-six weeks with an ankle injury.

“It’s part of it, unfortunately,” Pawlowski said. “But it’s not going to be an excuse. The guys that we put out here are going to play hard and they’re going to do the best they can.”

Auburn will throw left-hander Grant Dayton in today’s game against Southeast Missouri, which starts at 4 p.m. ET.

A successful first season has Auburn's coaches feeling a difference in their wallets.

Head coach Gene Chizik and all of his assistants received raises on the heels of an 8-5 season that included an Outback Bowl victory and a top-five recruiting class, the Ledger-Enquirer confirmed Friday.

The Birmingham News first reported the story Friday morning.

Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn received the biggest bump, getting a 43 percent salary raise from $350,000 to $500,000 a year. Malzahn was rumored to be a candidate for several head coaching jobs in the offseason, most recently Louisiana Tech. He declined to interview with the Bulldogs in January.

The other coaches received 10 percent raises, with Chizik's annual compensation rising from $1.9 million to $2.1 million.

Additionally, all of the contracts were extended by a year. Chizik's remains five years, while Malzahn, defensive coordinator Ted Roof and wide receivers coach/associate head coach Trooper Taylor are still at three years. The other assistants have two-year contracts.

The other assistants' salaries are as follows:

• Roof: $407,000
• Taylor: $352,000
• Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker: $330,000,
• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes: $319,000
• Running backs coach Curtis Luper: $286,000
• Safeties coach Tommy Thigpen: $275,000
• Cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley: $231,000
• Tight ends/special teams coordinator Jay Boulware: $231,000.

The staff's total compensation for 2010 will be $5.031 million dollars.

It's officially baseball season. Auburn starts its season at home this afternoon against Southeast Missouri at 4 ET.

That's a picture of Jon Luke Jacobs, who gets the nod as the Tigers' opening-day starter. In advance of the first pitch, I wrote this season preview for today's newspaper. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — By the end of last season, Auburn baseball coach John Pawlowski could count his reliable pitching options on one hand, a severe limitation in a hitter-friendly conference such as the SEC.

“The guys worked extremely hard last year, but, in this league, you have to have depth and enough arms because it is such an offensive game,” he said.

Pawlowski hopes the Tigers have at least solved their pitching staff’s numbers problem in his second year at the helm.

Auburn, which opens its season this afternoon at home against Southeast Missouri, returns its top five pitchers from last year and has added a few more arms to get the program back at a competitive level in the SEC.

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Auburn lost its fourth straight road game, falling to Florida 78-70 in Gainesville, Fla., on Thursday night. The Tigers (12-14, 3-8 SEC) have lost 11 straight regular season games to the Gators, dating back to 1999.

Auburn hung tough in the first half, going into the locker room down 37-34. But it fell behind by as many as 11 in the second half.

Chandler Parsons led Florida (18-8, 7-4 SEC) with 17 points. Ervin Walker added 14, all at the free throw line. The Gators shot 40 free throws to the Tigers' 22. They made 32 of them.

DeWayne Reed led Auburn with 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting. He added six assists, four rebounds and two steals but also led the team with five turnovers.

Tay Waller added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Brendon Knox had 10 points off the bench.

Frankie Sullivan and Lucas Hargrove had off nights. Sullivan scored seven points on 2-for-11 shooting, including a 1-for-9 effort from 3-point range. Hargrove, who averaged 22 points his last two games, didn't make a field goal and finished with two points.

Auburn plays again Saturday at home against Arkansas at 7 p.m. ET.

The Auburn men's basketball team plays at Florida tonight at 7 ET. Here's how my story in today's newspaper about the game starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — The sting of recent overtime road losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State still can be felt throughout the Auburn locker room, not just for the result but for the familiar way their performance fell apart.

Twice the Tigers went into the final 1 1/2 minutes with a three-point lead. Twice they went home disappointed.

It’s an outcome Auburn (12-13, 3-7 SEC) hopes to avoid tonight, when it plays at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla., and takes on Florida (17-8, 6-4).

