AUBURN, Ala. – Bruce Pearl makes no attempt to downplay the significance of Saturday's showdown between the SEC's highest-rated teams, No. 2 Auburn and No. 12 Kentucky.
Next Game:
Kentucky
Jan. 22, 2022
Noon CT
TV: CBS
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"Probably the biggest home game we've had since I've been coaching," said Pearl, who referred to the matchup as "a clash of the titans" after the Tigers beat Georgia Wednesday for Auburn's 14th straight win. "There's a lot a stake here.
"It's a huge opportunity for either team to put themselves in position where everybody else is going to be looking up at you."
Everyone is looking up at Auburn in the SEC standings, after the Wildcats handed Texas A&M its first conference loss on Wednesday. The Tigers are 6-0 SEC play for the first time since the 1958-59 season, while Kentucky (5-1) can tie Auburn at the top if the Wildcats win this weekend on the Plains.
"It's great that on a Saturday in the middle of January, all eyes of the country will be on Auburn, Alabama, on CBS on a Saturday afternoon, and it'll be for men's basketball," Pearl said. "That's something that you might not have said a few years ago."
It will be, for Pearl and the Tigers, another opportunity to add a signature win to the program's resume of excellence over the past five seasons. Or as the wording surrounding the AU logo in Auburn's locker room reads, "Make history."
"It's a lot easier to come to Auburn and make history than it is to go to Kentucky because they make history ever year. We don't make history every year," said Pearl, crediting Sonny Smith's 1980s Auburn teams with Charles Barkley and Cliff Ellis' 1990s teams with Chris Porter. "You want to be able to leave your mark. It matters. It stands the test of time."
Seeking its 15th straight win, No. 2 Auburn (17-1, 6-0) tips off against No. 12 Kentucky (15-3, 5-1) Saturday at noon CT at Auburn Arena on CBS. Andy Burcham and Smith will call the action on the Auburn Sports Network.
"Our guys have done a great job this year getting ready to play every night and finding a way," Pearl said. "We've got a lot of holes, but we've got a lot of weapons, a lot of character, a lot of depth, and our guys have been really locked in."
PLAYER TO WATCH: WENDELL GREEN JR.
Sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr. has played a large part in the Tigers' 6-0 start in SEC play, coming off the bench to lead Auburn in scoring during conference action with 15.8 points per game. He also has a team-best 4.2 assists per game after dishing out 11 assists to go along with 12 points in Wednesday's 83-60 win over Georgia. Scoring in double figures in 10 straight games, the Detroit native is filling up the stat sheet with 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in SEC games.
INSIDE THE SERIES: KENTUCKY
In the all-time series with Kentucky, the Wildcats lead have a 96-22 advantage. However, in the last 10 meetings, the series is tied 5-5. The two teams split last year's games with Auburn winning 66-59 in Auburn Arena on Jan. 16. Allen Flanigan scored a game-high 21 points. The Tigers have won four of the last five meetings against Kentucky in Auburn Arena.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is 9-16 all-time against Kentucky, including a 5-7 mark while at Auburn. Pearl's five wins against the Wildcats in the last six seasons match Auburn's win total against UK from the previous 29 seasons (1987-2016).
BALANCED ATTACK
In Wednesday's victory against Georgia, six Auburn player scored in double figures. Through the first six SEC games (6-0), the Tigers have four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr.'s 15.8 points per game. Also averaging double figures in conference games are Jabari Smith (15.2 ppg), K.D. Johnson (12.2 ppg) and Walker Kessler (11.8 ppg).
The last time Auburn had four players score in double figures in SEC play was the 2008-09 season (DeWayne Reed, 13.6 ppg; Korvotney Barber, 12.8 ppg; Tay Waller, 12.1 ppg; Rasheem Barrett, 11.9 ppg).
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer