The Pete Maravich Assembly Center will host a reunion of sorts Wednesday night for a pair of OVC standouts who have made themselves at home in the SEC.

When No. 16 Auburn (14-3, 4-1 SEC) takes on LSU (12-5, 1-4) at 6 p.m. (ESPN2) in Baton Rouge, La., the spotlight will be on Johni Broome and K.J. Williams — two of the SEC’s top big men this season and familiar foes from their days at Morehead State and Murray State, respectively.

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“It’s going to be an interesting matchup,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “They played against each other a lot. They’re both having great years for their respective teams. Both players are important to their teams.”

The two former OVC stars were two of the biggest offseason additions for Pearl and first-year LSU coach Matt McMahon through the transfer portal. Broome was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year last season, while Williams was the league’s Player of the Year.

The two went toe to toe four times during their mid-major careers, including three matchups last season. Williams’ teams won three of the first four meetings against Broome and his squad, including each of the three times Murray State and Morehead State clashed last season. While Williams’ teams have enjoyed more success, Broome has enjoyed the advantage in their head-to-head matchups on the floor.

In those four games against Williams, Broome has averaged 19 points, 10.25 rebounds and four blocks per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor. Williams, meanwhile, averaged 14.25 points, 8.25 rebounds and 1.75 steals in those matchups.

Now both are in the SEC and in prominent roles for their new teams as they’re set to renew that rivalry. Broome has been Auburn’s second-leading scorer (12.8 points per game) and leading rebounder (8.6 per game) this season, and he ranks third in the SEC in blocks (2.5 per game) and second in block percentage (10.2 percent). Williams is LSU’s leading scorer and rebounder this season, averaging 18 points and 7.2 boards per game for the Bayou Bengals.

More than just putting up big numbers in the box score, and ranking third in the league in scoring, Williams brings an added dimension to LSU’s offense. At 6-foot-10, he’s LSU’s tallest rotation player; he’s also the team’s best 3-point shooter. Williams is shooting 45.1 percent from beyond the arc while attempting 4.2 3-pointers per game.

“Stretch-fives make every offense better,” Pearl said. “Of course, that’s what everyone runs in the NBA now; all the 5 men can shoot. So, it just spreads the floor and puts a unique challenge on your defense. It won’t be any more of a challenge on Johni or Dylan (Cardwell), who are both really good perimeter defenders. But it’ll just make all the things they do offensively, and their spacing, just so much better — because you have to guard him on the perimeter.”

It’s a challenge that Auburn is bracing for as it heads to Baton Rouge for Wednesday’s road trip. Pearl’s team has been able to pack its defense in a little more in recent matchups against Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, each of which has struggled from beyond the arc this season. The Razorbacks are shooting 29.1 percent from deep, while the Rebels and Bulldogs are both connecting at a 28.8 percent clip from 3-point range.

“This team is better from 3 than some of the teams we played in the last few games,” Pearl said. “…This team, you can’t back off the perimeter as easily because they have guys that can shoot it — which will make that be a little bit more of a challenge for a defense.”

LSU is shooting at a 34.9 percent from deep, with two of its three leading scorers shooting better than 40 percent from long range. Cam Hayes, who McMahon said is expected back in the starting lineup against Auburn, is shooting 41.3 percent from deep, while Williams’ 45.1 percent clip would put him 16th nationally and second in the SEC (behind only Alabama freshman Brandon Miller) if he attempted enough to qualify.

Limiting LSU from deep will go a long way toward Auburn maintaining its recent stretch of solid play, as Pearl’s team enters Wednesday on a three-game winning streak. Of course, winning on the road in the SEC is rarely an easy task, but Auburn is feeling confident it can sustain its recent level of play and pick up a Quadrant 2 win for its postseason resume.

“Johni and us, even if we switch, we better be more connected to him more so than the bigs we’ve played in the past because most haven’t been able to shoot from the arc, especially at a clip like he’s shooting 44 to 45 (percent) from three,” Auburn power forward Jaylin Williams said. “And they are really looking for him to shoot late in the clock, so pin him down and be more sticking to him. If we don’t let him hit three or four threes, then we should be fine.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.