AUBURN | Auburn has played in Lexington, Ky., 53 times and come home with a win just twice.

Both those wins came in Rupp Arena, which opened in 1976, and both came in the 1980’s.

In 1983, future NBA stars Charles Barkley and Chuck Person led the Tigers to a 75-67 victory over the sixth-ranked Wildcats.

The 1988 team was led by another future NBA player, Chris Morris, but it was John Caylor who hit a late 3-pointer to give AU a 53-52 win at No. 1 UK.

Since then, AU is 0 for 20 in Rupp including a 86-54 loss two years ago.

“They’ve always been great and we’ve usually been not great,” said AU coach Bruce Pearl, whose only win at Rupp came in 2006 in his first season at Tennessee. “That’s why it’s 2-31. I’ve brought some really good Auburn and Tennessee teams up to Rupp and not won.

“Their fans know the game. I’ve never not gone to a game at Kentucky where they didn’t get a good whistle. But, they’ve earned it. And I’m sorry but I feel that way.”

Fortune’s change, however, and this might be the best team Pearl has brought to Rupp. No. 1 Auburn is 26-2 overall and 14-1 in the SEC, just one win away from clinching Pearl’s third SEC regular season title in 11 seasons at AU.

The Tigers are undefeated in SEC road games and are riding a program-record eight consecutive road wins.

“I’m proud of our home court advantage at Neville but so often they equate our success to, ‘We’ll we win all of our games in Neville and can’t win on the road,’ and that’s just not true,” said Pearl. “And it’s certainly not true this year and certainly hasn’t been true the last few years.”

Tip-off at Rupp Arena is scheduled for noon CT. It will be carried on ABC, which will be Auburn basketball’s fourth-ever appearance on the network.

“I feel like it’s very important,” said senior guard Denver Jones. “This will be my first time playing at Rupp. Always seen it on T.V. I can’t wait to go in there, execute the game plan and just keep making history with this team.”