I wrote a story for today's newspaper about Mario Fannin. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — After years of waiting, Mario Fannin knows this is his last chance.

Auburn’s multi-purpose senior, whose career odyssey has taken him from running back to receiver to returner to H-back, is finally back where it all started — in the offensive backfield, ready to carry the ball as much as the Tigers are willing to let him.

“You can tell there’s a little more urgency to him this year,” Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said. “He’s really focused. I really feel like he wants to have a great senior year.

It’s now or never for Fannin, a 5-foot-11, 227-pound former running back of the future, who’s claim to that throne has had its share of false starts. Don’t think that fact is lost on him.

“It’s a blessing being able to play tailback at Auburn,” said Fannin, who played H-back last year. “There have been a lot of great guys who have come through here, so being part of that tradition is big.”

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

AUBURN, Ala. — After five practices, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is having a hard time narrowing down the Tigers’ four-man quarterback race.

“That’s a really good thing,” he said Wednesday. “We feel like we have four quality quarterbacks and we’ll be in better shape depth-wise going into this season than we were last season.”

Auburn’s quarterbacks — senior Neil Caudle, junior Cam Newton, sophomore Barrett Trotter and redshirt freshman Clint Moseley — have split reps evenly.

Now that the Tigers have installed almost everything in the offense they will this spring, Malzahn expects that group to shrink in order to give the potential starter more looks.

He just doesn’t know how much he’ll whittle the list or when.

“There’s no set plan,” Malzahn said. “We’re a timing offense and we’re going to try our best with guys that have the best chance of winning the job, we’ll try to hang onto those guys as long as we can.

“Once we figure that out and people separate themselves, we’ll start narrowing it down.”

Malzahn was exceedingly complimentary of all four candidates. He’s been pleased with the daily improvement of Trotter and Moseley and said the veteran Caudle “knows the offense just about as well as I do.”

But Newton, the top-rated junior college transfer in the country and presumptive frontrunner for the starting job, continues to pique more interest among Auburn’s fans than the rest.

“He has a better understanding of what’s going on,” Malzahn said. “In our system, there’s a lot of things that you have to know before the play even starts and that’s half the battle. He’s getting more comfortable with that so he can react and play football once the ball’s snapped.”

Here are some more notes and quotes from today's practice (and if you like what you see, follow the blog on Twitter):

• Cornerback T’Sharvan Bell made a splash in Auburn’s bowl game and so far has carried that over to the spring. “His whole approach to things, to life, he’s made some major strides in that,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “I’m really proud of him.” Bell, who redshirted in 2008, was held back last August with a knee injury and played sparingly on the regular defense. But he made a major impact in Auburn’s depleted secondary in the Outback Bowl, intercepting two passes in the Tigers’ 38-35 win against Northwestern. Bell has settled in at corner this spring, backing up projected starters Demond Washington and Neiko Thorpe. “He’s had a good offseason,” Roof said. “He just has to continue to work to get better. I’m confident that he’s going to do that.”

• Auburn hasn’t set a depth chart at its revamped safety positions yet. Mike McNeil (leg) and Aairon Savage (Achilles’) have worked their way back into a rotation with Drew Cole, Mike Slade and walk-on Ikeem Means. “We’re just seeing how it sorts out,” Roof said. “Guys coming off injuries, you have to be careful how you bring them back. You don’t want to throw them out there to do too much too quick. There’s a certain process you go through when you come back to gain confidence. It’s a goal for those two guys to feel confident, where they don’t have to think about it, that it’s in the rear-view mirror.”

• Asked what has stood out so far about McNeil, Roof paused eight seconds before coming up with this answer: "Experience. You can see that he's played a lot of football. Right now, that's what kind of stands out." Yup, not liking McNeil's chances for playing time too much this year.

• Zac Etheridge (neck) hasn’t dressed out yet (and probably won’t this spring), although Roof said the senior is a full member of the team, taking mental reps and sitting in on all team meetings.

• Had a quick interview with linebacker Jessel Curry, who graduated high school early to enroll at Auburn in January. He's backing up Eltoro Freeman at strong-side linebacker. I plan to write a little more on him as soon as I can get an interview with Craig Sanders (the other early enrollee from high school). Curry says he has no regrets about leaving school early, not even if it means missing prom. "I’ve never been to a prom or homecoming, so I wouldn’t even want to go back," Curry. "That’d be a waste of money to me."

• Roof has seen slow progress out of the two so far: "It's a little bit different because Craig Sanders plays close to the ball. The closer you play to the ball, the bigger the adjustment is. You have less reaction time. I've been really pleased with him. His effort has carried over from the offseason program. He's going to be a good football player. He's doing well. Jess has picked things up pretty quickly. I've been really impressed with both of them. I think it was a very good decision on their part for them to enroll here early. They're both going to have a jump on it come summer."

• More positive talk about Freeman, this time from Roof: "Anytime there's a transition, there's growing pains. He certainly went through those growing pains. How he's responded to those and the way he's handled those, I've been pleased. There has got to be a sense of urgency from all of us. We're in a race against the clock. We have to get better right now. He's done a good job with that sense of urgency. That's not just for one coach or one player. That's how we've got to approach things." (It's at this point that I should note that Freeman has been requested to be interviewed after every practice, and so far he's been scratched from the list every time.)

• I've got some stuff on Nosa Eguae and Dee Ford that I'd like to put into a feature story for later this week, so I'll hold that material. The short news is that Eguae had a stress fracture in his foot last year that probably would have caused it to break had he kept playing (they discovered the injury just before the start of the season).

• Ford, meanwhile, is up 20 pounds since arriving at Auburn to 235. He wants to be at 250 by the start of the season. Is it fun to put on that kind of weight? "It's fun but you're bloated a lot," he said.

We just finished some interviews after Day 5 of Auburn's spring practice. Here some quick notes:

• Ted Roof is on board with Auburn's defense sacrificing some size to get faster across the board. He thinks it will helps the Tigers cut down on some of the big plays they gave up last year, what he termed the defense's Achilles' heel. "It's good, because if you tackle a guy, you have to run fast," he said. "You get more guys to the ball quicker, you eliminate the big plays. ... You get more hats to the ball and guys that can run in space and tackle in space."
  

• Roof, like offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, thinks his defensive unit is ahead of where it was last year. "Not be to confused with far enough along," he said, "but further than we were at this point last year."

• T'Sharvan Bell has shown a new focus this spring, Roof said. Bell, who had a strong showing in the Outback Bowl, has worked at cornerback.

• Zac Etheridge continue to be held out of drills, although Roof said he's in all the meetings and has been taking mental reps.

• Four quarterbacks continue to split reps. Malzahn said they're still splitting reps and that they're playing well enough that the decision hard is on him.

• Malzahn said he's seen more urgency to Mario Fannin this year at tailback, although he noted he'd still like two quality ballcarriers to rely on next season.

• Malzahn on Neil Caudle: "Neil knows the offense just as well as I do."

