Game Notes and What To Watch For as No. 12 Kentucky, No. 2 Auburn prepare to clash

AUBURN – It’s game day. No. 12 Kentucky (15-3, 5-1) comes to town to face No. 2 Auburn (17-1, 6-0). It’s the first meeting of top-12 teams in the history of Auburn Arena. With a win, Auburn will very likely be the No. 1 team in Associated Press poll when it’s released on Monday. More importantly, it would give the Tigers a two-game lead on Kentucky, and a three-game lead on nearly everyone else.

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With the best resume in college basketball, the No. 2 Auburn Tigers will host No. 12 Kentucky Saturday before a nationally televised audience. It will be the 10th sellout this season of Auburn Arena and the 50th in the 12-year history of the facility. In fact, if Auburn actually released people in the building, it’s sure to be the largest crowd inside Auburn Arena to watch a basketball game. Standing room is sure to be three to four people deep.

Auburn was previously ranked a program-best No. 2 in both national polls in 1959 and 1999 (twice). The Tigers earned 36 first-place votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll, while No. 1 Gonzaga received 25. It was just a four-point difference between first (1,486 points) and second (1,482 points).

AU has won 14-straight games, tied with Davidson as the longest active win streak in the country.

The Tigers are off to a 6-0 SEC start for only the second time in program history matching a 6-0 start during the 1958-59 season, where the Tigers went 12-0 to start conference play.

Auburn has won 14-consecutive at home, the sixth-longest home winning streak in program history and second longest in Auburn Arena history (19 from 2019-20).

AU is one of only seven teams in the nation to currently rank in the Top 20 in offensive (No. 15) and defensive efficiency (No. 8) in the KenPom Ratings.

In SEC play, sophomore Wendell Green Jr. is leading the Tigers in scoring (15.8), assists (5.7) and is third in rebounding (4.2) despite being the shortest player on the roster (5-11).

Auburn is one of just three teams in the country with one loss on the season next to Arizona (14-1) and Colorado State (14-1). 

WILDCAT WATCH

Kentucky has won four consecutive and eight of nine, averaging 88.6 ppg in those wins.

The Wildcats are led by junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who leads the SEC in rebounding (14.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (.616) and is fourth in the league in scoring (16.1 ppg).

UK leads the SEC in scoring (82.9 ppg), scoring margin (+20.1), field goal percentage (.498), rebounds (42.4 rpg), rebounding margin (+13.67) and assists (17.2 apg).

INSIDE THE SERIES

In the all-time series with Kentucky, the Wildcats lead, 96-22. In the last 10 meetings, the series is tied, 5-5. The two teams split last year’s meetings with Auburn winning 66-59 in Auburn Arena on Jan. 16, 2021. The Tigers have won four of the last five meetings against Kentucky in Auburn Arena.

Head Coach Bruce Pearl is also 9-16 all-time against Kentucky, including a 5-7 mark at Auburn. Pearl’s five wins against the Wildcats in the last six years mark Auburn’s win total against UK in the previous 28 years (1988-2016). 

BALANCED ATTACK IN SEC PLAY

Off to a 6-0 start in SEC play, the Tigers have four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr.’s 15.8 points per game. Also averaging double figures in conference games are Jabari Smith (15.2 ppg), K.D. Johnson (12.2 ppg) and Walker Kessler (11.8 ppg).

The last time AU had four players average in double figures in SEC play was the 2008-09 season (DeWayne Reed, 13.6 ppg; Korvotney Barber, 12.8 ppg; Tay Waller, 12.1 ppg; Rasheem Barrett, 11.9 ppg)

SCORING IN BUNCHES

Auburn has scored 80 or more points in its last five SEC games (82.0 ppg), the first time it has accomplished the feat since the 1998-99 season when it scored 80-95-102-81-88 (89.2 ppg) in a five-game stretch from Feb. 6-24 (4-1 record).

PLAYER TO WATCH: WENDELL GREEN JR.

Sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr. has played a large part in the Tigers’ 6-0 start in SEC play, coming off the bench to lead Auburn in scoring during conference action, averaging 15.8 points a game and a team-best 4.2 assists per game. Scoring in double figures in 10 straight games, the Detroit native is also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in SEC games.