JUSTIN ROWLAND:

Too many things went wrong for Kentucky to pull off a tough road win against a quality team tonight. Ashton Hagans played poorly and was saddled with foul trouble. Nick Richards stayed out of foul trouble but was as quiet as he's going to be. The supporting cast didn't have a stand-out contributor. Kentucky got worked on the glass, giving up too many second-chance points, and Auburn made up for some cold-shooting early with a million trips to the free-throw line. In the big picture, this loss doesn't have to mean too much, but they have to get Hagans playing better and Kentucky has to be more up to the challenge in the paint.

DAVID SISK:

We all knew this would be a tough one. The bottom line is Kentucky played Auburn’s game. The Tigers stretched them and drove. They piled up 29 fouls on the Cats and shot 44 free throws. When they missed they crashed the boards to the rate of 17 offensive boards. In the other end, their pressure forced Hagan’s and Quickley to beat them off the dribble. The two combined for 45 of the team’s 66 points. The on-ball pressure never let Nick Richards get touches. He had 7 points. Ashton Hagans never got comfortable with just 5 points and 6 turnovers. Kentucky also has 9 more fouls than field goals. This team can regroup. We all knew that 2-1 the last three Saturdays would be adequate. Now they have a chance to go on a four-game run.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

When you look at the stats and see that Kentucky got next to nothing from its two best players -- Ashton Hagans and Nick Richards -- it's a little surprising that the Cats didn't lose by more than nine. They actually led for most of the night because Auburn did not play very well. The Tigers' shooting was horrible (35% FG, 26% 3PFG). The game ultimately boiled down to the glass, where Auburn dominated rebounds to the tune of 42-28. Bruce Pearl's squad had 17 second-chance points after UK held Vandy to zero on Wednesday night. Throw in 33 made free throws for the home team, and that's the ballgame.

TRAVIS GRAF:

Long term, there’s reason for fans to be encouraged by this game. Kentucky played one of their worst games of the season — Hagans foul trouble and a non-factor, Nick Richards with an average performance — and they had a fighting chance until the very end. It’s very hard to beat a team that shoots 44 free throws and hits 33 of them. Tyrese Maxey seems to be turning the corner after a second consecutive strong performance and Immanuel Quickley continues to deliver. The worst part of the game was Kentucky not responding to the Tiger’s physicality, getting out-rebounded 42-28.