• DE Nosa Eguae's foot injury last year was to his third metatarsal. "It was a stress fracture, but it was to the point where it was pretty much broken," he said.

I'll be back with a full practice update and possibly some video a little later.

I wrote a story for today's newspaper about junior college transfers Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — One glance at Auburn’s two offensive line junior college transfers, and the first thing that stands out is their size.

Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley each stand 6 feet, 6 inches tall. Gayden is trying to slim down at 321 pounds; Mosley is trying to pack on some pounds at 295. But they are legitimately big.

“Both those guys look the part,” Tigers offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said.

Now for the tricky question: Which one will start at right tackle this year?

Here's a full rundown from today's post-practice interviews:

• We've got some more news about Auburn football signee Shon Coleman, thanks to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Olive Branch High athletics director Pete Cordelli told the newspaper that Coleman had a lump removed from his head shortly after spring break. It was determined to be malignant late last week and Coleman began treatment last weekend.

• Running back Onterio McCalebb may have some added bulk during winter workouts, but running backs coach Curtis Luper said the sophomore needs to adjust his running style to make a major step forward next season. “He still needs to learn how to play running back in this league,” Luper said. “He’s so fast that he wants to run east and west. The emphasis for him this spring is to get him north and south — to get him more vertical with the football.”

• McCalebb ran for 565 yards last year but battled an ankle injury that limited his carries late in the season. He gained 15 pounds this offseason, putting him at 175, which Luper doesn’t think will affect McCalebb’s speed but will help his endurance. “For him, it’s his health,” Luper said. “If he’s healthy, he can help us. If he’s not, he’s a detriment to us offense. If he’s stronger, he’s more apt to be healthy.”

• Luper said Mario Fannin's not necessarily the No. 1 running back, but he goes first in drills. "He's comfortable there," Luper said. "He's getting more comfortable there every day. In this offense, it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the tempo and everything. The whole thought process it expedited because we go so fast. Once he gets comfortable, then we'll be able to see the talents god has given him."

• Fannin feels like his fumbling problems -- which basically stem from the South Florida game his freshman year -- are well behind him. "Yeah. That's funny. A lot of people, they remember the South Florida game," he said. "They don't understand, that was my freshman year. That was my first game in a college-like atmosphere. Me playing quarterback out of high school, I really didn't have any problems with the ball. I've grown from it, I know my mistakes, that's something I've always tried to work on since that game. I think I've gotten a lot better at it; a lot of people just have that stuck in their minds. But you've just got to overlook it and just keep working hard and understand that happens, that's football, you've just got to overcome it."

• To combat the problem, Fannin has worked on securing the ball high and tight. It's something he says he never had to think about in high school. "In high school, defenders don't tackle the ball, they tackle you," he said. "Here in college, defenders are taught to tackle the ball. I understand that more, now it's more high and tight. Two hands on the ball in traffic and things of that nature."

• Auburn’s punt returners have done a variety of bizarre drills this spring. One required the player to let the ball hit him in the facemask instead of catching it. “It helps you get your footwork right and getting up under the ball and getting your letters right,” cornerback Demond Washington said. “You’ve got to get up under it. That’s probably the hardest part — knowing where the ball’s going to fall and getting up under it.” The Tigers did another drill Monday where they caught the ball with one hand. “All the guys called me ‘Little Hands’ like I was in the Burger King commercial,” Washington said. “I couldn’t catch it like that. That was pretty tough.”

• Chizik thinks Washington's brief stint at safety helped him learn more about the cornerback spot. "I think that it gave him an overall better grasp of what we're trying to do both at safety and at corner," Chizik said. "It bridges the gap on anything you don't know when you play both, because you really understand how that fits more with the corner position. I think anytime you can cross-train somebody at two positions, it can do nothing but help, provided that they're mentally ready for that. And he was."

• After sitting out a year following his transfer from Minnesota, Ralph Spry has made strides this spring. “I think that he knows that he can play now, where before he knew he was going to be scout team,” wide receives coach Trooper Taylor said. “There was no light at the end of the tunnel.” Spry, the son of Auburn track and field coach Ralph Spry, played in 12 games as a freshman with the Gophers in 2008. He caught 23 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. “(He’s) already had college experience before he transferred here,” Taylor said. “So there’s no substitute for that.”

• Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen was not dressed out Monday. Chizik said he was dinged up. Running back Dontae Aycock was ill and did not practice.

• Chizik cited a need to shore up the run defense early this spring. "Stopping the run, (we're) getting knocked off the ball some. ... We've just got a long way to go defensively in so many areas. Not that we don't offensively, but you know, we've got to, again, as I said earlier, we've got to address the running game and the stoppage of the run, which is a high, high priority for us right now. And we let some runs get out Saturday that we need to corral back in, but overall, again, the effort was really good, and they're really trying to learn and improve. And I think that's huge."

I put together a video from this morning's interviews. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, running backs coach Curtis Luper, running back Mario Fannin and cornerback Demond Washington. Enjoy. (I'll put the YouTube version up as soon as it loads.)

I'll be back in a bit with a full practice update.

Auburn football signee Shon Coleman has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment at St. Jude's Medical Research Center in Memphis, Tenn.

Coleman, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive tackle from Olive Branch, Miss., is a five-star recruit considered one of the prizes of Auburn's 2010 class. He was the top-ranked player in Mississippi.

Coleman's mother, DeKeishia Tunstall, posted on her Facebook page that her son has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which has a high cure rate.

Olive Branch High athletics director Pete Cordelli told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal that Coleman had a lump removed from his head shortly after spring break. It was determined to be malignant late last week and Coleman began treatment last weekend.

Tunstall wrote in her most recent status update that Coleman was "taking his chemotherapy treatment like a champ."

Tigers coach Gene Chizik said his only thoughts are about Coleman's well-being.

"We have no concern about what his football status is, whatsoever," Chizik said. "We want the young man to be healthy, and our thoughts and prayers are out to the family in terms of recovery. We've never even broached the issue of football, in any way, shape or form, and won't. I just want the young man to be healthy and again."

Some other quick notes and quotes:

• After watching the tape from Saturday's practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Chizik thinks the team's run defense needs improvement. "We let some runs get out Saturday that we need to corral back in," Chizik said.

• All four quarterbacks continued to rotate reps equally.

• Dontae Aycock didn't practice today because he was sick.

• Philip Lutzenkirchen was "dinged up," Chizik said. That's usually code for a concussion, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions.

• Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said Ralph Spry Jr. has stood out early in camp. Spry sat out last year after transferring from Minnesota.
  

• Running backs coach Curtis Luper said there's no running back depth chart yet, but Mario Fannin is the first one to go out there during drills.

• Fannin had fumbling issues as a freshman, particularly in the South Florida game, but he doesn't think that should still be held against him. "That was really my first game in a college atmosphere," Fannin said. "I've grown from it. I knew my mistakes. It's something I've always tried to work on since that game. I think I"m better at it."

OK, it wasn't that cold. It was relatively cold. And too early. But enough complaints. Here are a few observations ...

• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen wasn't dressed out. Not sure why, but he wasn't even in uniform.

• S/LB Daren Bates (shoulder), WR Travante Stallworth (knee), LB Harrison Gaston (wrist) and LG Mike Berry (knee) were in pads but limited in what they could do. The first three wore orange, non-contact jerseys.

• Plenty of folks doing kick returns drills: Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb, Demond Washington, Terrell Zachery, Ralph Spry and Neiko Thorpe.

• Lots of punt return guys too: Quindarius Carr, Eric Smith, Philip Pierre-Louis, Blake Poole, Darvin Adams, T'Sharvan Bell, Washington and Fannin.

• The other day punt returners were letting the ball bounce of their facemasks on purpose, supposedly to work on looking the ball all the way in. Today, they were catching them with one arm. I guess this is to improve their dexterity. It looks easier for some (Fannin, in particular) than others.

• Two signees -- DT Jeffrey Whitaker and LB LaDarius Owens -- were in attendance. Must be spring break.

• Ryan Shoemaker had some booming punts. I was standing next to Wes Byrum, who shouted out to compliment Shoemaker from across the field a number of times.

• Fashion alert:Auburn hasn't abandoned the white shoes it wore in the bowl game. Some are wearing the white ones. Some are wearing black.

• Although it was cold, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes wore shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. He's tough. He coached at cold-weather places like Boise State, BYU and Colorado. Running backs coach Curtis Luper wore shorts and a short-sleeve shirt too, but he had an Under Armour skeleton underneath it and a winter cap. Smart move.

I'll be back with more following practice. You'll be able to find out exactly when anything gets posted if you follow the blog on Twitter.

The Auburn men's swimming and diving team took sixth place at the NCAA championships, which wrapped up at Ohio State on Sunday.

The Tigers finished with 277.5 points. Texas won the meet with 500 points, followed by California (469.5), Arizona (387), Stanford (369) and Florida (364).

Auburn was the defending national champion and had won six of the last seven NCAA titles.

“Our finish in this meet really summarized the whole season for us,” head coach Brett Hawke said. “It was a tough year, but we’re going to take a break and the regroup. We know that we’re a good team and we’ll come back stronger next year.”

Auburn has finished in the top-10 every year since 1993.

The Tigers had four finalists on the final day. Gideon Louw finished third in the 100 free, while Adam Brown was fourth. Adam Klein finished third in the 200 breast, and Kelly Marx took fourth in the diving event.

AUBURN, Ala. — A day after getting shut out at home for the first time in five years, Auburn’s lineup broke out in a big way.

Six different Tigers drove in runs in a 10-6 win against No. 14 South Carolina at Plainsman Park on Sunday as Auburn salvaged the final game of the weekend.

Auburn (17-7, 4-2 SEC), which left 12 men on base in a 2-0 loss Saturday, scored three runs in three different innings Sunday, displaying the offensive prowess it did in a three-game sweep of Georgia to open SEC play last weekend.

“We had a bunch of hits yesterday; we just weren’t able to get them when they counted,” said center fielder Creede Simpson, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. “Today we had some guys step up.”

South Carolina (19-5, 5-1 SEC), the last SEC team to lose a league game, watched its 13-game winning streak end.

“I think for out mind set, for our kids to know they can go out there and compete with the best teams in our league and the best teams in the country, I think it was a very important win for us today,” Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said.

Auburn wasted no time putting Saturday’s shutout behind it. The Tigers chased South Carolina starter Tyler Webb (1-2) with four runs in the first two innings.

The Gamecocks cut the lead to 4-3 before Auburn broke things open in the fourth. With the bases loaded and two outs, cleanup hitter Brian Fletcher took a borderline strike, the second close call of the inning. Pawlowski left the dugout to argue the point with home plate umpire Todd Henderson.

His message got through. With a full count, Fletcher took ball four on the fringe of the strike zone, just below the knees, to force home a run. Simpson followed with a two-out, two-run single to give Auburn a comfortable cushion at 7-3.

In the sixth, Justin Bryant walked with the bases loaded and Justin Hargett hit a two-run double to make it 10-3.

Simpson, Bryant and Hargett — three players in the bottom half of the order — combined to go 6-for-10 with six RBIs.

“I think that’s a trademark of a good team,” Pawlowski said. “I think Hunter (Morris) and Fletch are marked guys. Obviously, with the credentials that they have, teams are being very, very cautious, very conscious about them in the lineup. They’re pitching around them, maybe, and being very careful.

“I told the guys it’s the other guys that are going to have to step up, and certainly they’ve contributed on several different occasions.”

Grant Dayton (3-1) gave Auburn a solid effort on the mound, taking advantage of a strong wind blowing in from right field. The left-hander recorded 14 fly ball outs, getting 10 straight at one point. He went 7 1/3 innings, not throwing a single breaking ball the entire time, and left with a 10-4 lead. He gave up five runs on nine hits.

“It’s a huge confidence booster,” Dayton said. “I’d been struggling starting from last year, hadn’t been going deep in games. Going (7 1/3 innings), that helps. As a starting pitcher, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Auburn returns to action Wednesday at Troy before a weekend series against Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

I wrote a story on Auburn sophomore Daren Bates, an SEC All-Freshman safety who will try his hand in a new role this spring. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Of Auburn’s surprise stories last season, Daren Bates’ is hard to top.

Lightly recruited out of Olive Branch, Miss., Bates went from relative obscurity to cornerstone of the Tigers’ secondary in a matter of weeks, starting all 13 games at one safety spot and earning SEC All-Freshman honors.

But here’s another surprise: the Tigers are moving Bates to a hybrid safety/linebacker role.

“We’re trying to get as much speed as we can on the field right now,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

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

Anthony Swain, a safety from Gadsden, Ala., gave his verbal commitment to sign with Auburn in 2011. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Swain made his decision known after attending Auburn's Junior Day on Saturday.

We know this because of the fine reporting at AuburnSports.com, Inside the Auburn Tigers and The Auburn Sports Blog.

Swain chose Auburn over Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Clemson.

A big, physical safety, Swain played eight games for Gadsden City High last year before breaking his foot while making a cut.

"I'm a big dude that can move," Swain told Scout.com earlier this month.

He is the Tigers' third commitment for 2011, joining East Mississippi Community College defensive back Izauea Lanier and Somerville, Ala., offensive lineman Spencer Region.

Let's update the big board for 2011:

• Izauea Lanier, DB, 6-1, 190, Gordo, Ala. (East Mississippi CC)
• Spencer Region, OL, 6-6, 330, Somerville, Ala. (Cullman High)
• Anthony Swain, S, 6-3, 215, Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden City High)

Here's a video I put together from today's round of interviews. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Craig Stevens. Enjoy.

AUBURN, Ala. — After watching his quarterbacks perform in pads for the first time this spring, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn thinks this group is ahead of last year's.

"The thing that stands out to be is all four have a good grasp in what we’re doing," Malzahn said. "Compared to this time last year, you can tell the guys have a better understanding of the offense."

