AUBURN | Bruce Pearl thought it over, but he’s sticking to his guns.

After briefly considering changes to his starting lineup, Pearl will stick with J’Von McCormick, Samir Doughty, Isaac Okoro, Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley as his starters for Saturday’s game against No. 13 Kentucky. The five have started 19 of Auburn’s 20 games.

“I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Pearl said. “I don’t have an answer to why we’re not starting better. I don’t know why that combination of our players are struggling.”

Auburn started 0 of 11 from 3-point range at Ole Miss Tuesday night and is a combined 1 of 46 from 3-point range at the start of four SEC road games. Against the Rebels, AU went nearly eight minutes without a bucket in the first half, missed 21 of its first 25 shots and had 10 turnovers before the break.

Anfernee McLemore started in place of Purifoy for the Florida game, but Pearl likes what the senior provides as Auburn’s sixth man, along with the combination of him and Wiley at the center position.

“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of Austin Wiley and that’s my fault. And that’s our fault,” Pearl said. “When he’s in there, he has got to get better touches. We’re not putting him in position to be successful. When Anfernee is in there, we get Anfernee shots and he makes those shots. So when Austin is in there, why aren’t we getting him shots where he’s comfortable? He’s done a great job improving himself on the free throw line. So that would be part of the answer.

“Austin, defensively, has got to have more impact for us, he does. And they are bringing him out in ball screen. The first few plays of the game you’re going to see Nick Richards and Ashton Hagans and a middle ball screen, and they’re going to attack us. We’ve got to be able to defend that.”

Tip-off at Auburn Arena is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN.