Coffee and Magnolia: 7 July 2015

BASKETBALL

The Bruce Pearl Effect is real, y'all! Auburn's average attendance rose considerably this past season. It wasn't just the coach, either. It was the product the team put on the court and their refusal to quit.

FOOTBALL

The AL.com VIP 25 has another running back at the #5 position. This time it's the player that many expects will be the starter and workhorse for the season.

What are the biggest games of the 2015 season? AL.com ranks them all.

Auburn's on the SEC Ultimate Road Trip, again. Week 10 is the Texas A&M game. It will be an interesting match-up of defenses. Yes, I said defenses. We'll see who made the biggest hire on the defensive side of the football. I have a feeling we'll already have a good idea by Week 10, but this is the game where their teams will face off.

There are a few graduate transfers in the SEC this season. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Auburn all picked up a big addition to their teams with the graduate transfers.

Auburn made the Sporting News' list of teams who need to make a big splash in September. Auburn opens with Louisville and has LSU in Baton Rouge two weeks later. Winning those two games could go a long way to setting the stage for the rest of the season.

The official site has a real nice profile of former Tiger defensive back Zach Gilbert.