Justin Ferguson
@auburnobserver.com
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man, RIP to two legends in one week
about 20 hours ago
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haven’t been on this site in a couple of months for various reasons but I know that a number of the good Auburn fans (and Observer subscribers) do, so, for you guys… the mailbag’s back, send me your questions if you’ve got them and we’ll run the answers on Friday
www.auburnobserver.com
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The Auburn Observer | Justin Ferguson | Substack
Deep dives into the stats, strategies and stories of Auburn basketball and football. Click to read The Auburn Observer, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
https://www.auburnobserver.com
4 days ago
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Fin.
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Episode 565: No Picnic
Justin and Dan break down Auburn basketball's rock-bottom home loss to Ole Miss and try to make sense of the Tigers' February fall.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-ole-miss-basketball-recap-podcast-steven-pearl-2026
2 months ago
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Observations: Ole Miss 85, Auburn 79 - Auburn’s defense made Ole Miss look like Michigan (statistically speaking) - yet another game where the Tigers didn’t win down low - it’s getting easier and easier to slow down this offense - Rotation Charts - Quote of the Night
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Observations: Ole Miss 85, Auburn 79
The Tigers ended a meltdown month of February with by far their worst loss. Now they're on the outside, with only themselves to blame.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/observations-ole-miss-85-auburn-79
2 months ago
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believe the MWC has been the most fun hoops conference to watch for years now
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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The Stretch 4: no sugarcoating it… this is a must-win rematch with Ole Miss for Auburn tonight - once again: defend — or die - get back to taking control in the frontcourt - find your way back to the free-throw line - there could be an edge in the 3-point battle (yes, really)
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The Stretch 4: It's a must-win rematch with Ole Miss for Auburn
The Tigers *need* back-to-back victories to stay in the NCAA Tournament picture. It starts with trying to hand Ole Miss an 11th straight loss.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-ole-miss-basketball-preview-2026-bubble-watch-must-win
2 months ago
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the folks at the little-known, under-the-radar Coca-Cola Company have done it with this one
2 months ago
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in this week’s mailbag: - what’s the realistic path to an NCAA Tournament bid for Auburn now? - why has the defense been like this? - looking back at this roster construction — and ahead to next season - Steven Pearl as a head coach - my rankings of every SEC basketball venue
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Mailbag 240: What is Auburn's path to an NCAA Tournament bid?
This week: DEFENSE, Steven Pearl, roster construction, the 7-man rotation, the transfer portal and ranking every SEC arena
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-basketball-ncaa-tournament-projections-odds-bubble-mailbag
2 months ago
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Observations: Oklahoma 91, Auburn 79 - the good defensive performances are now the outliers - Auburn lost down low when it mattered the most - sloppy, stubborn offense prevented the usual comeback - “Everyone’s tired at this time of year.”
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Observations: Oklahoma 91, Auburn 79
The Tigers didn't do the things they said — and knew — they needed to do to beat the Sooners. Now they're on full-blown Bubble Watch.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-oklahoma-basketball-2026-recap-analysis-observations-stats
2 months ago
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flew into DFW last night instead of Oklahoma to save some cash stayed in Denton, so I asked Auburn’s SID who used to be at UNT where I should eat lunch before I left he gave a recommendation that was absolutely perfect for two of my biggest interests: Mexican food and wrestling El Taco H = 🔥🔥🔥
2 months ago
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Auburn’s thriller of a win over Kentucky kept the Tigers on the right side of the bubble, but there’s work to do it continues tonight at Oklahoma — where, looking at the matchup, Auburn needs to stick to the team defense + inside game formula that has gotten it several SEC wins
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After beating UK, Auburn basketball has to stay 'desperate' at OU
Saturday's thriller kept the Tigers on the right side of the bubble, but there's work to do. And Auburn knows what it will take to win again.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-oklahoma-basketball-preview-2026-analysis-stats-matchup
2 months ago
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[independent sportswriter voice] paying a little more for an exit row seat on Frontier remains the best value in air travel
3 months ago
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Auburn needed a hero to beat Kentucky and save its basketball season KeShawn Murphy was that hero, setting new career-highs in points (25) and offensive rebounds (8) while being quite impactful on the defensive end of the floor it's time for a Film Room: INTO THE SPIDER-MURPH
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Film Room: Into the Spider-Murph
Auburn needed a hero to beat Kentucky and save its season. KeShawn Murphy was that hero. Here's a deep dive into his career night.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/keshawn-murphy-auburn-basketball-spider-man-film-room-kentucky
3 months ago
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almost done with another rewatch of Friday Night Lights, and my hatred of Julie Taylor grows with each one
