The Auburn Tigers remain in a rebuilding stage as their head coach Bruce Pearl continues to get them back to a respectable level. With the confidence and determination of this Auburn team, they have all the keys to beat the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kentucky Beat With Big Men
Despite Auburn not having a player over 6'10" on roster, they have the advantage down low. Their experienced players in the post will be hard for Kentucky to match up with.
A key match up will be Kentucky senior Alex Poythress against Auburn senior Cinmeon Bowers. These two match up perfectly and one player is bound to go off.
Poythress having a solid game is the only way the Wildcats get guaranteed a win on the road. His performance against Alabama was outstanding and Kentucky needs that leadership to stay consistent.
Bowers is a double-double machine and remains the center of everything in Auburn right now. Their bread and butter is won through the play of their talented forward.
Bowers had a few words to make the match up personal against the Wildcats. He stated that the Auburn guards were better than the Kentucky guards. A bold statement considering the talent Kentucky carries in the back court.
Nonetheless, Bowers was smart to challenge the Kentucky guards. Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe may, though unlikely, crack under the pressure.
Bowers may have said they have the better guards, but Pearl should be looking to use his bigs in this game. The Tigers have the advantage down low and if they don't attack Kentucky in the paint, they cannot win.
The Winning Streak
The Wildcats have won 18 straight against this SEC foe, with Auburn's last win having been over 16 years ago. Kentucky has also carried a 32-1 record against the Tigers since 1990.
An SEC opponent winning 32 of 33 matches in 26 years causes panic for the opposing team. They have to begin asking the question: can they beat Kentucky?
The metaphorical answer; yes. But history proves that answer may slowly be fading away for the Tigers.
Their chance to break the streak is once again pitched straight at the plate. It's up to the Tigers to hit this one home, or whiff it once more.
Players to Watch
Alex Poythress- Poythress is a senior who realizes when he needs to step up. He will have to bring his A-game to be able to score buckets over the athletic Bowers. Poythress is inconsistent to say the least, but he shows up when he's needed most.
Tyler Harris- Harris is the tallest player on roster and remains a big piece on offense. The big man continues to have huge scoring games and is relentless on the boards. Marcus Lee and Skal Labissiere will have a tough time keeping this guy off the boards.