The Auburn Tigers have not won at Kentucky since 1988 but will attempt to end their losing streak on Saturday.
Before then, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl revealed he has been trying to secure another year of eligibility for one of his players.
Per 247Sports’ Nathan King, Pearl said Auburn will go through the process of securing another year of eligibility for forward Chaney Johnson.
Johnson has been a reliable scoring option for Auburn off the bench. He averages 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He finished with 13 points in Wednesday’s 106-76 win over Ole Miss.
Johnson is in his second season with the program. Last season, he played in all 32 games and averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He was also consistent from the free-throw line, shooting 74.4%.
Auburn is not the first college basketball team that Johnson has played for. He started his career at the Division II level for UAH, where he spent three seasons.
During the 2022-2023 season, Johnson averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Year.
If the NCAA grants Johnson another year of eligibility, Johnson would be a solid piece for Auburn next season. Depth is an essential attribute for a college basketball team.
Saturday will be the first time all season that Auburn and Kentucky have played each other. First-year head coach Mark Pope runs Kentucky. Kentucky is 19-9 overall and 8-7 in conference play coming into the matchup.
Auburn boasts a 26-2 overall record and is 14-1 in conference play.
Tipoff from Rupp Arena in Lexington is at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.