AUBURN — The numbers don't give Auburn much of a shot.

"I know what the math says — that we’re 3-34 against them since 1990, that we’ve only beaten them up there twice [ever]," Bruce Pearl said about Kentucky on Friday before departing for Lexington. "They probably have some other record at home on CBS. I’m sure there’s more math that says they don’t lose at home, and they don’t lose at home on CBS. But it’s good for our program to be able to be on the national stage."

Pearl & Co. aren't content just being there, however.

The Tigers remember the catastrophic second-half start in Auburn Arena back in January. They remember the Jared Harper rim-out floater that has changed the course of Auburn and Kentucky's seasons.

Auburn (18-8, 7-6 SEC) is also well aware of what Kentucky (22-4, 11-2 SEC) has become since that game.

The Wildcats have won 12 of their last 13, their only defeat in a weird one against LSU. PJ Washington has blossomed — as Pearl reminded three or four times Friday — into the national player of the year candidate many have expected for a while from Washington.

Despite the unfavorable history, the tall task against the hot team and the road test, the Tigers still feel confident coming off their most dominant win of the SEC slate.

"So we might be going on the road to play the best team in the country right now who has the best player in the country at a tough place to play, and we’re going up there thinking we have a chance to compete," Pearl said. "That's a really positive thing. It can get out of hand now, it can get ugly. But our team, It think we have enough pieces that we have enough to know what we need to do, now the question is, can we do it? But at least we’ve got a chance."

Kentucky was hit with some tough injury news. Reid Travis, who really had his coming-out party against Auburn in January, went down with a minor knee sprain that will keep him out a couple weeks, per John Calipari. It will leave the physical Wildcats side without one of its front court pieces. Though, Pearl made sure to emphasize Nick Richards — who will receive most of Travis' available minutes — is an even "more elite rim protector," so some challenges remain.

Kentucky's main scoring threats remain, however: Washington, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson.

Limiting their successes will be the key to winning. It was Pearl's main takeaway and learning experience from the Auburn Arena loss to be carried over to Rupp.

Pearl referred to the Wildcats as the "best defensive team in our league" and called the numbers "astounding."

Kentucky is only allowing 59.5 points per game since Jan. 12, a stretch that includes 11 wins. The Wildcats have the fourth-best rebounding margin in the nation.

"[I learned] that if you’re going to let a team score 82 points on you, you can’t beat them," Pearl said. "We won’t have that kind of an offensive game against them at Rupp. ... We just won’t."