This year’s SEC is proving they should be in the conversation for strongest conference
USA TODAY Sports’ Jordan Mendoza explains what makes the SEC so dominant in men’s college basketball.
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With March Madness just around the corner, the SEC men’s basketball regular season crown is still up for grabs.
It’s a race currently led by Auburn, which on Saturday will look to clinch at least a share of the title as the top-ranked Tigers (26-2, 14-1 in SEC) travel to No. 23 Kentucky (19-9, 8-7) for a 1 p.m. ET tip off at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Winners of their last five games, Bruce Pearl’s squad currently holds a two-game lead over No. 6 Alabama and a three-game lead over No. 3 Florida for the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament.
The Tigers are coming off a 106-76 win over Ole Miss on Wednesday, where they had five players — headlined by Johni Broome’s 24 points and Chad Baker-Mazara’s 22 points — finish in double figures. Auburn is 15-2 in Quad 1 games and 7-0 on the road in SEC games this season.
Both teams are virtual locks for the NCAA Tournament, with Auburn being widely considered as the top overall seed by bracketologists, including USA TODAY’s. The Wildcats kept their projected 3-seed projection alive on Wednesday as they avoided an upset on the road to Oklahoma.
One intriguing matchup to watch for in Saturday’s SEC clash is Broome vs. Kentucky’s Otega Oweh. Broome — a leading candidate for various national player of the year honors — enters Saturday averaging 18.8 points per game, while Oweh is putting up 16.1 points per contest.
Here’s how to watch the Auburn men’s basketball vs. Kentucky game on Saturday:
Watch Auburn basketball vs. Kentucky live with Fubo (free trial)
ABC will broadcast Saturday’s SEC basketball between Auburn and Kentucky.
Streaming options for the game include ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, the latter of which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Auburn and Kentucky are scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET from Rupp Arena on Saturday, March 1 in Lexington, Kentucky.
This section will be updated
Prediction: Auburn 85, Kentucky 80
The Tigers win their sixth consecutive game and clinch at least a share of their first SEC regular season title since 2022.
Here’s a look at Auburn’s last five results. To view the Tigers’ full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
Here’s a look at Kentucky’s last five results. To view the Wildcats’ full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
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