How Auburn’s loss to Kentucky affects its KenPom ranking
No. 12 Auburn basketball suffered its first home loss of the season last Saturday by dropping a 70-59 contest to No. 20 Kentucky at Neville Arena.
Auburn shot just 31% in the game while allowing Kentucky to shoot 44%. The Wildcats also led the game in three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, rebounds, points in the paint, and points off turnovers.
The Tigers also suffered another tough loss on Saturday, as forward Jaylin Williams exited the game with a knee injury. He will not need surgery to repair the injury but will miss a few games to recover.
Auburn has five games remaining in the regular season before heading to Nashville to compete in the SEC Tournament. How much did Auburn’s loss to Kentucky affect its KenPom ranking? The Tigers suffered minimal damage in most categories while taking a giant blow in one important slot.
Here’s where Auburn stands in the KenPom ahead of this week’s college basketball action.
Overall: No. 7
Auburn remains in the top 10 of the KenPom despite its loss to Kentucky. However, they are now the third-highest SEC team in the ranking. Tennessee and Alabama have jumped the Tigers, and Kentucky has jumped to No. 21.
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 22
Auburn’s adjusted offensive efficiency took the biggest hit following Saturday’s loss. Auburn was the only team in the country with a top-10 offense, as well as a top-10 defense heading into the game, but that can not be said now.
KenPom suggests that Auburn can score 117.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks No. 4 in the SEC behind Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 4
The Tigers remain a top-five team defensively, edging out Tennessee for the top spot among SEC teams in the category.
Auburn is projected to allow opponents to score 91.4 points per 100 possessions. The only programs ahead of Auburn in this category are Houston, Rutgers, and Iowa State.
Adjusted tempo: No. 75
Auburn remains a top-75 team when it comes to created possessions. KenPom forecasts Auburn to build 69.7 possessions per game. In its game with Kentucky on Saturday, Auburn had 65 possessions, scoring on 28 of them.
Strength of Schedule: No. 56
The Tigers have the 10th toughest schedule in the SEC heading into the week. Several notable games remaining on its schedule include Tennessee and a rematch with Mississippi State.
Georgia overview
Auburn will skip midweek action and will face rival Georgia for its first of two games this season on Saturday in Athens. Since downing LSU on Jan. 24, the Bulldogs have lost six games in a row, including its most recent game to Florida on Saturday. Georgia has an opportunity to snap its losing streak on Wednesday when it travels to Vanderbilt.
The Bulldogs enter the week with a 14-11 record, and a 4-8 mark in SEC play. Here’s where they rank in the KenPom ahead of this week’s action.
Overall: No. 86
Offensive efficiency: No. 99 (110.5)
Defensive efficiency: No. 80 (100.9)
Tempo: No. 101 (69.1)
Strength of Schedule: No. 51
