Sullivan’s role to change as Barbee has seen enough

Photo credit: AP Photo/James Crisp

AUBURN – With Frankie Sullivan continuing to struggle, Auburn coach Tony Barbee is going to change how to he uses his team’s leading scorer.

“He hasn’t been playing well, so I’ve got to do something to get his attention,” Barbee said. “He didn’t play well in the Kentucky game, made some bad decisions offensively and made some bad decisions defensively, so it’s time to look at somebody else at that position.

“He’s still part of the team and part of the lineup and all those things, but he hasn’t been playing well enough to warrant the minutes or opportunities that he’s been getting.”

Sullivan scored just eight points against Kentucky on Saturday, his second straight game in single-figures, and did not play the final 10:19. With the Tigers trailing by just four with 13:56 to go, Sullivan had a costly turnover at the top of the arc and Kyle Wiltjer went the length of the floor for the layup but Sullivan wrapped him up with a hard foul.

“I’ve never been a dirty player, I don’t ascribe to be a dirty player, I just went for the ball,” Sullivan said. “It seems like a hard foul. I went back and watched it and it looked like I went for the ball. (…) I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I wouldn’t dare end nobody career especially going through what I went through with injuries so I know how it feels.”

Barbee had a stern talk with Sullivan following the play and took him out momentarily but then sat him for the final 10:19.

“I don’t think he was mad about the foul, it’s just the fact that I turned the ball over,” Sullivan said. “Coach, he was just disappointed in my play and my performance and not so much of the foul.”

Barbee was and is disappointed in his star’s play, most so because he knows Sullivan has learned all the lessons he’s been harping on over the course of his five year career. Barbee can’t stomach watching Sullivan allow an offensive slump affect the rest of his game.

“You would expect that from a freshman to let an offensive slump affect other parts of your game, because they’re still learning the game and trying to understand it. But for a guy like Frankie, who’s in his fifth year, he’s beyond learning lessons,” Barbee said. “He knows what they are. He knows if his offense isn’t going, he knows he can still affect the outcome of the game by other parts of the game, defending, rebounding and doing all the little things. And he hasn’t been doing those things either.”

Barbee said Chris Denson will get more playing time as Sullivan’s role is altered. Denson scored 15 points and was 7-for-10 from the field on Saturday.

“He’s finally got the confidence back in his foot where he’s able to slash and get to the rim and attack,” Barbee said of Denson, who has looked much better as he recovers from a foot stress fracture which cost him four games. “But I think the best part of the game is how he’s affected the game defensively, where he’s really been active guarding the ball. He’s really been alert and aware off the ball.”