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Kentucky is tied for fifth place in the Southeastern Conference and has not won the Southeastern Conference regular-season or tournament championship since winning the 2020 regular-season title — it’s first season title since 2017.
The Cats won the SEC Tournament in 2015-2016-2017-2018 but have not won it again since then.
However, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is not underestimating visiting UK going into tonight’s game.
“Kentucky is still the gold standard in our league,” Pearl said Friday. “They always will be, that’s never going to change. If you want to be relevant in the world of college basketball, if you want to be relevant in the SEC, you got to beat Kentucky every now and then.”
Pearl has done that. Since taking over at Auburn in 2014, he’s 6-8 against UK after the Tigers had one win against Kentucky in the previous 33 games. Pearl is 4-3 against UK in his last seven games but the Cats dominated Auburn 86-54 last season in Rupp Arena.
Auburn (20-5, 9-3 SEC) is a 7-point favorite over UK (17-7, 7-4 SEC). The Tigers have won four of their last five games, including a 40-point victory over South Carolina this week.
“We talk about trying to make history, and this team is trying to make history,” Pearl said after the South Carolina game. “There’s no better opportunity than having Kentucky, national television, ‘College GameDay.’ It will be a great weekend. We work all year long for these opportunities.”
The Auburn coach said Friday you could “feel the energy on campus” with Kentucky in town.
“Kentucky actually plays better on the road,” Pearl said. “Lot of pressure at Rupp Arena to win. Sometimes they get away from home and there’s just a lot less pressure. Lot of pressure at Kentucky to win. They’ve got the kind of talent, they can be fearless. These are confident players.”
Pearl noted that UK is elite in transition.
“If (Kentucky) is not taking the ball out of the net after a 3, they’re pushing it down the floor and they’re dunking on you, or shooting their own 3s,” Pearl said.
11 Responses
Blah blah blah.
Coach speak.
Bruce Pearl is smart. He knows Kentucky is no longer the gold standard.
He says this so when they beat us it looks like a great victory over a "gold standard" program.
In private he and other SEC coaches are laughing at Calipari, our team and us fans.
He also knows how to inspire his crowd
Absolutely
Bruce Pearl is almost as good of a marketer as Calipari. They probably both smell the same when they walk in a room.
Bruce sees Cal’s time coming to an end and he wants the job.
Would he be your choice? If not who?
He would not be my choice. Maybe Hurley from UCONN. Just would like to have a
proven winner.
ALL OF THE ABOVE HOLD TRUE!!! LOL two "snake-oil-missed-their-calling-as-politicians" cut from the same cloth……but no way in he** Pearl would ever be offered the UK job–at least not as long as the current A.D. is still there…..
I don’t know…current A.D. is a D’",b A!#. Look at the contract he gave Cancerpari
EVERY coach in Division 1 wants Calipari to stay at Kentucky. He makes us beatable, even in Rupp Arena!