The last time Porter Moser’s Sooners (16-5, 3-5) took the floor, they faced a must-win game against Vanderbilt, and responded with a dominant 97-67 victory.

In that game, Oklahoma’s recipe for success was clear: five players in double figures, 55% shooting from three, a 39-24 rebounding advantage, and a staggering 61 second-half points. Saturday’s 30-point victory in a game they had to have was massive for the Sooners.

Now, Tuesday night presents the exact opposite scenario. This time, Oklahoma has nothing to lose as it travels to Auburn to take on the nation’s No. 1-ranked team.

Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (20-1, 8-0) are not just ranked first in the AP Poll, but also lead in the NET and KenPom rankings—two polls that arguably carry more weight. This game is poised to be Oklahoma’s toughest test of the regular season. Not only are they facing the best team in the country, but they’ll be doing it in Auburn’s gym, where the Tigers have yet to lose a game this season.

Here’s what the dominant Auburn Tigers bring to the table, along with some keys to the game as the Sooners head into Neville Arena with an eye on an upset of No. 1 on Tuesday night (8:00 pm CT, SEC Network).

The nation’s top team features one of the nation’s top players — Johni Broome — who is one of the two leading candidates to win the Wooden Award. The other player in that race with Broome is Cooper Flagg of Duke, the only team to beat Auburn in the 2024-25 season thus far.

Broome is averaging 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 blocks on 52.0% shooting from the field. Since conference play began, Broome has ranked first among SEC teams in both offensive rebound percentage and block percentage, showcasing the significant impact he has on both ends of the floor.

But it’s not just Broome who will be a tough matchup for the Sooners. Chad Baker-Mazara (13.0 points), Tahaad Pettiford (11.6 points), Miles Kelly (10.7 points), and Denver Jones (10.3 points) are all averaging in double figures.

Those four players, alongside Broome, form the scoring depth of this Auburn team. Take Pettiford, a freshman, for example—he had his best scoring game of the season just four games ago against Georgia, putting up 24 points. Or Kelly, who has scored 13 or more points in six of his last seven games.

In addition to having one of the top players in the country and five different players averaging in double figures, Auburn ranks 1st in the country in offensive efficiency. And that’s not all—the Tigers also rank 1st in non-steal turnover percentage, meaning they rarely commit turnovers of their own and heavily limit turnovers in general.

Here’s a breakdown of where Auburn ranks across various statistical categories, including offensive efficiency and non-steal turnover percentage, where they sit at No. 1:

If you look at the type of teams Jeremiah Fears has struggled with in SEC play, it’s clear that strong rim protectors have been an issue at times. When he faces long teams with solid shot blockers, that’s when the struggles typically surface.

To put it simply, Oklahoma can’t afford that on Tuesday night. If the Sooners are to pull off an upset in Neville Arena, where KenPom gives them just an 8% chance to win, Fears needs to have his best game since conference play began—better than even his performance on Saturday, where he recorded 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

But it’s not just Fears who’ll need to be at his best. Oklahoma will also need Jalon Moore, who returns to his home state for this game, to show up strong. Moore, coming off a 19-point performance where he scored 15 of those points in the second half, will need to carry that same level of aggression throughout the entire game, not just in the second half.

While Fears and Moore are key to Oklahoma’s offense, the Sooners will need contributions from everyone on the roster to pull off the unthinkable upset against Auburn. The Tigers are unbeaten at home this season, making the challenge even steeper, but if Oklahoma is to have any chance, it will take a team effort.

Duke Miles, who chose between Oklahoma and Auburn in the offseason, will have to deliver. Miles was crucial in the win over Vanderbilt, scoring 11 points and dishing out four assists with zero turnovers. He’ll need to keep that momentum going.

Brycen Goodine and Dayton Forsythe must step up as well. For Goodine, it means hitting shots from beyond the arc, while Forsythe needs to continue his strong play—whether it’s providing an energy boost off the bench or putting up a scoring effort similar to his 14-point performance against Vanderbilt, or just continuing to be a difference maker.

The depth of the roster will also be vital. Mohamed Wague, Sam Godwin, Kobe Elvis, Luke Northweather, and Glenn Taylor — who has been solid recently — will all need to bring something to the table, whether it’s defense, rebounding, or scoring. It’s all hands on deck if the Sooners hope to pull off this monumental upset.

In the last game, Oklahoma was red-hot from beyond the arc, shooting 11-20 (55%) from three-point range. The impressive part? Eight different players contributed to that total. Goodine, Moore, and Forsythe each hit two threes, while Fears, Miles, Elvis, Taylor, and Northweather all added one. This shooting depth will be key again against Auburn.

It starts with Goodine, who will need to get hot and knock down multiple three-pointers. When a team shoots 55% from deep, it’s a recipe for success, and that kind of shooting is exactly what the Sooners will need to hang with, or even beat, the No. 1 team in the country. Oklahoma will need to play a near-perfect game to stay in the hunt and give themselves a chance to pull off the upset.

Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!

Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!

Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!