For yesterday’s game I wished that the team would be ready, play well and play hard. They did. I wished that the zebras would be neutral. They weren’t – Auburn shot three times (!) as many free throws as UK.

I forgot to wish that our team would stay healthy, stay uninjured. They didn’t, and those injuries plus the awful foul-calling was the difference.

I love college basketball, but when the refs let one team beat up the other, it’s not much fun. Auburn’s big guy would have fouled out twice in an objective forum. Tough to watch.

The only silver lining is it’s clear that when healthy, we can beat anyone. It was clear that we were the better team until Washington went down. Even after that, it was stalemate with UK playing five against eight.

But a loss is a loss. Auburn will now be number one in the SEC and the nation, and we’re trying to get everyone healthy. It’s a better season than last year, but not yet a return to glory.