KSR Gameday, presented by UK Federal Credit Union: On the Road vs. #2 Auburn
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Kentucky continues to be everybody’s Super Bowl, even if they are the lower-ranked team. The second-ranked Auburn Tigers will host the No. 12 Wildcats today at 1 pm ET on CBS.
Bruce Pearl has injected energy into this series, creating a rivalry of sorts that tasted extra bitter when the Tigers eliminated UK in overtime to advance to the 2019 Final Four. The Big Blue Nation has not seen the Wildcats in the Big Dance since.
Auburn has kept the momentum rolling, thanks in large part to point guard Wendell Greene and Jabari Smith, a lengthy wing that many believe will be the first player taken in the 2022 NBA Draft. Folks on The Plains are all in. Students started lining up for tickets Friday afternoon in the freezing rain, bringing couches to make their lengthy camp out more comfortable. Pearl and his players stopped by Friday night to bring care packages and rile up the rowdy crew.
John Calipari believes in his team. After all, they’re fresh off a hard-fought victory on the road for another t-shirt night.
“Look, we’re going into a hostile environment. I mean, it’s going to be a really hard game. For us, we continue to learn about our team. You know that in the last game we shot 36% and won and I’m ecstatic because you need to know that when you don’t shoot it well you can still win. You’ll figure out a way,” Calipari said Friday morning.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that have a great mindset. It’s going to be a hard game.”
It’s certainly going to be another difficult challenge on the road. They won the biggest game at College Station in years, but can they do that again at Auburn just three days later? We’ll find out Saturday afternoon.
A Rare SEC Road Matchup vs. a Top 5 Foe
Today’s game will be just third time Kentucky has played an SEC team ranked in the top two of the AP Poll. UK lost the previous games to Florida in ’14 and Pearl’s 2008 Tennessee team. That season a win over John Calipari’s Memphis squad propelled Pearl to No. 1 in the rankings. Gary Parrish ponders if history will repeat itself.
Kentucky does claim eight victories over top five SEC teams in the AP Poll. Tubby Smith’s 2003 team was the last to do it, knocking off third-ranked Florida en route to an undefeated SEC season.
Auburn Player is Out
Jon Rothstein reports early Saturday morning that Auburn will be without Lior Berman. He only plays about 10 minutes per game for the Tigers, but has knocked down 50% of his three-point attempts this season.
TV, Radio Info
The game tips off at 1 p.m. ET with Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery and Gary Parrish on the call for CBS. If you can’t watch it, you can listen in a variety of ways:
- AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
- FM: 98.1 WBUL
- Satellite: XM 191, Sirius 158, SXM App: 962
- Online: iHeart Radio
The KSR Pregame Show will begin at 10:30 am ET on 630 WLAP and iHeart Radio. Get your pregame kicked off even earlier with Jack Pilgrim on Sources Say.
Vegas, KenPom Predicts UK vs. Auburn
Auburn is a 3.5-point favorite over the Wildcats. The total is set for 148.5. Kentucky is .500 against the spread. Meanwhile, Auburn has covered in seven straight games with a 14-4 record ATS this season. UK is ranked two spots higher than Auburn, yet KenPom only gives the Cats a 40% chance to win at Auburn Arena.
Oscar is Ready to Fight against Auburn
How do you know Oscar Tshiebwe is ready to do whatever it takes to beat Auburn? He used the word “fight” approximately 23 times in his 12-minute conversation with reporters Friday afternoon.
“The mindset for us right now is we go to war. We go to war,” said Tshiebwe. “It’s not going to be easy. We just need to go out there and fight. Just like people go out and fight for their countries. They’re not going to just go out there and play around; they’re going to go out there willing to die. We are willing to die just to bring a win on Saturday.”
Javon Baker is a Wildcat
Kentucky injected talent into its wide receiver room Friday afternoon when former Alabama pass-catcher committed to UK. Javon Baker chose the Cats after visiting Ole Miss and Florida (whose fans were NOT happy). A former four-star recruit, Baker has the athleticism to win one-on-one matchups, a talent that has been absent from the position in recent years. In addition to breaking down the impressive film, Luckett and I were joined by some of our friends on Twitter Spaces to discuss the addition and reveal who is responsible for securing Baker’s commitment.
Bengals-Titans Headline Divisional Round
Just like most of the Commonwealth, today’s divisional playoffs have created a house divided in the KSR compound. It’s Drew and Tyler’s Titans vs. Luckett’s Bengals. You can cut the tension in the air with a spoon. It all reaches a crescendo shortly after the conclusion of the Kentucky-Auburn game. Kickoff in Nashville is set for 4:35 pm ET on CBS. You can watch every single moment at KSBar and Grille.
The other one-seed also plays tonight. Za’Darius Smith and Randall Cobb will return from injury to the Green Bay Packers when they host the 49ers at 8:15 pm ET on Fox.
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