Auburn vs Kentucky 3/31/19 - NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions

The No. 5 seeded Auburn Tigers meet the No. 2 seeded Kentucky Wildcats at the Honda Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday for an NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Elite 8 showdown. Auburn defeated No. 1 seed North Carolina on Friday 97-80 after hitting 17 baskets from long distance. However, the Tigers lost their third leading scorer and top rebounder Chuma Okeke to a knee injury.

Kentucky reached the Elite 8 with a 62-58 win over No. 3 seed Houston. The Wildcats received a big 3-pointer from guard Tyler Herro with just over 25 seconds remaining to help lift Kentucky to the win. Team high scorer PJ Washington returned for Kentucky after missing the tournament’s first two rounds. Washington scored 16 points and blocked a shot late in the game that could have been a difference-maker for Houston. Bryce Brown leads Auburn in scoring with an average of 15.8 points per game. Jared Harper is the team leader in assists with an average of 5.8 per game. Chuma Okeke is the team leader in rebounds with an average of 6.8 per game. Auburn is shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point territory.

PJ Washington is the leading scorer for Kentucky with an average of 14.8 points. Three other Wildcats are averaging double figures in scoring. Ashton Hagans leads the Wildcats in assists with an average of 4.5 per game. Washington is leading the Wildcats in rebounds with an average of 7.5 per game. Kentucky is shooting 47.7% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point territory.