Auburn University’s men’s basketball team is preparing for a key matchup against Oklahoma on Tuesday night, following a significant comeback win over Kentucky that has improved their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. The game will mark Auburn’s 16th Quad-1 contest this season, the most in the country.
Freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams commented on the team’s mindset after their recent victory: “Getting that win lightened our shoulders a little bit but we’re still hungry, we’re still desperate. We still know we have to play our way into the tournament. That’s our only goal right now. We know we’re at our best when we’re playing desperately.”
The Tigers had limited time to recover and prepare for Oklahoma, departing Auburn less than two days after facing Kentucky. Williams-Adams emphasized the importance of focus in the Southeastern Conference (SEC): “The SEC is not somewhere where you can just show up and expect to win the game. For the rest of the season, we’re playing for our tournament hopes. That’s been our main focus.”
Oklahoma has experienced difficulties closing out games this season but recently secured consecutive wins against Vanderbilt and Georgia, including an away victory over Vanderbilt that ended a nine-game losing streak.
Auburn head coach Steven Pearl described Oklahoma as a challenging opponent: “This is an incredibly dangerous team. They’ve had double-digit leads against a lot of teams in our league and have leads late in games. They are more than capable. They’re one of the top offenses in our league and in the country. They play hard as heck defensively.
“They’re still playing with a ton of effort and energy. It’s a team that plays well at home (9-5). Incredibly dangerous opponent and they have our full attention.”
Oklahoma’s Nijel Pack leads both the SEC and ranks tenth nationally in three-point shooting percentage at 44.1 percent while averaging 15.7 points per game for his team.
Pearl highlighted Oklahoma’s shooting ability: “They have a ton of games with double-digit makes,” he said. “They’ve got multiple guys who can really shoot it. We’ve got to do a great job understanding who we’re guarding. We have to have great closeouts in this game and do a great job of contesting shots.”
Tuesday’s game at Lloyd Nobles Center will be Auburn’s first visit to Oklahoma’s venue in program history. Auburn enters with a record of 15-12 overall and 6-8 in conference play, while Oklahoma stands at 13-14 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
Among other notable statistics, KeShawn Murphy achieved his fifth double-double this season during Auburn’s win over Kentucky, recording career highs with 25 points and ten rebounds—all five double-doubles coming during SEC competition.
Additionally, Tahaad Pettiford has averaged 18.6 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting across Auburn’s away games this season.
Oklahoma is one of only two power conference teams—alongside Houston—to use the same starting lineup throughout the entire season.
After facing Oklahoma, Auburn will return home to host Ole Miss on Saturday evening at Neville Arena.