3 months ago
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Observations: Auburn 75, Kentucky 74 - you’ve gotta start with the defense in this one - even before the game-winner, Elyjah Freeman came up big - KeShawn Murphy bounced back with a vengeance - Keyshawn Hall didn’t need to score to affect this game - Rotation Charts - Nerd Stats
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Observations: Auburn 75, Kentucky 74
A last-second tip-in ended a long losing streak, kept Auburn on the right side of the bubble and snatched another memorable win over Kentucky.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-kentucky-basketball-2026-recap-analysis-elyjah-freeman-winner
3 months ago
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reposted by
Justin Ferguson
Hatin’ Ass Brian
3 months ago
dawg🥹
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wheel snipe celly boys 🇺🇸
3 months ago
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✌️ well, that was a wild one Observations from Auburn’s last-second win vs. Kentucky coming to subscribers at 6 a.m. CT podcast with @dnpck to follow later Sunday and we’ve got a Film Room in the works for Monday join us and get it all emailed to you:
auburnobserver.com
3 months ago
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a Saturday morning sports card snag
3 months ago
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Steven Pearl pointed out two main issues that Auburn really needs to fix in order to end this losing streak: - letting top guards beat you (especially from 3) - getting off to slow starts and, as it turns out, those are going to be even bigger in a matchup vs. Kentucky tonight
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The two biggest problems Auburn basketball has to fix vs. Kentucky
In order to snap this losing streak and get a much-needed win, the Tigers can't let the Wildcats capitalize on these two problem areas.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-kentucky-basketball-preview-keys-matchup-2026-autlive
3 months ago
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Arrested Development S2E4: “Good Grief”
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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Observations: Mississippi State 91, Auburn 85 - new lows in defending a scoring guard and the 3-point line - the late-game failures on both ends of the floor - another impressive comeback… but yet another brutal start - Rotation Charts - Nerd Stats - Quote of the Night
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Observations: Mississippi State 91, Auburn 85
Nothing about this fifth straight loss came out of nowhere for the Tigers. It was just filled with extreme examples of their major issues.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-mississippi-state-basketball-analysis-recap-josh-hubbard-2026
3 months ago
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ruined an entire musical experience for my wife by asking these questions the entire ride home
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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happy Mardi Gras, I made pastalaya
3 months ago
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despite four straight Ls, Auburn basketball is still unanimously projected to make the NCAA Tournament — and the vast majority of bracketologists have them decently off the bubble but the Tigers need to get winning again to stay there, starting with a big one at State this week
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How close is Auburn to the NCAA Tournament bubble right now?
While the Tigers have lost four straight, they're still unanimously projected to make it to the Dance. But what will they have to do to lock it down?
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-basketball-ncaa-tournament-projections-bubble-watch-2026
3 months ago
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slaps, bangs, whips, thumps, etc.
3 months ago
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Observations: Arkansas 88, Auburn 75 - the impact of no Keyshawn Hall - Auburn needed more from others, especially to start the 2nd half - paint battle flipped in a big way from the first matchup - if Tahaad Pettiford can keep this up… - and the same goes for KeShawn Murphy…
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Observations: Arkansas 88, Auburn 75
Down their leading scorer for disciplinary reasons, the Tigers got a lot from some — but not nearly enough from others — in a fourth straight loss.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-arkansas-basketball-2026-keyshawn-hall-steven-pearl-recap
3 months ago
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here in Fayetteville tonight for Auburn basketball’s massive road test at Arkansas for those who have asked: Auburn SF/PF Keyshawn Hall made the trip to Arkansas, despite the fact he’s out for this game
3 months ago
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“yeah, we only do beef ribs on Saturdays” say no more, friend
3 months ago
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becoming a lucha guy in 2026
3 months ago
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news: Auburn leading scorer Keyshawn Hall is officially out for Saturday’s game at Arkansas (the SEC availability report does not list reasons for designations) Hall didn’t play the final 12:38 in Tuesday’s loss to Vanderbilt in what HC Steven Pearl called “a coach’s decision”
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The Stretch 4: Keyshawn Hall is out for Auburn at Arkansas
The Tigers will go for another massive "plus-two" road victory — just without their leading scorer. Here's more on that, plus our full game preview.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-arkansas-basketball-preview-keyshawn-hall-out-steven-pearl
3 months ago
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the second-worst head coach in Alabama Crimson Tide football history
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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we’ve talked to all of Auburn football’s on-field coaches over the last two weeks after going through the notes from each of those interviews, I pulled out 15 different Tigers — most new, some returning — who have made strong first impressions since the calendar flipped to 2026
