AUBURN — Handling business in its midweek game with a 30-point beatdown of Ole Miss, top-ranked Auburn is one step closer to clinching at least a share of the SEC regular-season title, but it must do something it hasn’t in 37 years – beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
With three games left remaining on their regular-season slate, the Tigers could clinch a share of the SEC title with an Alabama loss at Tennessee on Saturday. Additionally, a Tiger victory and a loss by the Crimson Tide would secure the outright title for Auburn.
It would be the fifth regular-season championship in program history.
“I feel like it’s very important,” said Auburn guard Denver Jones. “This will be my first time playing at Rupp. Always seen it on T.V. I can’t wait to go in there, execute the game plan and just keep making history with this team.”
No. 17 Kentucky comes into the matchup having won four of its last six and has seven top 15 wins this season. The Wildcats are 14-2 at Rupp Arena with both losses in SEC play against Alabama and Arkansas.
Posing a big threat offensively, the Wildcats boast the third-best scoring offense in the country with 85.6 points per game – the fourth team Auburn has played that is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense. Kentucky is 26th nationally with 9.9 3-pointers per outing while shooting at a 37.6% clip from long range this season, 27th nationally.
The Wildcats have five players currently averaging double figures, led by junior guard Otega Oweh, who has 16.1 points per game. He is coming off a 28-point outing and a game-winner at Oklahoma on Wednesday night.
“I mean, he's a monster. Oweh is a very tough cover. He can get downhill. He can make tough twos. He gets to the foul line the fifth- or sixth-most of any guard in our league. Not fouling him is difficult. He can make a 3-point shot. He'll make incredible defensive plays, blocking shots. He's got that next-level athleticism that is a reason,” Pearl said.
The Tigers haven’t taken down a Kentucky squad at its home arena since Sonny Smith led Auburn to a 53-52 win in 1988. It was the second, and last, time Auburn has won in Lexington.
But this year the Tigers have a different weapon on their side – Johni Broome. Against a Kentucky defense that has struggled defending opposing big men inside, Broome – coming off a 24-point performance against Ole Miss on Wednesday and becoming the 86th player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to eclipse 2,500 career points in his collegiate career – is looking to feast on the inside against a defense that allows its opponents to hit 43% of their shots.
“Johni is one of our guys that, even though he's our best player and he's our Player of the Year, his upside is our upside. When he plays like this, we get to a different level,” Pearl said.
Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. on ABC.
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