The Tigers divvied up reps equally among their four quarterbacks — Cam Newton, Neil Caudle, Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley. Malzahn would like to narrow the quarterback field down to give the frontrunners more reps, although he does not have a timetable for doing so.

Despite having the most impressive physical attributes, Newton, who transferred from Blinn (Texas) Community College in January, is still trying to play catch-up in the offense's lingo. But he said he's not completely new to the system.

"People think it's just three days (of practice), but ever since I've been on campus, coach Malzahn has been getting all the quarterbacks around and going over, just walking through it," Newton said. "That's probably been the biggest help I've had. Just not coming out here and going right into the fire. We've been practicing for this for a while now, for about three or four weeks. Just walking through against the air and knowing where our guys are supposed to be."

Here are some other notes and quotes:

• Not only did Auburn wear full pads for the first time this spring, the Tigers used the opportunity to go to Jordan-Hare Stadium to practice in front of a large crowd of potential recruits on Junior Day. "That was exciting," Newton said. "At my other schools, we never played in the stadium unless it was the spring game or the game. I think playing in the stadium really raised the level and probably put the effect in everybody's head that you've got to be perfect today, and that's what we're aiming for."

• The Tigers did some live inside drills, which are just short of going 11-on-11, head coach Gene Chizik said. The team also did two separate first-and-10 sessions that were live, except for quarterbacks. "It makes a huge difference," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "Some players, when they know they're not going to get hit, it makes them react a lot different than when they've got pads on."

• Chizik on Newton: "We're really proud of where Cameron after the third day is, in terms of just digesting the information. I think we're really pleased with the gains and the traction he's made here in the last three days. It's a complete learning process, completely different when you go out there and throw 11 guys against it and they're running fast."

• Newton didn't notice much of a change of pace with the team in pads, going full speed. "Being around coach Malzahn, you've got a tendency to be so fast and when you slow it down on the field, that's when you get your stuff in trouble because he's so fast 'Go, go, go, go!' When you get on the field, you may be too fast and it will hurt you. Other than that, I've been prepared, all the quarterbacks have been prepared. it's showing out there on the field."

• Craig Stevens, who stared all 13 games last year at strong-side linebacker, has moved to the weak side this spring to give Auburn some flexibility. Junior Eltoro Freeman has worked on the strong side. "Part of what we're trying to build in our system is interchangeable parts," Roof said. "So the absolute next best player goes on the field at that position, not the next best left linebacker or strong linebacker goes on the field." Stevens, who finished with 95 tackles last year, second most on the team to middle linebacker Josh Bynes, doesn't look at the move as a big deal. "They're basically mirror positions," he said. "(Weak-side) is just in the box more and (strong-side) has to cover a little more. Right now I'll just be in the box more. I guess we'll see how that works out. I played it before my freshman year so it shouldn't be too different."

• Stevens has seen growth in Freeman. "He's calmed down a lot from when he first got here," Stevens said. "Before, he was just thinking too much. He done probably thinking his way into making a mistake. Now he's calm out there, he's kind of playing the way he wants to play now. I see a lot of improvement in him and I think he'll be good going into the season ... He's still the same Eltoro, he just thinks a lot clearer now."

• Stevens has embraced his leadership role, with seniors Walt McFadden and Antonio Coleman no longer around. "I'm used to guys leaving and new guys coming in," he said. "With it being my senior year, I want it to be a very special year. I've been taking more of a stronger leadership role. It's to teach the younger guys and try to get them to follow our lead and get them to play the way we want to play this year."

• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said left guard Mike Berry will not participate in spring drills. Berry had offseason surgery on his knee. It opens up an opportunity for senior Bart Eddins to step in and work with the first team, with fellow senior Byron Isom at right guard. Grimes said he has rotated playing time for three players at the guard positions before but added that it can't mean sacrificing a certain level of play. "If I have three guys that are really close in terms of their ability, then I'll certainly rotate a guy in with them," Grimes said. "But he's got to be a guy who is not going to drop us. You can't give us a drop-off to get in there."

• Malzahn thinks both Brandon Mosley and Roszell Gayden, two junior college transfers, have fit in well with the rest of the offensive line. "Both those guys look the part, too," he said. "They have great attitudes. They just need reps working with the other four guys. At times they look really good, and at times you can see they’re hesitant on the assignments. The big key is to program those guys to execute. Both of them are physically what you want."

• Grimes agreed, and thinks we'll see more of what the two are capable of by the end of spring drills: "I think they're both really eager to learn and they both are guys who I think want to succeed and do well and they've both got a long way to go, of course, in terms of just learning the system. The thing that happens so often with brand new guys is you can't see how good they're going to be because there's so much thinking going on for them. So the real evaluation for them I think will come a whole lot more in the next couple of weeks toward the end of spring ball instead of the beginning. Because right now, their heads are spinning and they're just trying to figure out who to block and they're not doing things as quickly and aggressively as they can. But once they learn what to do, I think we'll see their real ability take over."

• Safety Mike McNeil, who missed last year with a broken leg, went live during the full contact portion of Saturday's practice. Aairon Savage (Achilles') and Zac Etheridge (neck) did not.

• McNeil is finally starting to shed a slight limp, safeties coach Tommy Thigpen said. "I think Mike is moving around a lot better than I thought because when we were going through the workouts in the morning he had a slight gimp," he said. "But I haven’t seen that since we started practice. I think he’s making a conscious effort to make sure he doesn’t have a limp. He flies around." Thigpen said the key for McNeil is to keep his pads low. With leg injuries, there's a tendency to play higher than usual. The same applies for Savage.

• McNeil also has to shake off some of the rust. "We’ve been working technique, technique, technique for the last two days and then once we put the pads on, technique went out the window," Thigpen said. "He’s a little rusty. He’s willing, that’s the good thing with Mike. He’s in the film room every day asking a lot of legitimate questions. I think he’ll be able to pick it up really fast and get back into the flow."

• Thigpen has been impressed with the play of Ikeem Means, a walk-on from Wetumpka, Ala., who played almost exclusively on special teams last year. "He’s really doing a good job," Thigpen said. "A big-bodied kid. He really has burst, he’s got size. He’s physical. The key for him is going to be how fast can he pick up the concepts."
  

• Today was a significant day for two freshmen who enrolled during what was supposed to be the final semester of their senior year of high school -- linebacker Jessel Curry and defensive end Craig Sanders. "Those guys ought to be doing something else right now," Roof said. "But I thought they both did a nice job and both have got a million miles to go, but I'm really proud of both of them and happy with their attitude and happy with their attitude."

• Former Auburn and current NFL players Jerraud Powers (Colts), Sen'Derrick Marks (Titans) and Quentin Groves (Jaguars) attended practice.

South Carolina's Sam Dyson threw seven shutout innings as the No. 14 Gamecocks blanked the Tigers 2-0 at Plainsman Park on Saturday. South Carolina clinched its 11th straight series victory over Auburn, dating back to 1998.

