Auburn has two wins ever at UK. See what the coach who won both expects Saturday.
If Kentucky loses Saturday, it would be only the third time Auburn has beaten UK in the 51 games played in Lexington. Sonny Smith, who provides commentary on the radio broadcasts of Auburn games, was the Tigers’ coach the two times this happened.
“I’m kind of ego minus, and memory minus for sure,” Smith said Thursday when asked about this distinctive place in Auburn basketball history.
Smith clearly recalled the last time Auburn won at Kentucky. John Caylor’s three-pointer in the final seconds defeated No. 1 Kentucky 53-52 on Jan. 9, 1988.
“We ran a play called ‘Green Three,’” he said. “It was a three-point shooting shot.”
Auburn wanted its top scorer, Chris Morris, to take the shot. UK denied that option, so Auburn ran the play to the other side of the court where Caylor was positioned, Smith said.
The only other time Auburn won at Kentucky? Smith, who laughed as he pointed out that he is 83 years old, could not recall the particulars of Auburn’s 75-67 victory over No. 3 Kentucky on Jan. 15, 1983. Charles Barkley fouled out in 24 minutes. Darrell Lockhart and Chuck Person led Auburn with 22 and 20 points, respectively.
“It’s not so much the Auburn guy winning,” Smith said of being the only Auburn coach to win a game at Kentucky. “I take pride in being able to beat Kentucky because they are — whatever the word is — the staple. They are the team for our league. And their place is the place for our league.
“As my memory fades at my age, the only thing I’ll remember is the wins at Kentucky.”
Smith considers this season’s Auburn team as distinctive in its own way.
“Most unusual team I believe I’ve ever been around: covered or coached,” he said. “I’ve never seen a team do what they do, and I don’t know how. But they do. They play better from behind than they do with a lead.
“A lot of teams are that way. But, I’ve never seen a team like this. Late in a half, late in a game, they’re a different team.”
Comebacks this season include victories in which Auburn was down:
▪ 17 points against Tennessee before winning 95-91 in overtime.
▪ 19 points at Ole Miss before winning 83-82 in double overtime.
▪ 11 at Arkansas with 5:59 left before winning 79-76.
▪ 15 against LSU before winning 91-90 in overtime.
“It’s amazing to me how well they play from behind … ,” Smith said. “Late in the game, or when they’re behind, they just play better.”
Auburn, which is 24-4 overall and 11-4 in the Southeastern Conference, is 5-0 in games that went to overtime. The Tigers are 14-0 in games decided by a single-digit margin.
A memorable comeback was not part of Auburn’s 75-66 victory over Kentucky on Feb. 1. UK’s 9-2 lead inside the first two minutes was the largest margin either team enjoyed until the Tigers closed things out in the final seconds.
The game’s two most vivid memories are:
▪ Austin Wiley outscoring Nick Richards 12-7 and out-rebounding him 10-7. After watching Auburn grab 17 offensive rebounds and winning the boards 42-28, UK Coach John Calipari used the word “manhandle” more than once in his postgame remarks.
“Anytime Austin Wiley can stay out of foul trouble, he’s one of the reasons Auburn wins,” Smith said. “Because he protects the rim. He blocks shots. And he defends his man fairly well.”
▪ Auburn also shot 44 free throws (and made 33), which are a season high for a UK opponent. In Calipari’s 11 seasons as coach, only two other teams have shot that many free throws in a game against Kentucky: Kansas made 30 of 47 on Jan. 30, 2016, in beating visiting UK 90-84 in overtime, and North Carolina made 26 of 45 on Dec. 14, 2013, in beating visiting UK 82-77.
When asked about Auburn’s intent to attack the rim on drives, Smith said, “Every part of their game is that.”
Going into this week, Auburn had shot more free throws than any other team in SEC games, and had shot 51 more free throws than the team making the second-most foul shots (LSU). Kentucky had shot the fourth most.
The 29 fouls called on UK were the most since the Cats had 32 at South Carolina on Jan. 16, 2018.
Smith said he would not be surprised if there are a lot of free throws shot on Saturday.
“As aggressive defensively as they both are, I think this will be the two best defensive teams in the league playing one another,” he said.
Saturday
No. 15 Auburn at No. 8 Kentucky
When: 3:45 p.m.
TV: CBS-27
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Auburn 24-4 (11-4 SEC), Kentucky 23-5 (13-2)
Series: Kentucky leads 94-21.
Last meeting: Auburn won 75-66 on Feb. 1, 2020, at Auburn, Ala.
