Alli Smalley’s seen her face everywhere this offseason.

On promotional posters for the Auburn women’s basketball team, on billboards around town, even on a TV commercial in which she’s greeted by a chorus of “War
Eagles” everywhere she goes on campus.

“It’s been a really cool thing,” Smalley said. “It’s fun because people give me so much crap about it just like the commercialm ‘War Eagle’ all the time. I hear that all the time walking around campus from everyone. People have given me a hard time about that.

“But it’s been fun. And I feel honored that they’re using me for that.”

After averaging 15.7 points per game and sinking 57 3-pointers last season, Smalley is definitely the face of this year’s Auburn Tigers, who open their season tonight at 5 p.m. against Mercer at the new Auburn Arena.

And as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection — not to mention one of only two seniors on the team — Auburn’s fate will rest heavily on her.
Tigers coach Nell Fortner said Smalley has responded to the challenge in the offseason.

“Her shot is still her shot. She can still get it off quick,” Fortner said. “She is still just such a smart player. She can play the one or the two, wherever we need her on the perimeter and that’s nice to have that kind of versatility.”

Auburn returns four starters — Smalley, fellow senior Jordan Greenleaf, Parrisha Simmons and Morgan Toles — from a team that finished 15-16 last year, including a 5-11 mark in the SEC.

So while the team looks young class-wise, Fortner feels like she’s got a good deal more experience coming back than she had last year.

Auburn was picked to finish sixth in the SEC preseason polls.

Fortner expects more from this group.

“I’d really like to see us get back up in that upper-echelon, and I would call that the top four in this conference,” Fortner said. “Whether that’s realistic or not right now, I don’t know. I think that we’re working hard enough to have that happen. It’s just seeing how the team chemistry develops.”

The Tigers are also introducing five new freshmen into the equation, including three that stand taller than 6-feet:  Peyton Davis (6-5), Tyrese Tanner (6-2) and Jassany Williams (6-2), all-time AHSAA leading scorer Courtney Strain and 5-10 guard Camille Glymph.

With no exhibition tuneups before the regular season, Fortner’s getting her first look at how all these pieces fit together tonight against Mercer.

“This is our first time to open the arena — the excitement that surrounds that — but secondly our first game experience to run out, to warm up in the music, to see the people,” Fortner said. “And we don’t know anything about Mercer. They have a new head coach, a new style of play, and that’s a pretty tough charge to begin with.

“I think we’re all going to be a little anxious, but excited to get it started.”

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