In Auburn biggest, most physical game of the SEC slate, the Tigers were without their biggest, most physical asset.
Coming into the game, Bruce Pearl already viewed physicality as Auburn's biggest obstacle against Kentucky.
"Kentucky is bigger at every position and more physical at every position," Pearl said.
Auburn learned some negative news in the hours leading up to the top-15 matchup against Kentucky in Auburn Arena: Austin Wiley suffered a right lower leg injury that would keep him out of the game. Without him, the Tigers turned to a thinner frontcourt, headlined by Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer.
By game's end — Auburn falling 82-80 despite a valiant 17-point, second-half comeback — it was Kentucky's physicality and size advantage that Pearl labeled as the difference.
"The way they could beat us was the way they did beat us, coming off physical pin downs, posting us up on the inside," Pearl said.
Offensively, McLemore and Spencer struggled in Wiley's absence. The two combined for 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Their biggest responsibility, however, lied in limiting Kentucky's post potential without its most renowned defensive presence. Reid Travis and PJ Washington had strong offensive outings for the Wildcats, scoring 17 points and 13 points respectively.
The most telling effect of Wiley's absence came in the final moments of the game when both Spencer and McLemore fouled out of the game.
"We lost our biggest, most physical player," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. "I think Kentucky would've gone inside anyways, but I don't know — look, Reid Travis was 6-for-7 and 5-for-5 from the foul line; it was one of his best games, and he was obviously physically imposing. I thought Chuma [Okeke] handled PJ Washington. I thought we held our own there."
Pearl said "no timetable" regarding Wiley's availability going forward. AuburnSports.com's Bryan Matthews reported he would likely miss 2-3 weeks.
Regardless, Wiley doesn't appear to be in the plans for the near future. Most notably, that includes Auburn's next matchup against South Carolina — known to be one of the most physical teams in the conference. Pearl joked that, unless "Anfernee's going to put on 35 pounds" or "Horace is going to put on 35 pounds" or "Jared's going to grow another six inches," Auburn doesn't have an immediate-fix solution to the Wiley-less lineup.
It does, however, give Danjel Purifoy an opportunity to work into the lineup at power forward.
"We've got nine guys. Danjel played tonight. We said he was going to get his opportunity. He did fine, and he'll do better next game. Danjel now moves into the rotation of nine guys," Pearl said. "A year ago, we would've been eight and then seven, which we got down to at the end of the year. But we've got nine good players. We'll be fine."
