UK vs Auburn Basketball: What to Expect in 2022

The UK vs Auburn basketball game is one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the 2022 season. Both teams are expected to be contenders for the national title, and the game will be a rematch of their epic 2018 showdown. Here’s what to expect from this much-anticipated matchup.

Introduction

In the fall of 2022, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team will travel to Auburn to take on the Tigers in what promises to be an epic battle between two of the best teams in the country. This will be the first time these two teams have faced off since 2015, when Auburn won 78-74.

Both UK and Auburn have experienced a great deal of success since then, with UK winning the National Championship in 2017 and Auburn making it to the Final Four in 2019. Given the talent and L five-star recruits that both teams are bringing in, this match-up is sure to be one of the highlights of the college Basketball season

Here’s what you can expect when these two titans of college basketball take the court in Auburn in 2022:

##expected lineups
-UK: PG: Immanuel Quickley, SG: Tyrese Maxey SF: BJ Boston, PF: EJ Montgomery, C: Nick Richards
-Auburn: PG: Sharife Cooper SG: Bryce Brown SF: Isaac Okoro, PF: Anfernee McLemore, C: Austin Wiley

Both teams are expected to field extremely talented and deep rosters for this match-up. UK will be led by Immanuel Quickley, who is coming off a stellar freshman season where he averaged 16 points and 4 assists per game He will be joined by fellow five-star recruits Tyrese Maxey and BJ Boston as well as McDonald’s All-American EJ Montgomery. On the other side, Auburn will be led by point guard Sharife Cooper, who is one of the top recruits in the country. He will be joined by studs Isaac Okoro and Anfernee McLemore as well as Austin Wiley, who is a force down low.

This game will feature some of the best players in college basketball going head-to-head. It will be must-see TV for any College Basketball fan.

UK’s Roster

The Kentucky Wildcats will have a very different looking roster next season as they will lose a number of Key Players to graduation or the NBA draft However, they will also welcome in a talented group of newcomers that should help them compete for another NCAA championship Here is a look at the UK roster for the 2022 season:

-PG: Ashton Hagans (Sophomore)
-SG: BJ Boston (Freshman)
-SF: Devin Askew (Freshman)
-PF: Keion Brooks (Sophomore)
-C: Olivier Sarr (Junior)

Bench:
-PG: Devin Booker (Freshman)
-SG: Johnny Juzang (Freshman)
-SF/PF: Isaiah Jackson (Freshman)
-PF/C: Dontaie Allen (Freshman)

Auburn’s Roster

In the 2022 season, Auburn will have a roster full of experienced talent and young potential. The team will be led by seniors Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, two of the best players in the SEC. Brown is a 6’3” guard who averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season. Harper is a 6’4” guard who averaged 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game last season. Both players are expected to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft

Auburn also has a talented freshman class that includes five-star recruit Bol Bol Bol and four-star recruits Muhammad Idris and Jamari Wheeler. Bol is a 7’2” center who is expected to make an immediate impact on the team. Idris is a 6’10” forward who is also expected to contribute right away. Wheeler is a 6’4” guard who has the potential to be a very good player down the road.

The UK vs Auburn game will be one of the most anticipated games of the 2022 season. Auburn has the talent to win the SEC and make a run at the national title, while UK has one of the best young rosters in the country.

UK’s Schedule

The United Kingdom Wildcats will take on the Auburn Tigers in basketball in the 2022 season. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since Auburn defeated UK in the round of 32 in the 2019 NCAA tournament

UK is scheduled to play Auburn at home on December 3, 2022. The game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Auburn’s Schedule

In order for Auburn to be eligible for the NCAA Tournament they need to play a certain number of games against teams in the top 100 of the RPI.

Auburn’s non-Conference Schedule is already looking good with games against Temple, Missouri, and NC State. The game against Missouri will be a rematch of last year’s game, which Auburn won by one point.

Auburn also has a chance to play UK in the SEC tournament which would be a huge game for both teams. UK is currently ranked No. 1 in the country, and Auburn is right behind them at No. 2.

The game against UK would give Auburn a chance to prove that they are the better team and that they deserve a spot in the NCAA tournament

UK’s Coaching Staff

When John Calipari took over as Head Coach of the UK men’s Basketball team in 2009, he brought with him a wealth of experience and success. He had previously coached at the University of Massachusetts and later at the University of Memphis, where he led the team to the NCAA National Championship game in 2008.

Under Calipari’s leadership, UK has won the NCAA National Championship twice, in 2012 and 2015. The team has also made four appearances in the Final Four (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015) and has won six SEC regular season titles (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) and four SEC Tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014).

UK’s Coaching Staff is also experienced and successful. Assistant Coach Kenny Payne was a member of Calipari’s staff at UMass and followed him to Memphis. He has been with Calipari at UK since 2009. assistant coach Tony Barbee was an assistant under Calipari at Memphis from 2000 to 2006 and rejoined Calipari’s staff at UK in 2014. Associate head coach John Robic was an assistant under Calipari at UK from 2009 to 2011 before serving as Head Coach at Youngstown State for three seasons. He rejoined Calipari’s staff at UK in 2014.

Auburn’s Coaching Staff

When Bruce Pearl was hired as Auburn’s head men’s basketball coach in 2014, he inherited a program that had endured nine consecutive losing seasons. In his seven seasons at the helm, Pearl has led the Tigers to a 178-88 record (.669), three NCAA tournament appearances (2014, ’19, ’20), two Eastern Conference regular season titles (2019, ’20) and one SEC Tournament championship (2019).

In 2020-21, Auburn is off to one of its best starts in program history. The Tigers are 12-0 for the first time since the 1999-2000 season and ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll – their highest ranking since being ranked No. 3 in February 2000.

Under Pearl, Auburn has had eight players selected in the NBA Draft including first-round picks Danjel Purifoy (2017) and Austin Wiley (2018). The Tigers have also had 19 players earn All-SEC honors, including six first-Team selections

UK’s Record

In the 2022-23 season Kentucky will have a 6-6 record in the SEC. This is their best record in the last five years. UK’s record in non-conference play is 10-2.

Auburn’s Record

In spite of having a losing record in the 2020-2021 Season Auburn Basketball is still a team to be reckoned with. For one thing, they have one of the Top Players in the country in Sharife Cooper. They also have a strong recruiting class coming in for next season. So, what can we expect from Auburn when they take on the UK Wildcats in 2022?

First of all, we can expect Auburn to be more competitive than they were this past season. With a year of experience under their belt, and some key additions to the roster, Auburn will be looking to make a statement in 2022. As for UK, they will also be a formidable opponent. They always seem to find a way to reload, despite losing key players to the NBA draft every year. In short, it should be an exciting game between two programs that are on the rise.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that there are many differences between the UK and Auburn basketball programs. However, both teams are looking to improve upon their recent performances and should be competitive in the 2022 season. Based on the current rosters and recruiting classes UK has the advantage in terms of talent and experience. However, Auburn has the home court advantage and will be looking to prove doubters wrong. It should be an exciting season for both teams!