Jay Bilas names key to an upset for Kentucky vs. No. 1 Auburn

What is it going to take for Kentucky to earn the resume-boosting upset against No. 1 Auburn? There was a consensus on the College GameDay set this morning on ESPN with the conversation anchored by Jay Bilas, who will be on the call this afternoon in Lexington.

It’s not going to be about who wins the three-point battle or takes care of the ball. The winner will come down to physicality and who can play a tougher brand of basketball when the game tips off inside Rupp Arena.

If the Wildcats can do that, they can send the Tigers home with their second loss of conference play and third of the year.

“This game is going to be about physicality. Kentucky has to accept the physical challenge that Auburn is going to present,” Bilas said Saturday morning. “They’re going to have to be physical on block-outs, they’re going to have to move bodies, they’re going to have to be physical on catches. Kentucky is going to have to be physical on the offensive end. If they’re not physical, their schemes don’t matter, their five-out doesn’t matter, their splits on post catches aren’t going to matter. It’s going to be about physicality.

“Auburn is a really physical team. They like to switch things, so Kentucky is going to have to be alert to that with their slip. They like to top-lock, they’re going to top-lock Koby Brea, he’s going to have to be prepared for that. You’re going to have to run through your cuts. They’re going to have to be physical from the opening tip if they want to beat the No. 1 Auburn Tigers.”

Fellow GameDay panelists Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg addressed the must-see matchup between Amari Williams and Johni Broome in the frontcourt, as well, two players that will directly impact the battle of physicality.

Then there is the Otega Oweh conversation, the star guard coming off a career performance at Oklahoma just three days ago. Can the Tigers slow him down?

“Like (Bilas) just talked about guys, it’s the physicality. I think it’s going to be important. We think about Kentucky’s two-point defense, it ranks toward the bottom third of the country, right?” Williams said. “Johni Broome is averaging 21 points over the last five games — he’s an absolute dog, and they play through him. For Auburn, you have to run Kentucky off the three-point line, because 37 percent of their points come from the three-point line. They have to play a prolific game and I think their guard play has to be elite against their pressure.”

“I think it’s going to come down to (Amari) Williams and (Johni) Broome,” Greenberg added. “Because both of these teams — Kentucky plays through Williams, Auburn plays through Broome. They’re going to have the ball away from the basket with back-downs and isolations. If one of those guys can get the other guy in foul trouble, there is a problem. There’s an absolute problem. Watching that matchup, that game within the game between those two. And (Otega) Oweh and (Lamont) Butler, they are dogs. Can this Auburn team keep the biggest dog, Oweh, who scored the last 18 points against Oklahoma, out of the lane? Those are the two things I’m watching for.”

We’ll find out at 1 PM ET when No. 17 Kentucky tips off against No. 1 Auburn inside Rupp Arena, live on ABC.