Takeaways: A solid defensive effort from Kentucky leads the Wildcats to their biggest win of the season

What can we take away from Kentucky's 70-59 win over Auburn?

The Kentucky Wildcats went to Auburn to take on the Tigers and won 70-59. 

This is the best win of the season for Kentucky as they went to one of the most challenging places to play in the SEC and got a season changing win. The defense was outstanding, leading to a win for the Wildcats. They needed this win, and they were able to get it showing how gritty this team is. 

If Kentucky keeps playing defense like they did against Auburn and Ole Miss, this team can make a run in March. 

What can we take away from Kentucky's win over Auburn?

Antonio Reeves was great

© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

For Kentucky to win this game, Antonio Reeves needed to have a big game, and he did just that, scoring 22 points. 13 of those points came in the second half as Kentucky was able to run away. If Reeves plays like this in March, the Kentucky Wildcats can go far in the NCAA and SEC Tournaments. In big games, your veterans need to show up, and Reeves did, propelling Kentucky to a win over the #13 team in college basketball on the road. 

DEFENSE

Eric Starling/Wildcats Today

Kentucky played excellent defense in this win. The Wildcats held a KenPom top-ten offensive team to just 59 points. The Wildcats last two opponents only scored 63 and 59 points. If this becomes a trend, Kentucky could work their defensive KenPom rating back into the top fifty. If John Calipari's team continues to defend, this team can have a special month of March and perhaps even April. 

Kentucky got a basket when they needed one

Eric Starling/Wildcats Today

Auburn made their runs in the second half, but every time the arena got loud, Kentucky would score a basket on the other end. This team would not let the Auburn Tigers get momentum. If you do this, it makes it really hard for a team to crawl back into the game. This will help Kentucky on the road in their remaining games away from Rupp Arena. Thanks to this massive win, Kentucky is back in the hunt to compete for a Regular Season SEC Title and a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament. 

What's next?

Kentucky will head to LSU on Wednesday to play the Tigers on ESPN at 8:00 pm et.