“We’ve invested a lot into it, and it just didn’t happen for us at the end,” Tigers coach Jeff Lebo said of the overtime losses. “It’s frustrating.”

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

ESPN's NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. was kind enough to hold a teleconference for us media types this morning to share his encyclopedic knowledge of every football prospect in the country.

After a healthy amount of time waiting in line for a question, the blog was able to get his thoughts on some Auburn players who could get be selected in the NFL Draft, which takes place April 22-24. Here's what he had to say:

(And while we're here, this is as good of a time as any to follow the blog on Twitter.)

On DE/OLB Antonio Coleman ...

"When you're a 3-4 outside linebacker or an edge pass rusher, but in his case I would think more of a 3-4 outside linebacker, speed and athleticism are going to be the key entities for him at the combine. We were talking about other players, it's just that one area. It's not the whole workout. So again for Coleman, if he can just define elements of his game that need to be strong, then if he does come through with that he can be a third- to fifth-round pick. He's been in that mix the last couple years, when you start ranking him as opposed to the other players that fall into that combo defensive end/outside linebacker category."

On RB Ben Tate ...

"In terms of Tate, productive kid at Auburn. Hard-nosed runner, did a good job. He's averaged nearly 6 yards per carry so I mean the kid was productive. When he got near the goal line, he smelled the end zone and got it in there. In terms of elusiveness and change of direction, not quite as shifty as some of the other guys. I think in the fourth, fifth, sixth round area you can see maybe Ben Tate coming off the board."

On CB Walt McFadden ...

"In terms of the corner, Walter McFadden, size-wise, that's the negative. But hey, a nickel, dime back with his coverage skills, I think he can be a later round type guy. I say later rounds, maybe in the sixth round area."

Kiper said the pre-draft workouts are going to be most important for Coleman and McFadden. That's not the same case for Tate.

"In terms of Tate, it's not necessarily about workouts," Kiper said. "We talked about that earlier, identifying one area. In running back, the workout, unless you're going to be a Chris Johnson and be in the elite speed category, running backs are going to drop regardless. That's why in the fifth, sixth, seventh round you can always get good backs. Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh round, you can find good backs every year at that position unlike other spots where they come off a lot earlier."

The NFL Combine, which Tate and Coleman will attend, is Feb. 24 to March 2 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Auburn's pro day has not been scheduled yet. Last year it was March 10.

Just days before the start of the college baseball season, the SEC released its preseason poll of the league's coaches. Auburn was picked fifth, the exact spot that the Tigers finished up last year with an 11-19 conference record.

Here are the picks. First-place votes are in parentheses, followed by overall points in the poll.

1. LSU (8) -- 63
2. Arkansas (4) -- 59
3. Ole Miss -- 39
4. Alabama -- 32
5. Auburn -- 28
   
6. Mississippi State -- 25

Eastern Division

I wrote a story for today's paper about Auburn first baseman Hunter Morris and his offseason weight loss. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Flanked by Hunter Morris, one of the most recognizable faces on the Auburn baseball team, Tigers head coach John Pawlowski nonetheless felt compelled to re-introduce his first baseman during last week’s preseason press conference.

That’s how much Morris transformed his body last offseason.

Morris, a preseason All-American selection by Baseball America, showed off his svelter side last week, slimmed down to 208 pounds from the 220 he was listed at last year.

“From last season, I probably dropped about 30 pounds and then started building it back up the right way through muscle training, trying to get stronger,” said Morris, whose Tigers begin their season Friday. “My athleticism has gone from where it was last year just through the roof.”

Read the whole thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Wow, things are slow around Auburn, with the peak of recruiting season over, spring football still over a month away, both basketball teams struggling and baseball not yet underway.

As such, it's been difficult to find things to put on the blog, so I'm referring to the work of one of my favorite writers out there, Joe Posnanski, who makes a very strong (and lengthy) argument about former Auburn great Frank Thomas, who recently retired, being a no-doubt-about-it first-ballot Hall of Famer.

