One key will prove pivotal in Kentucky's matchups with Georgia and Auburn this week

Kentucky has two very winnable games this week, as they are set to face off with the Georgia Bulldogs this evening in Rupp Arena and Auburn on Saturday on the road. These two teams have a lot in common. They are both very athletic, but the main similarity these two basketball teams share is the fact that they live at the free-throw line.

When it comes to free throw attempts per game, the Auburn Tigers are third in college basketball, shooting 27.7 per game, and the Georgia Bulldogs are 22nd in the nation, shooting 25.3 per game. For Auburn, the player who gets to the line is Keyshawn Hall. He shoots 8.7 free throws per game this year, and he is shooting 85.4%.

Feb 7, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Keyshawn Hall (7) celebrates after making a three point basket during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

For the Bulldogs, their leading scorer, Jeremiah Wilkinson, is getting to the line five times per game and shooting 77.6% from the stripe. The reality is Hall and Wilkinson are the players that Pope’s team needs to make sure they are not sending to the free throw line.

What this means for the Kentucky Wildcats is that they need to defend without fouling in these ball games. Some games, the Wildcats do a good job of this, and then in others, they send a lot of players to the free-throw line. The two teams the Wildcats are going to face this week love to score down low, so Kentucky needs to defend these high percentage looks, but don’t send the Bulldogs and Tigers to the line.

Feb 4, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) celebrates during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Free throws just kill momentum, so it will be very frustrating if the Wildcats are on a run, then send Wilkinson to the line this evening to affect the atmosphere in Rupp Arena. If the Wildcats struggle sending the Bulldogs to the line this evening but are able to sneak out with the win, this is going to be a big concern for Kentucky’s trip to Auburn this weekend.

The good news is Coach Pope knows how these teams like to play, so he has spent the entire week at practice making sure his players are ready to play high-level defense but not fouling. If the Wildcats are able to do this, it should be an easy 2-0 week.

Kentucky really needs to go 2-0 this week knowing matchups with Vanderbilt and Florida are still on the horizon. If the Wildcats are 2-0 this week it would more than likely have them back in the top 25 of the AP Poll next week.