Auburn (16-7, 3-2 SEC) managed 11 hits but couldn't push across any runs. The Tigers left 12 men on base, twice leaving the bases loaded. It was the first time they haven't scored a run in a home game since 2005.

South Carolina (19-4, 5-0 SEC), which is the only remaining unbeaten team in SEC play, scored two late runs to take the win. Scott Wingo doubled in a run in the eighth to break a scoreless tie. Kyle Enders singled home a run in the ninth.

Tigers starter Cole Nelson (4-1) was the hard-luck loser. He gave up one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Hunter Morris and Justin Hargett had three hits apiece for Auburn. Justin Fradejas and Ryan Jenkins both added two hits.

The teams finish the series at Plainsman Park Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Auburn practiced in full pads and even went over to Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday in what was the Tigers' third practice of the spring.

"Today I thought was a good day in terms of the energy,' Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. "It was a cool day, and I thought they were running around, very excited with a high level of energy"

The Tigers did some live inside drills, which are just short of going 11-on-11, Chizik said. The team also did two separate first-and-10 sessions that were live, except for quarterbacks.

"I thought we had some good physicality in those three periods," Chizik said. "We wanted to start out making it a physical day but also try to be smart in what we do, considering our numbers"

Some other quick notes:

• Craig Stevens has been working at weak-side linebacker this spring. He played strong-side last year.

• Safety Mike McNeil (leg) was able to go live with the hitting today.

• All four quarterbacks -- Cam Newton, Neil Caudle, Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley -- got reps today, although offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said he'd like to narrow that group down. He did not give a timetable for doing so.
  

• Mike Berry (knee) will not be participating in spring drills, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. Bart Eddins should get a good look at left guard in his place.

I'll be back with more notes and quotes, and hopefully some video, later.

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn starter Cory Luckie’s off-speed repertoire has worked well on Fridays, when emotions are high and opponents are prone to overswinging.

South Carolina wasn’t fooled by the slow stuff one bit.

The No. 14 Gamecocks tagged Luckie for eight runs in less than two innings Friday, slugging three home runs to spur on an 11-5 win at Plainsman Park

“They jumped us early,” Auburn coach John Pawlowski said.

Parker Bangs, Scott Wingo and Adam Matthews all homered for South Carolina (18-4, 4-0 SEC), which has won 12 straight.

Auburn (16-6, 3-1 SEC) watched its seven-game winning streak come to an end.

South Carolina wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard. Bangs’ three-run homer over the big wall in left started the Gamecocks’ scoring in the first. Matthews’ three-run homer into the visitors bullpen in the second ended Luckie’s night.

“In two pitches they scored six runs,” Pawlowski said. “They did a good job. Good hitters got some balls up in the zone and they put some good swings on it.”

Luckie (1-1) faced only 15 batters before getting the hook. Seven got hits, two walked and one was hit by a pitch. He left trailing 8-2.’

The Tigers, who outscored Georgia 43-9 in a series sweep last weekend to open SEC play, looked like they might keep pace. Creede Simpson blasted a two-run home run in the first and Auburn was on the verge of big things in the second, with two runs in, two runners on and the heart of the order coming up.

That’s when South Carolina starter Blake Cooper (4-0) settled down. He struck out Hunter Morris looking and got Brian Fletcher to fly out to end the rally.

Cooper cruised from there, allowing two hits in five additional scoreless innings. He retired seven straight at one point and finished his night with five strikeouts in seven innings.

Simpson, Morris and Fletcher and Ryan Jenkins each had two hits for Auburn.

The teams meet again today at 1 p.m. ET. Auburn will start left-hander Cole Nelson (4-0, 3.67 ERA) against South Carolina right-hander Sam Dyson (1-0, 5.40).

The Gamecocks seek their 11th straight series win against the Tigers, a streak that dates back to 1998.

AUBURN, Ala. — Onterio McCalebb is ready to be an every-down back for Auburn, and he’s packed on the pounds to prove it.

The speedy McCalebb has added 10 pounds to his frame, putting him at 175. His goal by next season is 185, hoping it’s enough to take a pounding from SEC defenses.

“I slept, I ate, I worked out real hard,” McCalebb said. “When I first got here, I was a freshman and I wanted to party and stuff like that. Now I’m trying to become a leader. It’s not about going out and partying. It’s game time.”

With highly touted freshman Michael Dyer, ESPN’s top overall running back recruit, not joining the team until the summer, now is the time for Auburn’s returning backs to make an impression. McCalebb, a sophomore, joins senior Mario Fannin and redshirt freshman Dontae Aycock in the backfield this spring.

Despite the added weight, McCalebb doesn’t think he’s lost his trademark speed, which helped him run for 565 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman.

“The only time I can notice it is when I walk,” he said. “I walk heavy now. I can feel it in my feet. They weigh me down.”

Asked if he was still the fastest guy on the team, McCalebb didn’t hesitate: “Yes, sir.”

Here are some other notes and quotes from today's round of interviews:

• Head coach Gene Chizik on the second day of spring practice: "Second day I thought was better. I thought the tempo was a little bit better than yesterday and it needed to be. The excitement of the first day was gone, obviously, so today I felt was more of a focus on the details of the things we didn't do good yesterday. Obviously have a long way to go but I thought the tempo of practice was really good. Again, a good second, learning day. Obviously tomorrow we're in pads for the first day. We've got some things that we've got to evaluate tomorrow when we get into pads but overall today, good day and we're looking forward to our first day tomorrow in pads."

• Fannin on McCalebb: "Onterio is back and he’s healthy, and he’s doing everything he can to stay healthy. That’s what I admire about him – he’s a small guy, but he has the heart of a big guy, and that’s something you have to have in the SEC. Coaches understand he has the heart of a lion, and that’s why I commend him so much. He’s a real tough guy." Fannin also described McCalebb as "getting more ripped."

• Fannin feels at home playing tailback again. "It’s a blessing being able to play tailback at Auburn," he said. "There have been a lot of great guys who have come through here, so being part of that tradition is big." He's prepared all offseason as though he'll stay there. "I’m definitely working on being quicker," he said. "I’m definitely working on building my leg strength up. I’m definitely working on being mentally tough. If you’re tired, you have to push yourself. If you want to come out after the third play of the drive, and you’ve broken a run for 25 yards and a 5-yard run, you’ve got to push yourself through it. Mainly, you have to be mentally tough and build my endurance up."

• With Mike Berry recovering from minor offseason knee surgery, senior Bart Eddins has worked with the ones at left guard. Eddins’ career has been slowed by three surgeries on his right knee, procedures that require him to wear large ice packs after every practice. “I get up and I feel like a 70-year-old man grunting and moaning getting out of bed,” he joked. Naturally, he relishes the opportunity to play, particularly after getting his first and only career start at Tennessee last year in place of a suspended Byron Isom. “It’s motivation. It’s addicting,” Eddins said. “(Tennessee) was just one of the things that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. It just makes you want to go back for more.”

