The challenges don’t stop for Auburn men’s basketball.

The Tigers will play their second Big Ten opponent in three games on Saturday, making the short trip up to Birmingham for a matchup with Purdue.

It’s another Quad I game for Auburn, already its seventh of the season so far and a game where it might be without its top player. All-American center Johni Broome suffered a shoulder injury against Georgia State, and while Bruce Pearl didn’t rule him out against Purdue, it would be a tough ask for Broome to be at full strength five days later.

The game will be Auburn’s final major test before conference play and the last game before a nine-day break.

Here’s a closer look at Purdue:

The season so far

Purdue comes into the game 8-3 (1-1 Big Ten) and its best win came against Alabama on Nov. 15. The Boilermakers are ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and 22nd in KenPom’s efficiency rankings.

The Auburn game will be Purdue’s fourth against a Southeastern Conference team, and second in a row after a loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. So far, Purdue is 2-1 against the SEC with wins over Alabama and Ole Miss and the loss coming to Texas A&M.

Like Auburn, Purdue has played six Quad I games, but is 3-3, placing the Boilermakers at No. 31 in the NCAA’s NET Rankings.

One thing that stands out about Purdue’s schedule so far is its record in road games. The Boilermakers have only played two, but lost both double digits. Saturday’s game won’t technically be a true road game for Purdue but having it in Birmingham makes it a de facto home game for Auburn.

Players to watch

Purdue looks a little different this year, losing its 7-foot-4 superstar, Zach Edey, to the NBA. However, the Boilermakers still returned multiple contributors from last season’s team that made the national championship.

Purdue’s top three scorers — Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith — are all in their third season with the program. Kaufman-Renn is the player to watch most on offense, leading the team in both scoring and usage rate.

He averages 18.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and is Purdue’s primary center. At 6-foot-9, it’s a different look compared to Edey and other Purdue big men of the past, but he’s been an effective player through 11 games.

While Kaufman-Renn leads the team in scoring, Smith is the one who makes the offense run. He averages 13.4 points per game, but his 8.5 assists per game rank fourth in the country. Smith also leads the country in assist rate (46.1%), per KenPom.

When he’s not creating plays and distributing the ball, Smith is a more than capable scorer. Not only does he average double-digit points, but he shoots 42.6% from 3, making him someone defenses can’t help off of.

Speaking of shooting, Loyer is arguably Purdue’s best shooter, making 50% of his 3-pointers this season. Of players who have played at least 60% of the team’s minutes, Loyer leads the team in effective field goal percentage (59.7%) and true shooting percentage (64.9%).

He and Smith help lead the way from the perimeter on a team that shoots 40.1% from 3, the 11th-best mark in the country.

Keys to the game

3-point defense

This has been a strength for Auburn this season, successfully shutting down two great 3-point shooting teams in Memphis and Ohio State.

Purdue is similar in how efficient it is from beyond the arc and another solid defensive performance can tip the game in Auburn’s favor early. Auburn’s length on the perimeter gives it an advantage here, but potentially not having Broome can take away some of that help defense.

Be aggressive on defense

One of Purdue’s weaknesses this season has been turnovers, currently holding an 18.4% turnover rate.

Purdue doesn’t force a lot of turnovers either, making this an area where Auburn can create a clear edge. As mentioned when talking about 3-point defense, Auburn’s length can give it an advantage here.

If Auburn can give Purdue confusing looks like it has other teams, it can create opportunities for turnovers that can quickly turn a game.

Team effort

This especially applies if Broome does not play on Saturday. Given the way Auburn plays and distributes minutes, this isn’t something that would normally be a concern, but not having Broome would take away the go-to-guy in situations where you have to have points.

Chaney Johnson would probably be the player asked to step up most, likely starting at the four with Dylan Cardwell at the five. Johnson isn’t Broome, but is a capable scorer who at 6-foot-7 can be a versatile option on both ends of the floor.

Auburn’s guards have been consistent for much of the season, but without Broome drawing attention in the paint, things might not open up as much for the players on the perimeter. While those players are certainly capable of making plays on their own, they may be asked to do more of that than usual on Saturday.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m