Auburn has fought its way into the top five of the AP Poll, now up to No. 4, but its toughest test of the season comes on Tuesday when the team travels to play at No. 24 Alabama.

Alabama comes into the game fresh off a loss at Mizzou, but holding wins over Gonzaga, Houston and Tennessee.

"I think the thing that jumps out to me is just where we started when we first got here," Bruce Pearl said. "Whether it was talking to Coach Davis or Coach Johnson or even Coach Oats to try to have this Auburn-Alabama basketball game mean as much as the football game or some of the other [sports] -- the softball game or the baseball game or the gymnastics meet."

Tuesday's matchup is similar to 2020, when Auburn entered the game 15-0 and No. 4 in the country, but dropped the game 84-63.

Pearl will be looking for a different result this time, but knows it won't be easy.

"They do a great job of — long shots, long rebounds," Pearl said. "And so they may not possess every 50-50 ball, but we've got to do a good job of rebounding the basketball, obviously, taking care of the basketball. Getting back in transition, because Alabama gets that ball down the floor, make or miss, as well as anybody in our league. They do a great job playing fast."

On the forefront of Pearl's mind is slowing down the guards of Alabama, with Jahvon Quinerly, Jaden Shackelford and JD Davison all presenting potential problems for Auburn.

Pearl is also focused on Noah Gurley, someone Auburn talked with when he was in the transfer portal and is averaging 11 points and six rebounds in SEC play. Pearl equated him to Herb Jones from last year's Alabama team.

"If Alabama's team or coaching staff were playing and coaching somewhere else, they'd be like one of my favorite teams in college basketball and one of my favorite coaches 'cause the way they play," Pearl said. "They run, they spread it, they shoot the 3 ball, they get it to the rim, they get to the foul line, they play hard defensively, they're hard to guard, they make great adjustments.

"Really great team and a really great system. It'll absolutely be our greatest challenge so far this year."

The game is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN at Coleman Coliseum.

"In men's basketball, both programs — ESPN was not covering our game, it was the late game on the SEC Network or something else. Anyways, it's good to have our programs where the game matters more than just to the people here in the state of Alabama," Pearl said.