• Finding playing time could be difficult this season, however. Auburn returns four starting linemen, with junior college transfers Brandon Mosley and Roszell Gayden expected to battle for the vacant right tackle job. Eddins thinks he can fit in where needed. He can play guard on both sides and has experience as a center. “I’ll be here to sub in or anything like that,” he said. “I’ll be here for the team.”

• Auburn will host its Junior Day this afternoon, with 128 prospects expected to attend. Among the visitors will be Spanish Fort, Ala., center Reese Dismukes, one of the state’s top prospects for 2011. He has both Auburn and Alabama on his list. Other expected visitors, according to the Auburn Sports Blog, include Russellville, Ala., linebacker/running back Brent Calloway, Valley, Ala., safety Erique Florence, Gadsden, Ala., safety Anthony Swain, Valdosta, Ga., tight end/defensive end Jay Rome, Adel, Ga., linebacker Shannon Brown, Griffin, Ga., safety Corey Moore and Marietta, Ga., offensive lineman Thomas O’Reilly. Cullman, Ala., offensive lineman Spencer Region, an Auburn commit, is expected to attend as well.

• The wide receiver depth chart isn't set yet, but it's starting to take shape. Darvin Adams and DeAngelo Benton are working at one outside spot; Terrell Zachery and Quindarius Carr at the other. In the slot, Emory Blake, Kodi Burns, Jay Wisner and Derek Winter are all getting reps.

• Benton on a third receiver stepping up behind Adams and Zachery: "It's all about working hard when you got out there, all of us competing. On the other hand, we're trying to make each other better. Whoever get the spot, you know they've earned it."

• Chizik said he expects big things for linebacker Eltoro Freeman. "I got very, very high expectations for him. The standard as I told him and our whole football team has gone up. Certainly for him. He's been in two years now. We've got to keep him healthy, obviously. He's got to learn a lot of football and he's got a long way to go but I think he's being very humble. He knows that he's got a lot of football to learn. If he'll do that and stay humble, he'll be a lot better football player than he was last year and he'll contribute a lot better to Auburn than he did last year."

• DT Nick Fairley said fundamental work was important for him as last season progressed, and it was starting to show toward the end of the year, when he got more playing time. His position coach, Tracy Rocker, agreed. "When you are departing from JUCO or departing from high school, you got to break some of the habits," he said. " That’s part of it. We spend a lot of time just talking about how to play, breaking those habits.As you saw as the season ended last year, he understood a little bit more technique-wise, fundamental-wise. That’s what’s important."

• Senior Antoine Carter and sophomore Dee Ford are working on what Rocker referred to as the "quick end." Senior Michael Goggans and redshirt freshman Nose Eguae are working on the other side.

• Daren Bates showed off quite an elaborate tattoo before doing an interview. He has MEMPHIS tatted (as the kids say) across the top of his chest in big. block letters from shoulder to shoulder. Says he got it before the bowl game. I guess if playing with a torn labrum doesn't hurt you, getting a big tattoo won't either.

Auburn safety/linebacker Daren Bates played the latter half of his SEC All-Freshman season in considerable pain after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder against LSU.

"I didn't really tell the trainers because I didn't want to not play," Bates said after practice Friday.

Bates had surgery for the problem in January and is limited to doing light drills and 7-on-7 work this spring. He likely won't face contact until two-a-days in August and has to build up his weight again. After surgery, he lost 13 pounds. He wants to be back in the 215-220 range.

In the meantime, he'll adjust to a new position. The sophomore will play a linebacker spot that head coach Gene Chizik has said is more like a nickel position.

"It's all right. You've just got to adjust," Bates said. "I still have my safety tendencies. Instead of shuffling, I'll backpedal. But as time goes on, I'll catch on to that."

Some other quick notes:

• Auburn practiced in helmets and shorts today. Tomorrow is the team's first full day in pads.

• Gene Chizik didn't know if Auburn would do any kind of mini-scrimmage tomorrow. He's going to look at the injury report before making a decision.
  

• Demond Washington, who moved to safety in a pinch last season, is back at corner.

• Mario Fannin is looking forward to playing tailback again. "It's a blessing," he said. "Being able to play tailback here at Auburn, a lot of great guys have come through. Being able to be a part of that tradition is pretty big to me."

• Senior Bart Eddins has been working with the ones at left guard in place of Mike Berry (knee), who has done light work since offseason surgery.

• WR Emory Blake is working at the slot position. He's there with Kodi Burns, Jay Wisner and Derek Winter.

I'll be back with more later.

Here's how today's story about new Auburn basketball coach Tony Barbee starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Tony Barbee made it a point to reference Auburn’s apex as a basketball school shortly after being introduced as the Tigers’ new coach Thursday evening.

He effortlessly rattled off the marquee hoops names in the school’s history — Sonny Smith, Charles Barkley, Chuck Person, Wesley Person — at a dais set up at midcourt of the still-under-construction, $92.5 million Auburn Arena he’ll soon inherit.

“When you talk about the great players, great teams, great coaches … there is a precedent that has been set with this program and that it has been done before,” Barbee said. “And when you look at the Auburn Arena, why can’t it be done again? That is why I am here.”

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter for instant updates, especially since spring football is underway.

Oh, but that's not all the Barbee coverage you'll be getting today. Also have a look at ...

• This article I wrote about Barbee's relationship with mentor John Calipari, who has Kentucky one step away from the Final Four.

• Want to hear what Barbee had to say? Click on this blog post for a video.

• Just interested in reading the quotes instead of hearing them? Or perhaps you'd like to read comments by athletics director Jay Jacobs and guard Frankie Sullivan? Click on the blog post.

• If you want more information on Barbee's contract terms, this blog post has the details from the letter of understanding Auburn released Wednesday.

• And lastly, this is interesting. Barbee will be in New York to be an analyst on the CBS College Sports Network's coverage of the NCAA tournament.

The Auburn baseball team, which has won seven straight, hosts South Carolina in a three-game series starting tonight at Plainsman Park. Read all about it here.

Here are the probable pitchers for the weekend:

Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET

• South Carolina: Blake Cooper (Sr. RHP) 3-0, 2.90 ERA, 31.0 IP, 11 BB, 32 SO
• Auburn: Cory Luckie (So. LHP) 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 16.2 IP, 7 BB, 19 SO

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET

• South Carolina: Sam Dyson (Jr. RHP) 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 23.1 IP, 6 BB, 27 SO
• Auburn: Cole Nelson (Jr. LHP) 4-0, 3.67 ERA, 27.0 IP, 11 BB, 31 SO

Sunday, 2 p.m. ET

• South Carolina: Tyler Webb (Fr. LHP) 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 21.1 IP, 9 BB, 23 SO
• Auburn: TBA

OK, finally got the video of Tony Barbee's introductory press conference up. The whole thing went down in the still-unfinished Auburn Arena at midcourt. Enjoy.

