SEC Tournament: Dream Still Alive For Auburn, Nothing to Lose vs. Kentucky

Auburn faces Kentucky in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament Saturday. With nothing to lose, can the Tigers continue their shocking tourney run?

Auburn Tigers (15-19, 4-14) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (32-0, 18-0)

Date: Saturday March 14, 2015
Start Time: 12:00 PM Central
Location: Nashville, TN
Arena: Bridgestone Arena
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN3.com
Odds (VegasInsider.com): Kentucky (-23)

The crowd was behind the Auburn Tigers Friday night in Bridgestone Arena. Sure, there were pockets of blue and orange, but the largest contingent with the loudest voices came from Kentucky’s Big Blue Nation, which has bombarded Nashville this week for the SEC Tournament.

Mar 13, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers guard KT Harrell (1) shoots over LSU Tigers forward Jarell Martin (1) during the second half to send the game to overtime of the third round of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky fans became Auburn fans Friday as the Tigers scratched and clawed their way to a dramatic 73-70 overtime victory over LSU. But don’t expect any of them to still be Auburn fans Saturday when the Tigers face the 32-0 Wildcats.

As for the game itself, it makes no sense to preview the rosters or the individual matchups.

It’s David vs. Goliath.

An Unstoppable Force and Immoveable Object against a team that was 4-14 in the SEC in the regular season and lost 110-75 when they last met.

A team of All-Americans and future NBA Lottery picks versus a team of transfers and walk-ons.

A starting lineup that consists of three players 6-foot-10 or taller and no one under 6-foot-6 against the shortest roster in the SEC, second shortest among all Power 5 programs that got even shorter with the Friday ejection of Jordon Granger.

An Auburn basketball program that hasn’t beat Kentucky in their last 17 attempts over a period of 15 years.

But isn’t that what March Madness is all about?

“Everybody in March is looking for Cinderella stories, and for us to be playing in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament is special,” Auburn Basketball coach Bruce Pearl said after Friday’s upset.

“The lesson to be learned is don’t quit, don’t give up. The kids kept believing in themselves, believing in me and my coaching staff and might have finished this season and not won a game and not been rewarded. But they just stayed together.”

Auburn has now won three games in a row – the second longest winning streak of the year. They’ve trailed at halftime in all three games, and they didn’t hold a lead against LSU Friday until overtime.

“Nobody expected us to be here,” Herrell said Friday.

After a disappointing regular season, the Tigers have picked up a huge amount of momentum in the SEC Tournament. Auburn basketball is currently a national story.

Can they find a way to beat Kentucky in what is essentially a home game? The odds are certainly against a Tigers’ victory. But, they’ve got nothing to lose.

Auburn

#5 Cinmeon Bowers, F, Jr., 6-foot-7, 278 pounds, 12.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG
#14 Antoine Mason, G, Sr., 6-foot-1, 216 pounds, 14.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG
#23 T.J. Lang, G, Fr., 6-foot-7, 193 pounds, 2.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG
#1 K.T. Harrell, G, Sr., 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, 18.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG
#12 K.C. Ross-Miller, G, Sr., 6-foot-0, 178 pounds, 6.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG

Kentucky

#15 Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Jr., 7-foot-0, 240 pounds, 8.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG
#12 Karl-Anthony Towns, F, Fr., 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, 9.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG
#41 Trey Lyles, G, Fr., 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, 8.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG
#2 Aaron Harrison, G, So., 6-foot-6, 212 pounds, 11.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG
#5 Andrew Harrison, G, So., 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, 8.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG

UPDATE: Cinmeon Bowers has been suspended for a “potential rules violation” following Friday’s win, Auburn announced about 15 minutes before tipoff.

Next: Bruce Pearl's Foundation is Firmly Set

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