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First impressions of 15 Tigers on Auburn football's 2026 roster
As the Tigers get closer to their first spring of a new era, here are the players who stood out the most in our conversations with the coaches.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-football-players-to-watch-2026-transfers-breakouts-winter
3 months ago
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Observations: Vanderbilt 84, Auburn 76 - why Keyshawn Hall didn’t play for the final 12:38 - the sequence that killed off Auburn’s comeback - the Tigers have got to make some changes on defense - what can you take away from the offensive performance? - rotation charts and more
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Observations: Vanderbilt 84, Auburn 76
Another slow start, another comeback — this time without their top scorer — that fell short. The Tigers now have to make more changes for the better.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-vanderbilt-basketball-2026-keyshawn-hall-steven-pearl
3 months ago
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playing Kevin Overton at PG when Tahaad Pettiford is on the bench seems like a small change to the rotation but the ripple effect from it could have a lot of impact on Auburn over the final four weeks of the regular season, starting tonight against a great Vanderbilt team here’s how:
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How one rotation change could make a lot of difference for Auburn
By playing Kevin Overton at point guard, Auburn might set off a chain reaction of moves that make sense Tuesday night vs. Vanderbilt.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-basketball-kevin-overton-blake-muschalek-vanderbilt-preview
3 months ago
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at Acre tonight for a very early Valentine’s Day because the rest of our weeks are super busy, so we’re going back-to-back on the S-tier local food
3 months ago
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New England magically scoring right after Seattle went up by three scores, this is every CFB26 game played on Heisman difficulty
3 months ago
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Derick Hall is in like the top 1% of Auburn players I have ever covered, and watching him go off in the Super Bowl is a blast
3 months ago
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Braves winning it all this year
3 months ago
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Bad Bunny knows that ball security is job security
3 months ago
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Cooper Kupp and Bryan Danielson are the most Washington State-looking people alive
3 months ago
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being on a first-name basis with the best food truck in town >>>>>>>>>>>
3 months ago
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reposted by
Justin Ferguson
Jon Bois
3 months ago
60 years ago today, mild-mannered jim bowl was bitten by a radioactive spider
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non-zero chance Kim Mulkey is driving one of these
3 months ago
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Observations: Alabama 96, Auburn 92 - the final two minutes of the first half changed everything - “Our best players have got to be better defenders.” - a bad matchup to not get much from a smaller bench - not perfect, of course, but you’ll take a lot of what you got on offense
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Observations: Alabama 96, Auburn 92
Auburn was up 10 late in the first half. But bad defensive habits returned at the worst time, and the Tigers lost a rivalry shootout it didn't want.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-alabama-basketball-2026-recap-observations-stats-analysis
3 months ago
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it’s game day, it’s Auburn vs. Alabama, it’s The Stretch 4 preview: - defending the trigger-happiest guards in the country - get back to basics at the rim and at the line - gotta grab more of what should be a boatload of rebounds - make the home-court and health advantages count
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The Stretch 4: For Auburn vs. Alabama, styles make rivalry fights
The Tigers got a break they needed before playing their trigger-happy rivals. Here's what you need to know about this Saturday showdown.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/auburn-alabama-baskwtball-preview-2026-charles-bediako-steven-pearl
3 months ago
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like to think I’m adventurous, but not this much
3 months ago
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in this week’s Observer mailbag: - what would be a successful Year 1 for Alex Golesh? - how will Auburn use those TEs? - what about the running schemes? - my favorite Gus Malzahn play call - how to get out of a shooting slump - a column from FOTP’s own Dave McKinney: “The IBOB Makes Me Sick”
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Mailbag 239: What would be a successful Year 1 for Alex Golesh?
This week: Tight ends, run schemes, Gus Malzahn, portal vs. recruiting, shooting slumps, backup PG and "The IBOB Makes Me Sick"
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/alex-golesh-year-1-scheme-auburn-football-alabama-basketball
3 months ago
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this is me working around my overwhelming desire to put the word “piss” in a headline
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Auburn is gonna run the (insert PG-rated word here) out of the ball
Now with four RB1s in the room — along with a prolific runner at QB — Alex Golesh is making it clear what he wants to do at Auburn.
https://www.auburnobserver.com/p/alex-golesh-run-the-piss-out-of-the-ball-auburn-football
3 months ago
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Brody King squashing MJF in a TV main event?
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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