Kentucky head coach Mark Pope praised Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl and star player Johni Broome ahead of the matchup between the two sides on March 1.
The two rivals in the SEC will face each other one last time in the regular season with just two games left to play.
Kentucky will be looking to get the win, but Pope knows that his side will face a team properly coached.
Mark Pope Praises Bruce Pearl and Johni Broome Ahead of Kentucky’s Clash Against Auburn
Speaking in his pregame press conference, Pope praised Pearl for sticking to the basics at Auburn. The Wildcats coach admits there are a lot of things to admire from the job Pearl has done at Auburn.
“There’s a lot to see that makes them so good. To get a base value, Bruce is doing his thing right. He keeps it really really simple and puts guys in a position of play where they are really familiar with what they are doing and they are good at it,” Pope said in his pregame press conference.
Pope added that the Tigers are so dangerous in such a way that any of the five guys Bruce puts on the floor is capable of leading the scoring any given night.
“And you know most of the time, he’s got five guys on the floor. They are all capable of putting up 20 on any given night,” Pope continued.
“They are incredible shot makers, they make really really hard shots. You know their frontline is really impactful on the offensive glass. They have physicality and a creativity to their game is pretty special,” Pope added.
However, while Pope admitted that anyone on Auburn’s team could score, he noted that Broome remains the team’s best player.
“Yeah, he’s a terrific talent. He’s a veteran guy. He’s got that moxy to him where he actually is playing the game,” Pope said.
“It’s fun to watch him. You know most teams don’t send a second defender on him in the post, for example. But when guys do, you can see him actually enjoying the prospect of kind of playing the game like tricking guys or ball faking and pivoting through and no look passes,” Pope added.
Kentucky Looking To End Season on a High
The Wildcats enter this game against Auburn, looking to build on their win over Oklahoma on Feb. 27.
It has been a rollercoaster season for the Wildcats, as they sit in seventh place in their division with an 8-7 record. However, they can improve on their position by winning their last three games, starting with the game against Auburn.
KEEP READING: Auburn vs. Kentucky Prediction: No. 1 Tigers Vying for Road Win Over No. 17 Wildcats
But they do face a difficult matchup, as Auburn is currently the top team in the conference with a 14-1 record.
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