After a long and trying season, the Auburn basketball team is nearing the end of the line.

The 2007-08 basketball season could end as soon as today for the Tigers, who open the Southeastern Conference tournament against Vanderbilt.

Auburn finished the regular season with a 14-15 record and a 4-12 mark in the SEC. It’s the Tigers’ fourth consecutive losing record in SEC play under head coach Jeff Lebo.

But it’s unlikely that the 2007-08 Tigers will be remembered for their record.

All season, talk about the Auburn basketball team has revolved around the roster, and how injuries and other problems have left Lebo with a small lineup and a slim bench.

The litany is familiar: Forward Josh Dollard has missed the entire season with what the school says are “medical issues.” Center Vot Barber missed the entire SEC season with a broken hand. Guard Archie Miaway has been academically ineligible all year.

Freshman center Boubacar Sylla played all of 13 minutes before being sidelined by a stress reaction in his foot.

The absence of Barber and Dollard, AU’s top post players, has been the biggest blow. Without them, Lebo has had to rely on 6-foot-4 Frank Tolbert and 6-foot-8 Quan Prowell, both natural perimeter players, to play the post.

It hasn’t always been successful, and it hasn’t ever been easy. But the two seniors have stepped up.

Over the last 10 games, Prowell is averaging a team-best 16.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. Tolbert — currently ranked 18th on the school’s career scoring list — follows with 16.5 points and five rebounds per game over that stretch.

There’s just one catch: AU is 2-8 in its last 10 games.

But Prowell and Tolbert are still working hard.

Auburn’s season is over with its next loss: The Tigers’ only postseason hope is to win the SEC Tournament, a feat that can charitably be described as nearly impossible.

But that hasn’t slowed down either senior. They’re playing for their own legacies, and for pride.

“I think it’s become clear to us that there isn’t a next year, so the last few games you want to go out with a bang,” Prowell said. “You just don’t want to coast it out.”

Tolbert agreed.

“It’s coming to an end, and it got here so fast that it’s just you want to play your best ball and just leave it all out on the floor every night,” he said. “For us there’s no next year.

“So we’re trying to do what we can for right now, just trying to win some games.”

Today’s game begins at 2:15 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports Southeast (Channel 26 in Lee County).

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Auburn vs. No. 18 Vanderbilt

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.

When: 2:15 p.m.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net (Channel 36) / 97.7 FM

Records: Auburn 14-15 (4-12 SEC), Vanderbilt 25-6 (10-6 SEC)

Scouting Report: Auburn, the sixth seed in the SEC West, opens the SEC Tournament against East No. 2 seed Vanderbilt. AU is 2-10 since Jan. 26, including a 78-71 loss at Vanderbilt on Feb. 2. The winner of today’s game plays West No. 2 seed Arkansas at 2:15 p.m. Friday.

Projected Starters, Arkansas: PG Jermaine Beal, 6-3 So. (7.7 points, 4.6 assists per game); SG Alex Gordon, 6-0 Sr. (10.5 points, 3.2 assists); SF Shan Foster, 6-6 Sr. (20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds); PF Ross Neltner, 6-9 Sr. (8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds); C A.J. Ogilvy, 6-11 Fr. (16.7 points, 6.8 rebounds)

Projected Starters, Auburn: PG Quantez Robertson, 6-3 Jr. (7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds); G Rasheem Barrett, 6-5 Jr. (13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds); G Frank Tolbert, 6-4 Sr. (13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds); F Lucas Hargrove, 6-6 So. (7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds); F Quan Prowell, 6-8 Sr. (15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds)