AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn guard Samir Doughty was asked last week about College Gameday coming to Auburn Arena for the first time, his answer was simple.
"That's just another basketball game for us," Doughty said.
To Doughty and his teammates, it might just be another game. But to everybody else on campus and in the community, it's much more than that. It's historic. Not just because of College Gameday. It's the Kentucky game, a top-20 matchup against one of the "Blue Bloods" of college basketball. And more importantly, it's also this year's AUTLIVE game.
"AUTLIVE. It's here. It's a huge weekend for us," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We have been saying that the best way to outlive cancer is to detect it early, and that still is the case.
"The whole idea behind raising some money for AUTLIVE is so that we can just help a family out. Somebody we don't even know, a stranger, is going to get some support financially from a local hospital or from a local cancer center to pay a bill. Cancer is something you have to fight with chemo and radiation, but you still have to go to work."
The game itself is significant because it is Kentucky, but Auburn hasn't been intimidated by John Calipari's team in recent years. Since 2016, the Tigers have the second-best record in the SEC against Kentucky at 3-3. That includes last year's win in the Elite Eight.
However, that was last year's team. Sure, some of the current seniors were on that team, but this is a brand-new team this year with a new identity.
"It is nice that the seniors have that experience, but going in we sort of have to start from scratch and be able to do it all over again," Auburn senior Anfernee McLemore said. "We know they are going to be really talented, really fast and play really well. We just have to be able to play up to that level."
Saturday's game will tip off at 5 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas on the call.
AUTLIVE
Auburn is hosting its fifth annual AUTLIVE Saturday night against Kentucky. AUTLIVE raises the awareness of cancer prevention and detection while t-shirt sales and donations raise money to benefit cancer patients and their local hospitals.
Pearl and his coaching staff initiated the OUTLIVE program in 2009 at Tennessee in recognition of former Vol Chris Lofton, who beat testicular cancer through early diagnosis and local treatment. He went on to play the entire 2007-08 season while battling the disease. Proceeds benefit cancer patients and treatment centers across Alabama in Alexander City, Birmingham, Homewood, Huntsville, Montgomery and Opelika.
Auburn has won the previous four AUTLIVE games, defeating Tennessee (83-77 in 2016), Alabama (84-64 in 2017), LSU (95-70 in 2018) and Alabama (84-63 in 2019) again. In those games, the Tigers have outscored the opposition, 86.5-68.5, scoring at least 83 points in all four contests.
Player to watch: Anfernee McLemore
Anfernee McLemore has become the perfect weapon off the bench as a stretch 5. The senior has caught fire as of late, knocking down 8 of his last 15 3-pointers (53 percent) in wins vs. Iowa State and at Ole Miss. A strong candidate for the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year, McLemore is averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting at 50.5 percent from the floor.
Inside the series: Kentucky
The Tigers and Wildcats will face off for the 115th time in series history Saturday night. Kentucky holds a 94-20 advantage overall, but the two teams have split the last six decisions. Auburn has won two of the last three inside Auburn Arena, and its 77-71 overtime win over the Wildcats in the Elite Eight last year sent the program to its first-ever Final Four.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is 7-14 in his head coaching career against Kentucky. He's 3-5 against the Wildcats at Auburn, including 2-1 at Auburn Arena. Pearl is 6-11 against Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
College Gameday
Auburn is set to host College GameDay prior to Saturday's contest for the first time in program history. Auburn is the seventh SEC program to host the national show, joining Florida, LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. Missouri hosted in 2012 prior to joining the SEC.
Head coach Bruce Pearl has been involved with ESPN's College GameDay four times in his career from 2008-11 while at Tennessee. Pearl is 3-1 in those games as his Volunteers won at No. 1 Memphis in 2008, vs. Florida in 2009 and vs. Vanderbilt in 2011. His only loss came at No. 2 Kentucky in 2010.