When talking about the legacy of NBA great Michael Jordan, it doesn't take long before fans starting bringing up the legendary "flu game" when Jordan led the Bulls in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.
While the stakes might not be quite as high, it seems that Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is attempting to have his own version of that on Saturday evening against Kentucky.
While Freeze did not make the trip with his team to Kentucky yesterday, it has been reported that he's still planning to coach tonight when the Tigers take on the Wildcats. According to reports from ESPN Pete Thamel, Freeze is flying up to Lexington today and he will attempt to coach tonight.
Sources: Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is battling an illness — potentially food poisoning — and didn’t travel with the team to Kentucky yesterday. He’s flying up to Lexington this morning and is expected to coach.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 26, 2024
According to the report, Freeze is potentially dealing with food poisoning, though this hasn't been confirmed.
There has been plenty of backlash from Auburn fans directed towards Freeze, particularly in the last few weeks. Though the coach has only been there for two seasons and is recruiting at a high level, there are already fans who are ready to say goodbye to Freeze.
With a 2-5 overall record and an 0-4 record in the SEC, this is a pivotal matchup for the Tigers in conference play. If they can't find a way to win tonight against Kentucky, they very well could be staring down a winless season in conference play.
On the other sideline, there is pressure mounting from Kentucky fans to part ways with longstanding coach Mark Stoops. Stoops currently has Kentucky sitting at a 3-4 record with a 1-4 record in the SEC heading into the matchup this evening. Interestingly enough, there was even a "Fire Mark Stoops" sign spotted on this morning's edition of ESPN College GameDay.
Kentucky and Auburn are set to kickoff at 7:45 p.m. E.T. on the SEC Network.
We'll provide more updates here on Freeze's status for the game tonight when they are provided.