Auburn has little time to lick its wounds after a 30-point loss to Vanderbilt.
"The bottom line is: I'm doing an awful job," said coach Tony Barbee. "This one is on me."
The Tigers face Kentucky in the SEC home opener Wednesday night, with Ole Miss, LSU and South Carolina following.
Kentucky ranks No. 2 in the nation, No. 12 overall in points per game and No. 4 in rebounds. Coach John Calipari is 62-12 in his third year, looking to boast another successful season with all-star talent, including guard Marquis Teague, forward Kyle Wiltjer and five-star recruit Archie Goodwin for next year's class.
"Coach (Calipari) has had a bunch of good teams," Barbee said. "This is another with a bunch of talent and he gets them to play extremely hard and extremely unselfish."
Last season the Wildcats bashed the Tigers 78-54 in Lexington to begin their SEC schedule, and although the Tigers will be playing at home Wednesday, Barbee says the game is a little different facing a top ranked opponent.
"We've got a challenging week, but fortunately for us both of them are at home where we have played much better," Barbee said. "Undefeated at home, but that doesn't make it any easier with Kentucky."
Barbee also commented on freshman forward Anthony Davis's ability to protect the rim.
"At the rate that he does it it makes it very very challenging," Barbee said. "But we've got to get back to playing with some confidence and right now our confidence is a little shaken."
With a 15-1 record and ranked No. 1 in the SEC, Barbee still isn't surprised by the Wildcats continued success.
"Nothing surprises me because I played for him," Barbee said. "He gets his really talented guys to play for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back."
Starting at the game, the student section will officially be called "The Jungle" sponsored by Momma Goldberg's Deli.
The first 750 students to join will receive a free T-shirt and other benefits throughout the season.
The game will air on the SEC Network and Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Limited seats are available for students in the scholarship section for $100 or $20 for a standing-room ticket.
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