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The Auburn Tigers have not secured a win at Kentucky since 1988 but will look to break that streak on Saturday. Ahead of the matchup, head coach Bruce Pearl revealed that he is working to obtain an additional year of eligibility for one of his players.

According to 247Sports’ Nathan King, Pearl stated that Auburn is going through the process of securing another year for forward Chaney Johnson. Johnson has been a key contributor off the bench, averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He recently recorded 13 points in Auburn’s dominant 106-76 victory over Ole Miss on Wednesday.

Now in his second season with the program, Johnson appeared in all 32 games last season, averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 74.4% from the free-throw line.

Before transferring to Auburn, he played three seasons at the Division II level for UAH, where he averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during the 2022-2023 season, earning Gulf South Conference Player of the Year honors. If granted another year of eligibility, Johnson would be a valuable asset for Auburn next season, reinforcing the team’s depth.

Saturday’s game will mark the first meeting of the season between Auburn and Kentucky. First-year head coach Mark Pope leads Kentucky, which enters the matchup with a 19-9 overall record and an 8-7 mark in conference play. Meanwhile, Auburn holds a 26-2 overall record and sits at 14-1 in conference competition.