Kentucky's got a prime opportunity to shine from beyond the arc in their matchup against Auburn tonight.
As Auburn hosts the Wildcats, they're grappling with a major defensive issue-defending the three-point shot. The Tigers have been allowing SEC opponents to shoot a staggering 40 percent from deep over 13 league games.
This vulnerability was on full display when Mississippi State drained 16 threes in a recent 91-85 victory over Auburn. In 12 of those 13 games, opponents have hit at least 30 percent from long range, with five teams shooting 40 percent or better.
Auburn’s defense is giving up over 24 attempts from beyond the arc per game, making it a potential goldmine for Kentucky’s shooters.
While Auburn struggles defensively, ranking 108th nationally according to KenPom, their troubles with the three-point defense are especially glaring. Kentucky, leading the SEC in three-point shooting at 36.7 percent, should be eager to exploit this weakness. Although they attempt just 21.8 threes per game-11th in SEC play-they’re efficient when they do.
Coach Steven Pearl acknowledged Kentucky's prowess, saying, “We recognize that Kentucky is a really good three-point shooting team. They shoot good percentages, but they’re still probably better from two because they do a great job of attacking downhill against the paint.”
Kentucky's two-point shooting sits at 50.4 percent in SEC play, ranking them 11th in the conference. However, their ability to get to the free-throw line-taking 25.1 attempts per SEC game-opens up opportunities for their shooters. Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson, Otega Oweh, and Denzel Aberdeen have all been hot from deep, with Chandler hitting an impressive 48.5 percent.
Pearl noted, “Chandler’s a guy that you got to treat like Tyler Nickel from Vanderbilt. You can’t allow him to get anything clean off because he’s made 20 in his last five games.
Aberdeen can be streaky, but with time and space, he’s dangerous. Oweh has the green light, and he can knock down shots, too.
(Trent) Noah, coming off the bench, can shoot it. We’ve got to recognize where shooters are and do a better job in our closeouts.”
Kentucky recently went 12-30 from three in a loss to Georgia, but they’re 8-2 when hitting 10 or more threes this season. If they can replicate that success tonight, the Wildcats could be in a strong position to secure a road win against Auburn.