LEXINGTON, Ky. — No, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl did not pull a “Hoosiers” and have his players measure the baskets at their Saturday morning shootaround at Rupp Arena.
Facing undefeated and top-ranked Kentucky as a 25-point underdog, Pearl employed a different tactic.
You can win every Southeastern Conference game you play, he told his Tigers. Except Kentucky on the road.
He qualified that reality check slightly, adding: “To beat Kentucky would take an extraordinarily super-human effort.”
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The Kentucky players were the superhuman ones Saturday night, shooting a season-best 64.7 percent in their 110-75 mauling. That was their highest point total since 2002.
“They got us on a tough day,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “We were working on all cylinders.”
They charged out to a 23-2 lead, with Auburn’s only points coming on a goaltend.
“We got pushed around from every position — and from there it took a toll on us,” said Auburn guard Antoine Mason, who scored a game-high 29 points.
Kentucky improved on its best start in school history, becoming the first SEC team to open 27-0 (14-0 SEC). A home date with Arkansas and visit to Georgia are the only real threats to a perfect, 31-0 regular season.
“They just need to keep listening to their coach, take it one at a time and stay unselfish,” Pearl advised.
Tyler Ulis, the 5-foot-9 Marian Catholic product, had 10 points and two assists in 16 minutes even though Calipari said Ulis was playing at “about 75 percent” because of nagging shin splints.
One highlight: Ulis tossed a behind-the-back pass to Willie Cauley-Stein, who threw down a windmill dunk that thrilled the 23,403 fans who stuffed Rupp Arena despite a nasty storm that coated the roads with sleet.
This game was a mismatch in every way, starting with the player introductions. The tallest starter for Auburn (12-15, 4-10) was 6-8. Kentucky’s front-line players measure 6-10, 6-11 and 7-feet.