Coverage from the game:
C.L. Brown: Kentucky has kept pace under Pope. Auburn showed how far Cats have to go
Kentucky basketball has no answers for Auburn: Tigers hand Cats worst home loss of season
Coverage during the game:
LEXINGTON — Fifth-year senior forward Johni Broome paces top-ranked Auburn in points (18.8) rebounds (11), assists (3.4) and blocks (2.5) per game.
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“Usually, (players with numbers like that) win the Wooden Award, you know?” Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope said Friday. “So it’s pretty rarefied air that he’s playing in right now.”
To Pope’s point, Broome is one of the front runners for the Wooden Award — annually given to the most outstanding player in college basketball — along with Duke‘s freshman phenom, Cooper Flagg. During Auburn’s 106-76 win over Ole Miss on Wednesday, Broome surpassed the 2,500-point mark for his college career. (He spent his first two seasons at Morehead State before transferring to Auburn.)
The Wildcats will try to slow down Broome and the rest of the top-ranked Tigers today at Rupp Arena. Auburn is 26-2 this season, leading the SEC with a 14-1 mark in league competition.
It’s a credit, Pope said, to coach Bruce Pearl.
“He keeps it really, really simple, and puts guys in a position to play where they’re really familiar with what they’re doing and they’re really good at it,” Pope said. “And most of the time, he’s got five guys on the floor that are all capable of putting up 20 (points) on any given night. They’re incredible shot makers.”
A Kentucky win today would be its sixth over a top-10 opponent in 2024-25, matching a single-season record held by three teams: Syracuse (2009-10), Duke (1998-99) and Indiana (1992-93).
Can the Wildcats make history by toppling yet another top-10 foe? Or will be the Tigers be too tough to tame?
Follow along below with live updates from Lexington:
FINAL: Auburn 94, Kentucky 78
Here’s a look at the final box score:
Halftime score: Auburn 49, Kentucky 34
Auburn closed out the half with a 10-2 spurt in the final two minutes to take a 49-34 lead into intermission.
The Cats held Tigers leading scorer Johni Broome without a made basket through the first 20 minutes. Broome missed all five of his attempts from the floor and has scored just one point.
It hasn’t mattered thus far. Miles Kelly leads three Auburn players who have already reached double figures with 17 points.
UK was led by center Amari Williams, who has 12 points and nine rebounds. But the Cats have struggled to find additional scoring.
Kentucky is shooting just 33% from the field and has made only one of its nine attempts from 3-point range.
Kentucky vs Auburn basketball score in first half
With 6:38 remaining in the first half, Kentucky trails Auburn, 34-26.
UK is 9 for 17 (53%) from the field; Auburn is 12 of 23 (52%). Kentucky is 1 for 5 (20%) beyond the 3-point line. Auburn is 5 of 11 (45%) from distance.
Kentucky basketball’s starting lineup vs. Auburn
Here are Kentucky’s starters vs. Auburn:
And here’s Auburn’s lineup:
Kentucky starting guard Jaxson Robinson unavailable vs Auburn
Senior guard Jaxson Robinson was listed as “out” on the SEC’s availability report, which posted at 11 a.m. Saturday, two hours before tipoff between UK and Auburn.
What channel is UK basketball vs Auburn on today?
The contest between the Wildcats and Tigers will air on ABC. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jess Sims (sideline) will have the call.
Authenticated subscribers can access ABC via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream ABC on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
How to listen to Kentucky vs Auburn on the radio
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.
You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
Kentucky vs Auburn basketball betting odds
Betting odds: Kentucky is 4 ½-point home underdog (-105) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 167 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are Kentucky +185, Auburn -225.
Kentucky basketball 2024-25 schedule
- Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
- Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
- Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
- Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
- Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
- Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
- Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
- Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
- Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
- Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
- Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
- Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
- Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
- Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
- Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
- Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
- Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
- Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
- Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 69
- Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Alabama 102, Kentucky 97
- Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt | SCORE: Vanderbilt 74, Kentucky 69
- Jan. 28: at Tennessee | SCORE: Kentucky 78, Tennessee 73
- Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas | SCORE: Arkansas 89, Kentucky 79
- Feb. 4: at Ole Miss | SCORE: Ole Miss 98, Kentucky 84
- Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina | SCORE: Kentucky 80, South Carolina 57
- Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee | SCORE: Kentucky 75, Tennessee 64
- Feb. 15: at Texas | SCORE: Texas 82, Kentucky 78
- Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt | SCORE: Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 61
- Feb. 22: at Alabama | SCORE: Alabama 96, Kentucky 83
- Feb. 26: at Oklahoma | SCORE: Kentucky 83, Oklahoma 82
- March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1 p.m., ABC
- March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2
- March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN
Record: 19-9 (8-7 SEC)
Kentucky basketball 2024-25 roster
- Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
- Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
- Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
- Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
- Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
- Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
- Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
- Walker Horn (guard, junior)
- Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
- Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
- Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
- Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
- Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
- Amari Williams (center, graduate)
Auburn basketball 2024-25 schedule
The Tigers are 26-2 overall this season, entering the weekend at the top of the SEC standings with a 14-1 record.
UK is 98-23 all time versus Auburn, including a 51-2 mark in home games. Kentucky is 31-2 against Auburn at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats have won 20 straight games at Rupp over the Tigers since their last loss (53-52 in 1988).
Click here to see the Tigers’ full 2024-25 schedule.
Auburn basketball 2024-25 roster
Want to learn the Tigers’ roster?
Click here for player bios and more.
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