How to watch the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Auburn Tigers

Here is how to watch Kentucky basketball take on Auburn.

Feb 17, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope calls out to his players during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off of a rough loss to a desperate Georgia Bulldogs team on Tuesday in Rupp Arena. Now, they will be facing another desperate team looking to get back on track following a five-game losing streak. Kentucky already dropped their first must-win game of the back-end of the regular season. Auburn is now that for the Wildcats.

Auburn is a very sneaky team, because even though they are on a losing streak, their losses have come against teams like Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama and Vandy, all of which are considered some of the best teams in the SEC. They have some impressive talent, too, as point guard Tahaad Pettiford is an electric guard who is excellent at making plays, whether it is getting to the rim or getting it to his teammates to do the same. The Tigers are a team that excels at getting to the line and taking advantage of second-chance points.

Steve Pearl's team ranks #17 in college basketball at the percentage of total points coming from free-throws. In fact, in conference play, the Tigers rank 1st in the SEC in that category. Auburn is shooting the ball at a 75.8 percent clip through 13 SEC games. Forward Keyshawn Hall is a big reason for that because he is 22nd nationally in fouls drawn per game and 2nd in the SEC. Auburn ranks 8th nationally in offensive rebounds, an excellent rate for getting those important boards off of misses. Take their last game, for example. The Tigers put up 85 points. They were able to get 21 second-chance points off of 17 offensive rebounds.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Auburn

You can watch the matchup between Kentucky basketball and Auburn on ESPN, and tipoff down in Auburn is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. Coming off of a game that they dropped where they simply just needed to take care of business, they are now in a tricky spot facing an Auburn team that has struggled recently, but still talented enough to spell trouble for the Wildcats, especially given the game is on the road for Mark Pope's squad.

Feb 17, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) celebrates after scoring a three point basket against the Georgia Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Let's look at two ways Kentucky beats Auburn on Saturday.

Kentucky gets hot from three

Auburn is one of the worst teams in college basketball when it comes to defending the three. This is also a struggle of the Wildcats, but statistically, it is a bigger issue for Auburn. Collin Chandler has been red hot of late for Kentucky from three, and this would be a perfect game for that trend to continue. The Wildcats will have open looks all over the floor, but they will need to take advantage. If the Wildcats are hot from three on Saturday, they will win this game.

Kentucky dominates the boards

Auburn is solid on the boards, so the Wildcats need to be prepared for this and be ready to crash the glass. Auburn grabs a bunch of offensive rebounds, so Kentucky needs to make sure that the ball is secured before players start running out in transition. Auburn is at its best when it is scoring with second-chance opportunities, so Kentucky needs to keep the Tigers off of the offensive glass. If Kentucky is able to dominate the glass on Saturday, it will go a long way to helping Pope’s team win on the road.