AU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Fortner: Tigers won't be victims of letdown tonight

Nell Fortner’s two cell phones haven’t stopped buzzing since Sunday’s big-time win over big-time Tennessee.

From the big, important people in Governor Bob Riley’s office to the everyday people in towns so “itty bitty” that they make Alli Smalley’s hometown of Arab “look like Birmingham,” the fifth-year coach has heard it all.

And, of course, it’s all been overwhelmingly positive.

“We worked really hard to get this program to this point and beyond,” Fortner said.

But just when the final syllable of “beyond” rolls off her tongue, Fortner shifts gears faster than the Tigers ran by Tennessee on fastbreak after fastbreak.

“Now it’s back to work,” Fortner said. “Now it’s on to Georgia.”

Yes, the Lady Bulldogs, who are coming off wins against nationally ranked Vanderbilt and Alabama on the road and who have won eight straight over the Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum.

The mitigating circumstances certainly merit the suggestion that the 20-0, fifth-ranked Tigers could be ripe for a letdown.

Fortner agreed that such thoughts were plausible, but misguided when directed toward her senior-laden team.

“Two years ago when your best players are sophomores, they don’t have that hunger factor yet,” Fortner said. “With the seniors right now, they’re so very focused. It’s easy for them to come to work hard every day and play hard and do everything they can to win games.”

“I don’t see a letdown.”

If anything, the national fallout from the Tigers’ win over the now No. 13 Lady Vols, whom they beat for the first time since 1997, did nothing but prove that they haven’t made it all the way under the spotlight.

In both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ polls, Auburn moved up just one spot, a jump that would have happened no matter whom the Tigers played, as previously No. 2 North Carolina lost three consecutive games in a seven-day stretch.

Auburn and No. 1 UConn are the lone remaining undefeated teams, but national coverage has predominantly focused on the longtime juggernaut Huskies.

“We aren’t getting too much attention,” forward Trevesha Jackson said. “Yesterday, I was watching TV and they were saying UConn should be No. 1 and No. 2. I’m glad we’re the underdogs. No one is really talking about us much right now.“

Fortner dispelled talk about national rankings and perception almost as fast the whole “letdown” thing. She’s not even thinking about how it could affect the Tigers when seeds are doled out for the NCAA tournament.

“I’m not even going to worry about that when it gets there. I’m still hoping we make the NCAA Tournament,” said Fortner, whose current team has already matched last year’s win total. The 2007-08 squad was Fortner’s first NCAA tournament team at Auburn.

“I know that sounds crazy. Maybe the day of when we’re waiting to see the bracket?”

Long-term, Auburn shouldn’t have anything to worry about. But short-term? Perhaps, but that’s only if the Tigers stop doing what they’ve been doing.

“We just got to keep trucking now,” senior DeWanna Bonner said. “We like being the quiet storm, just kind of working our way up. As long as we keep playing ball, we’ll continue to move up.”