Kentucky gets to play a new role on Saturday in Rupp Arena: the older, battled-tested, experienced team.
Of course, Kentucky remains dependent on freshmen. The two leading scorers, and three of the top five scorers are freshmen.
The same is true of Auburn . . . only more so. The Tigers’ top three scorers are freshmen, and four of the top five.
“The freshmen are the leaders of the team,” said Sonny Smith, a former Auburn coach who now serves an analyst on radio broadcasts of Auburn games. “They are the better players on the team.