Auburn Tigers at Kentucky Wildcats: Live Game Thread

Welcome to the Kentucky Wildcats vs. Auburn Tigers live game thread. Tonight, the Wildcats have an another opportunity to excel, and stretch their undefeated season winning streak to 27-0. Of course, every consecutive win from here on sets a new all-time Kentucky record for consecutive wins as an undefeated team. In fact, unless I have missed something, winning this game would tie this year’s team with the 1995-96 team for consecutive wins in a season.

Essentials for victory

• Defend the three — This is job 1, 2 and 3 for this game. The only way Auburn wins this game is by making a bunch of threes.

• Take care of the ball — Auburn’s press can create easy opportunities for twos or threes. UK needs to take good care of the basketball.

• Get a body on Cinmeon Bowers — Bowers is a beast on the glass, and if UK can keep a body on him, it’s unlikely the Tigers will get many rebounds.

• Attack the rim — This goes without saying, but UK’s guards should be able to get fouled going to the rim, and create open looks elsewhere.

• Get into transition — Calipari likes to play fast for, like, half the game. It would be useful if UK could do that. Auburn is not a deep team.

This looks like an easy win, but I am never sanguine about them. This team beat LSU on the road, and LSU is good enough to nearly beat us, so you have to think that even teams not playing great basketball can be great on a given day.

But if Kentucky respects their opponent and sticks to their knitting, they should be fine.