I just finished writing my newspaper stories for tomorrow's paper. It's given me a chance to sift through a mountain of quotes. Here are some highlights. I hope to have a video a little later:

New Auburn head coach TONY BARBEE

(On the Auburn job)
"Auburn athletics is about winning championships. That is the reason why, as I looked at Auburn University and their men's basketball program, it is my responsibility to live up to that bar that has been raised by all the athletic programs at this great university. When you talk about the great players, great teams, great coaches, Sonny Smith in 1986, one game away from a Final Four, when you talk about that, the great players from Chuck Person to Wesley Person to obviously Charles Barkley, there is a precedent that has been set with this program and that it has been done before. And when you look at Auburn Arena, why can*t it be done again? That is why I am here. "

(On his commitment to Auburn)
"The commitment I make to you is to take this men's basketball program to heights it has never been before. That is my commitment to you. We will play an exciting style of basketball. It will be fun for the fans. It will be entertaining. It will be fun for the players. In my 19 years in college basketball, I have been in postseason play 18 of 19 years. And I am madder than heck that one year we missed it. We started at UTEP, and we built to where I left it. The one thing I know about this style, is it is built to win in March."

(On recruiting)
"We are not going to be afraid of going after the best players in the state of Alabama. We are not going to be afraid of going after the best players in the Southeast region. We are not going to be afraid to go after the best players anywhere in the country. I promise you that. Not only will we be recruiting student-athletes who I think can succeed here, academically and athletically, we will be recruiting the media, for exposure, we are going to be recruiting the community, for support, and we are going to be recruiting the students, because my responsibility is to rekindle that love affair between the Auburn community, the Auburn Family and this storied program. That is my challenge and I accept it whole-heartedly."

(On talking to his mentor, Kentucky's John Calipari)
"There hasn't been a major decision in my life personally and professionally, since I've known Coach Cal, that I haven't seeked his advice. As successful as he has been, I wouldn't be very smart if I didn't do that. He knows what a special place Auburn University is. The advice he gave me as I was going through the process was that if you can get the Auburn job you run there. So that tells you what his affection is for this place. For me it was very quickly learned why he understood the potential in this program."

(On closing the gap on Kentucky)
"There's one way you get to the top: You go after the people that are at the top, and right now that's where Kentucky sits. That was our challenge in Conference USA. And we didn't hesitate to go in the backyard and get some players that I thought could have played at Memphis, could have played anywhere in any league in the country. That's why we had the success that we had this year, and finally overtook Memphis in Conference USA."

(On telling Calipari he's gunning for him)
"Absolutely. I told him that same thing when I left his staff and went to UTEP. We laughed, we joked, but he knew I was serious. There's one thing he knows about me, that I'm a competitive you know what. But I know the same thing about him. I'm not backing down from him, he's not backing down from me, but that'll never affect our friendship, our relationship and the passion that we have for one another."

(On not having stepped foot in Auburn before taking the job)
"This is the second job in a row that I have taken without visiting. My wife doesn't appreciate that, but for me it is not about the bricks and the mortar. It is about people. From getting to know Jay (Jacobs) in a very short period of time, his staff and the people I've met today, there is a passion for this great university. It is my job to extend that passion to the men's basketball program. It is a challenge, but that has been the challenge everywhere that I have been. I look forward to taking on that challenge."

(On his preferred style of play)
"My style is based around one word, that's pressure. We're going to oppose pressure to our opposing team for 40 minutes starting on the defensive end of the floor. That's where you win and compete for championships, on the defensive end of the floor. I believe in a man-to-man, hard-nosed, in your face, 40 minutes full-court selectively, when you can, (defense). I want to create a lot of our offense off of our defense. We'll play an up-tempo style that's fun and exciting for the team to play, fun and exciting for the fans to watch, but it's not helter-skelter. It's not run and gun. There's a discipline you have to have to play at a pace I want to play at while limiting your turnovers. You have to be disciplined. At the same time, any good coach is going to base his style around the personnel he has at the time and that's part of the evaluation process I'm going to have to go through initially to figure out if we can employ this style immediately or is it going to take time to build, but that's part of the process that I'm going to have to go through."

(On if there's significance in being the basketball program's first black head coach)
"Absolutely there is. Very similar to the significance of me being the first African American coach at UTEP, with the Glory Road tradition and the background. And it's very similar here. And I'm very honored and privileged and humbled to be the first African American coach here at Auburn. And I know what it means to this community, but at the end of the day, this is about the success we're going to have in this community on the court and in the class room."

Athletics director JAY JACOBS:

(On when he knew he was going to hire Barbee)
“The first few minutes of the interview — it was unbelievable. You knew he was the right guy, the right fit for this basketball team. I told (the team) that I was going to hire the best guy for them. When we sat and visited with Tony, it was obvious very early in the process that he shared the same values that the Auburn family shares, he has a passion and he hates to lose. He's very focused on the student-athlete graduating. He embraced the Auburn creed and working and hard work. All those things -- he laid out in his plan."

(On Barbee's $1.5 million annual salary)
“I think he deserves it and I think he’s going to earn his living. It’s the right thing for Auburn, it’s the right thing for this team. I believe I said in our last sit down was that we were going to pay the market value to get a great basketball coach and that’s what we did.”

Guard FRANKIE SULLIVAN

(On the process of changing coaches)
"It's been tough because at any point in time, we didn't know what was going on, we didn't know what was going to happen in your next point of life. Just be patient, that's what Bernard Hill and Mr. Jacobs told us because they're going to hire the best candidate, not just any candidate, the best candidate. I think they went out and did that."

(On if he'll fit in well with Barbee's style)
"I think I'll fit in real well. In high school I was a pressure team, run and gun but also disciplined. Not taking any shot, but taking the shot the team wanted. Being unselfish -- unselfish is a great thing to have on the team. I think we have great players on our team now that's going to play that way. Coach is going to instill discipline in us and I think that's going to work out for us in the end."

(On Barbee's enthusiasm)
“Anybody that’s ambitious for us, I like. Anybody that supports Auburn family is a great guy or a great person. I think he’s going to instill that into the fan base and get some wins.”

You're looking live from the still-under-construction Auburn Arena, where Tony Barbee is being officially introduced as the Tigers' head coch.

Here's what's happened so far:

• We're underway. Athletics director Jay Jacobs is here introducing Barbee.

• Said it was apparent within the first few minutes of the interview that Barbee was the choice for Auburn.

• "It was a tough decision, but an easy decision," Jacobs said.

• "War Eagle!" Barbee said. "I learn quickly, don't I."

• Said it was difficult to leave UTEP. "It's all about family. But when I looked at Auburn and I looked at this wonderful university, first class, when I looked at this wonderful community, first class, when I looked at this beautiful arean, wow, when I looked at all of those things, that hard decision became very, very easy to make."

• Wants to make this the best basketball university in the state of Alabama.

• "Jay, I won't disappoint."

• "Auburn athletics is about winning championships. It is my responsibility to live up to that bar that has been raised by all the athletic programs at this great university."

• Just referenced Sonny Smith, Chuck Person, Wesley Person and Charles Barkley. Somebody must have given him a media guide.

• "There is a precedent here that this has been done before. And you look at the Auburn Arena, why can't it be done again. That's why I'm here."