I don't think there will be a question that Thomas gets in. And I'm of the mind that there shouldn't be any debate about whether he is a first-ballot pick. He is in my opinion, considering that he, along with Mel Ott, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams are the only players to finish with a .300 batting average, 500 home runs, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 runs and 1,500 walks in a career. But not all Hall of Famer voters think like that.* Not that I'm seeing this argument a lot, just that there is, for some reason, an argument that is out there.

* To steal a Posnanski writing technique, I'll put this mid-post footnote to say that I would vote for Bert Blyleven (don't get caught up in his win total; he's fifth all-time in strikeouts), Tim Raines (a poor man's Rickey Henderson during his Montreal years) and Roberto Alomar (best second baseman of his generation) to absolutely be in the Hall of Fame.** I'll listen to arguments about Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Lee Smith and even someone under the steroid cloud like Mark McGwire. I would also say that Jack Morris (3.90 career ERA, somewhat romanticized postseason resume) should not get in. And this is coming from a Minnesota Twins fan who saw him do his best work in the 1991 World Series.

** Alas, I do not have a vote.

ANYWAY, Posnanski's point is this: you're crazy if you don't think Thomas is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, especially considering he is presumed to be one of the "clean" players from the era. He sums up Thomas's "Fair Play List" credentials like this:

(Thomas) did work out. He did look like the football player he was at Auburn. He’s on the Fair Play List by force — he has been on the PED front lines ever since he got into the big leagues. Even in the early 1990s, he expressed surprise that there was no testing in Major League Baseball. He is on record calling for testing as early as 1995. He has been quoted many times either saying or hinting that other players were taking short cuts that he refused to take. He gave video testimony before Congress. He was the only active player who willingly spoke with George Mitchell. If we want to believe that (Ken) Griffey is the Willie Mays of the steroid era — rarely saying anything controversial but hoping to make his case with his brilliant play — then Thomas is the Jackie Robinson, outspoken, raw, controversial and proud of his high standards.

I bring all this up now because Frank Thomas just retired and, impossibly, people are “discussing” whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame. I find this stunning. This takes a discussion? Frank Thomas is not only a Hall of Famer, but unless he has been pulling off one of the greatest scams in baseball history, he and Greg Maddux are probably the clearest cut Hall of Fame players of their era. Thomas should not just go into the Hall of Fame, he should go in unanimously.

None of this will play out until 2014, when the unbelievably stacked class of Thomas, Maddux, Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina and Jeff Kent will all be eligible.***

*** My (fictitious vote): Yes, yes, yes, yes (Mussina's numbers are closer to Glavine's than you think) and yes (even though his fielding was pedestrian, Kent's offensive numbers for a second baseman are staggering). That is one amazing class.

I'm sure some voters will come up with ridiculous reasons for not voting for Thomas right away, probably citing his occasional me-first attitude or his sub-par fielding chops (which should be less of an issue for first baseman, by the way) or his end-of-career slide. Even worse, they could continue to penalize all sluggers from the steroid era, as though everyone who hit home runs during that time is guilty simply by association. These reasons are just plain dumb.

I guess I'm of a similar opinion as Posnanski. I can't see how anyone CAN'T vote for him on the first ballot. None of this will really matter until four years from now, but for a time during the athletics season when not a lot is going on, it's at least something to write about.

Another road game, another overtime loss for the Tigers.

Dee Bost scored a season-high 32 points for Mississippi State in an 85-75 overtime win against Auburn in Starkville, Miss., on Saturday night.

It was the Tigers' second overtime road loss in the last week. They dropped a heartbreaker at Arkansas 82-79 last Saturday.

Bost made seven of the Bulldogs' 12 3-pointers. Mississippi State improved to 18-7 (6-4 SEC).

Tay Waller (21 points) and Lucas Hargrove (20) led the way for Auburn (12-13, 3-7 SEC). Point guard DeWayne Reed added 13 points but was just 5-for-22 from the field, going 1-for-8 from 3-point range.

The Tigers followed a season-long pattern of getting up early, leading by 14 in the first half, only to watch that advantage disappear. They flopped in overtime, scoring only one point.

Auburn plays again Thursday at Florida at 7 p.m. ET.