01/16 at 12:20 AM

Ask Joe Ciampi, a man experienced in these types of situations, how to prevent a team from believing its own media-generated hype, and he’ll offer up a simple solution.

Earmuff it.

“In this time of day, there are so many talk shows and media people that sing your praises,” said Ciampi, Auburn’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, who now does color commentary for ESPN. “But where were you when we were .500? Where were you before?

“You’ve got to keep your inner circle and keep them grounded.”

Ciampi had to do his fair share of ground control throughout his 25-year career at Auburn.

He led the Tigers to 17 NCAA tournament appearances, including two trips to the Elite Eight and three berths in the NCAA Championship game. He also mixed in a WNIT Championship on his way to a 568-203 record.

One of his teams, the 1988-89 squad, flirted with perfection, rattling off 28 straight wins to start the season.

The 2008-09 Tigers, currently at 17-0 heading into Sunday’s game at Arkansas, aren’t there yet, but have looked impressive enough to provoke thoughts of a serious run at Ciampi’s streak.

“It’s a blend of good players with a great work ethic, and they’re believing in the coaching system. And that’s what it takes,” Ciampi said. “It might have taken a few bumps in the road to get where they are, but they’re a very good team.”

Coach Nell Fortner concurs.

The fifth-year coach, and Ciampi’s successor, simply replied “yes” when asked if this year’s senior-heavy team has what it takes to win the National Championship.

“It’s got some really good pieces to contend,” she said.

Keeping those pieces in line — getting their absolute best even against inferior opponents – and maintaining a sense of day-by-day urgency is how Ciampi described his role throughout Auburn’s magical run through the late 80s.

Pretty much all of Ciampi’s teams during that time period had the capability of running the table, but it just sort of happened in the 1988-89 season. All of the teams were good, Ciampi said.

And he knew they were good because they consistently beat their SEC opponents, many of which were Top 20 teams during an era where the conference was considered the absolute best in the country.

“You knew you were playing good basketball and you didn’t have a false identity,” Ciampi said. “You knew who you were and that’s what Auburn is going through now.”

It just has yet to walk away a loser — a likely unavoidable hurdle at some point, but a punch that simply has to be rolled with, Ciampi said.

There are two trains of logic when analyzing an undefeated team this late in the season.

One side will say it should continue doing what it’s doing. The other will say it needs to get a loss out of the way before it gets to the point where a single loss ends the season.

Fortner and this year’s Tigers tend to fall into the first group.

“You just keep going out and playing hard,” Fortner said. “We don’t focus on the score, we really don’t. They’ve really done a good job of doing that so I don’t feel any pressure and neither do they.

“We’re just going out and playing and having fun and seeing what happens.”

Any type of perceived “burden” that comes with an extended winning streak is misguided, Ciampi said.

“The good thing about the success right now is you know you’re a good team and you’re winning now and getting ready (for the postseason),” Ciampi said. “I’d rather have a team on a winning streak than a losing streak.”

And it certainly makes it more fun to come to work every day, especially when people start to take notice.

Auburn’s attendance jumped from 1,599 to 6,070 — the seventh highest in Auburn women’s history — in a one-game span. Fortner said “without a doubt” there has never been this much buzz surrounding her team.

It’s likely at a similar clip as it was during the late 80s, when most of Auburn’s attendance records were set.

“You need every little part to help you win in the SEC,” Ciampi said.

Ultimately, though, it will come down to Fortner and her staff’s ability to coach game-by-game and have the team respond in step, Ciampi said.

“You respect everyone. You prepare for everyone,” Ciampi said. “Respect your opponent and make sure your team respects them.

“It’s better being the hunted than the hunter. That means you’ve got a pretty good record.”

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