Auburn basketball has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for seven weeks straight and has proven that they are the best team in college basketball, but they will face a massive challenge this weekend when they travel to Rupp Arena to play No. 17 Kentucky.
Head coach Bruce Pearl has a 6-9 record against Kentucky during his time at Auburn, and the Tigers have not won at Rupp Arena since 1988. Kentucky has lost only two home games this season, one to Alabama and one to Arkansas. They boast a 19-9 overall record and an 8-7 conference record, and they are coming off a 82-61 win over Vanderbilt heading into the game.
History would favor the Wildcats in this weekend's matchup, and Pearl knows that facing Mark Pope and his team will not be easy.
“He’s a brilliant offensive coach. And he’s got a dangerous team because of the way they shoot the basketball,” Pearl said, per The Lexington Herald Leader. “They run the most advanced five-out system in our game today.”
With Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome and the historic season that the Tigers have put together, hopes are high that this Auburn basketball team can beat a losing streak in Rupp Arena that has spanned decades.
“It’s a huge building. They have a very, very knowledgeable fan base. They know the game,” Pearl said. “They have an expectation to beat you. They’re always very, very talented. ... But I think the reason we have not won there is because historically Kentucky has been the best team in the league, and historically we haven’t been one of the best teams in the league, over a long period of time.”
Bruce Pearl's Tigers and Mark Pope's Wildcats will tip off from Lexington at noon on Saturday.