AUBURN — Coming off an undefeated week on the road against LSU and No. 23 Ole Miss, the top-ranked Auburn Tigers are gearing up for a tough home stretch starting with Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
"Oklahoma was 13-0, and I think they were ranked. They won the battle for Atlantis. I think they were ranked 12th or 13th at one point. And of course, they started conference play and lost a few games, but they have won three out of the last four in-conference," said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. "They're coming in playing well, an outstanding offensive team."
Led by potential first-round NBA Draft pick Jeremiah Fears, who averages 16.1 points per game and a team-high 4.2 assists, and Jalon Moore, who leads the team with 18.2 points per game, the Sooners come in as the only program to rank in the top five in field goal percentage (first at .496), 3-point field goal percentage (second at .404) and free throw percentage (fifth at .739) in SEC play.
"They're number one in three-point percentages and are ranked in free throw percentage. It's a really good offensive team, and coach does a great job. I think he's very innovative. Porter Moser is very innovative offensively," Pearl said.
Additionally, Moore and Fears make Oklahoma the only team in the SEC with two players who rank in the top 11 of the SEC in scoring.
"He is on the draft boards, is potentially a top 10 or 15 pick. So he's different. He's different and obviously has got to be the focal point of any scouting report," Pearl said of Fears.
"Having a great year. I mean, having a great year. Miles (Kelly) remembered him being a good athlete, but has transferred to Oklahoma now and really developed. He's a really tough cover," Pearl later added of Moore.
For Auburn, it is coming off another Quad I win on the road against No. 23 Ole Miss, in which it saw two big men post double-doubles and a backcourt combine for 12 of the team's 14 3-pointers – which was its best performance from behind the arc in SEC play.
With that, Johni Broome earned SEC Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week and was selected as the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points and 14.0 rebounds in the Tigers' wins versus LSU and Ole Miss.
However, Ole Miss' Sean Pedulla scored 29 points and did everything in his power to get the Rebels past Auburn on Saturday—something Pearl says Oklahoma mimics with its prolific guard play.
"Obviously, Pedulla did a fantastic job, and they did a great job of having him go down and attack. I think Oklahoma's got, they've got three dynamic guards that are all small, quick, and all can blow by you. Fears, (Duke) Miles and number one (Kobe Ellis.) Those three guys are all really hard covers and all really hard to stay in front of. That's one of the things that Ole Miss definitely, definitely hurt us with," Pearl said.
The Sooners are seeking their first win over an AP top-ranked opponent since the 2001-02 season, while Auburn looks to remain undefeated in SEC play and improve its winning streak to 14 games.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on SECN.
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