• "No one is going to out-work my staff. No one is going to out-work my team."

• Call the Auburn Arena the finest arena in the SEC, "if not the country." Says it shows the school's commitment to the basketball program.

• "My commitment to you is to take it to heights that it has never been before."

• Promises an exciting style of basketball. Fun for fans, players.

• He's made the postseason 18 of 19 years as a player or coach. "And I'm mad as heck about that one year."

• Promises a team that plays deep into March.

• To the returning players: "We're going to have a lot of fun."

• Wants people to say about his team: "That's the hardest playing team I've seen."

• "I've never been afraid of working hard."

• Plans to contact the incoming recruiting class soon.

• "Let's all get on the train. Let's all enjoy the ride."

• Two most difficult things to do: scheduling and recruiting. "We're going to go after and we're going to attract the best players in the country. The best. That fit with me. That fit with Auburn University and the Auburn family and what it stands for. We're not going to be afraid to go after the best players anywhere in the country."

• Will be recruiting the media for exposure, the community for support, the students. "My responsibility is to re-kindle that love affair."

• Immediate goal is focus on returning players. "Change is never easy." He's evaluating them to see if they're the right fit for him, too. "It's a challenge I'll take on."

• Scheduling philosophy: "It's about getting into that NCAA tournament."

• On John Calipari: "He's my mentor. He'll always be my coach."

• "We're going right after Kentucky and right after Coach Calipari. It's not an easy thing to do, but once we catch him, guess where we'll be?"

• "Hasn't been a major decision that I made in my job."

• "The advice he gave to me, if you can get the Auburn job, you run there."

• Has not visited Auburn before taking the job. This is the second time he's done that.

• "My style is based around one word: that's pressure. We're going to apply pressure for 40 minutes. And that starts on defense."

• "It's not helter skelter. It's not run-n-gun. There's a discipline that you have to have."

• Hard to pinpoint when he knew he would take the job.

• On the subject of not being able to win at a football school: "I'd say, why can't you?" He thinks it's his job to embrace Auburn's football success. He cites Florida as an example of how you can win at a football school.

• He challenged the students to embrace the program. "We need you."

Auburn has agreed to pay new basketball coach Tony Barbee $1.5 million annually over six years, according to a letter of understanding released by the school this afternoon.

Here are some of the finer points:

• Barbee becomes the head coach effective today.

• His total yearly compensation is $1.5 million. That's $225,000 for a base salary. Endorsements, radio, television, Internet rights, fund-raising and personal appearances account for the other $1.275 million.

• The contract's term will be six years.

• He is eligible for academic and performance bonuses on top of his $1.5 million income.

• He is in charge of assembling a staff of assistants.

• He'll get two dealer cars or two car allowances equal to five percent of his salary.

You're obviously wondering where that puts Barbee in the SEC pecking order for salary. He's fifth. Jeff Lebo, by comparison, made only $750,000 a year, lowest among SEC coaches.

Here's an updated list:

• John Calipari, Kentucky: $3.9 million
• Billy Donovan, Florida: $3.5 million
• Bruce Pearl, Tennessee: $2.4 million
• Anthony Grant, Alabama: $1.8 million
• Barbee, Auburn: $1.5 million
• Mark Fox, Georgia: $1.3 million
• Trent Johnson, LSU: $1.2 million
• Rick Stansbury, Mississippi State: $1.2 million
• Darrin Horn, South Carolina: $1.1 million
• Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt: about $1 million (not subject to public record)
• Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss:$800,000
• John Pelphrey, Arkansas: $795,000

Pretty ingenious of Auburn to hire a basketball coach under the smoke screen of spring football practice beginning. I'll be honest: it blindsided me a little. I didn't think things would wrap up that quickly.

As a result, yesterday was packed full of news. Here's everything you might have missed:

• Auburn's 12-day search to replace Jeff Lebo ended when the Tigers hired Tony Barbee of UTEP. Read the full story here.

• Junior college transfer Cam Newton, the presumed frontrunner in Auburn's quarterback race, spoke to the assembled media for the first time since enrolling in January. Here's that full story.

• If you want to get a sense of what Newton is like, check out this video of the highlights of Wednesday's interview. He is definitely an engaging subject.

• Or if you'd like, you can see him in some brief on-field action in this video shot from practice Wednesday.

• That reminds us, apparently yesterday was the first day of spring football practice. Find out who's off the roster and who will re-evaluated the situation at the end of the semester by clicking here.

• There was so much excess football info that it spilled over into a blog post. Read about those odds and ends by clicking here.

• The Auburn baseball team kept on rolling with an 8-6 win against Alabama in Montgomery in the Capital City Classic. That's seven straight wins for the Tigers.

• And lastly, the men's swimming and diving team will have to wait another day to defend its national title. The 2010 National Championships at Ohio State have been delayed a day because 18 swimmers and one coach were treated for possible gastrointestinal illness. No Auburn athletes were affected. Yup, might want to get that cleared up before anybody gets in a pool.

And while we're blogging a bunch of links, click here to follow the blog on Twitter. Yesterday was a good day for Twitter followers. Let's keep that train a-rollin'.

The blog will be back this evening for Barbee's introductory press conference, so check back later.

And we have the quotes to prove it:

Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs:

“We are thrilled to welcome Tony Barbee into the Auburn Family. Coach Barbee has a vision of competing for championships at Auburn, and the passion to get us there. He is a phenomenal coach, an outstanding recruiter and a fierce competitor. Coach Barbee also shares Auburn values and is the right man to lead our team and represent Auburn University and the Auburn Family. The bottom line is Tony Barbee is a winner. We could not be happier to have him as the new face of Auburn Basketball as we prepare to open a new era in a new arena next season.”

New Auburn coach Tony Barbee:

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the Auburn Family and proud to be the next head coach at Auburn,” Barbee said. “We have challenges in front of us, but we also have great opportunities with everything Auburn has to offer—a great university, outstanding community, tremendous fan support, and a terrific new arena and practice facility. The time is now to take Auburn basketball to new heights.”

Barbee, 38, will be formally introduced as Auburn’s 20th head coach Thursday.

Auburn also sent out this bio box of Barbee:

TONY BARBEE QUICK FACTS

Personal

• Born: Aug. 10, 1971
• Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
• Wife: Holly
• Children: daughter Hayden, son Andrew
• Education: B.A. from Massachusetts (1993)
• Playing Experience: Massachusetts (1989-93)

Coaching Experience

• 1995-96: UMass, Graduate Assistant
• 1996-98: UMass, Assistant
• 1998-99: Wyoming, Assistant
• 1999-00: UMass, Assistant
• 2000-06: Memphis, Assistant
• 2006-10: UTEP, Head Coach

Head Coaching Record

• 2006-07: 14-17, 6-10, C-USA/10th
• 2007-08: 19-14, 8-8, C-USA/t-6th
• 2008-09: 23-14, 10-6, C-USA/t-4th
• 2009-10: 26-7, 15-1, C-USA/1st
• Overall: 82-52, 39-25