As No. 1 Auburn pulled away from Oklahoma on Tuesday night in Neville Arena, Bruce Pearl was quickly taking his regular players out in favor of those on the end of the bench who don't see much action. They are the crowd favorites for the 21-1 Tigers, and it was a rare SEC game when Pearl's squad was so far out front that they had a chance to see action.

Blake Muschalek got the first call as the Dallas native checked in at the 3:14 mark. One minute and 20 seconds of game time later, he was joined by fellow walk-ons Presley Patterson and CJ Williams. It was the 11th time that Muschalek and Patterson had entered a game late this season, while Williams has seen the floor eight times.

With 1:08 left on the clock and Auburn up 92-68, Muschalek saw his opportunity. The 6-foot-3 sophomore drove to his right toward the basket. Sensing a shot blocker behind him, he went under the basket and converted a reverse layup. His teammates on the bench went crazy.

"You know, pull out something new every once in a while," Muschalek said. "I've done it at practice a couple times. But, you know, it's fun to show it out on the court."

It wasn't only his teammates going wild. The student section and Auburn fans love it when these guys, who serve as the underappreciated but oh-so-important part of this talented team, get in, and even better when they score.

"It feels great," Patterson said. "It makes you nervous right before you go in because everyone's kinda chanting your name. It's like, 'Oh, you're about to go in.' They just make it a really big deal. But hearing the eruption from fans when you go and check in, it's pretty cool."

And while Patterson and Williams failed to record a stat and Mushalek's lone basket was the reverse layup, the three knew that their contribution to Auburn's win came in the days leading up to the game.

If you get to a basketball practice early most days, you will see the scout team, including Mushalek, Patterson and Williams, going through plays continually until everyone has them down pat. It's the typical pattern for these guys to spend 30-45 minutes learning the next opponent's play calls, how to run the offense and then take it onto the court against the starters and regular reserves.

"Depends on the team, how many plays they got, learn their stuff, kinda go through it with one of our coaches, whoever's scout it is, and then we'll just get into practice, usually go through some of their actions, and then just play them like a real scrimmage," Patterson said.

For the matchup against the Sooners, it was Chad Prewett who had the scout. It is vital for those on the scout team to learn the insides and outs of the opponent's offense so they can run it for Johni Broome and company to figure out. Every team will have different flows, star players and various ways to exploit a defense. If facing Mississippi State, one player will be the de facto Josh Hubbard. Against South Carolina, a big man must take on the role of Collin Murray-Boyles.

It's hours of hard work that goes unnoticed primarily, but not by those doing the work. They know how critical they are to this team and take their roles seriously.

"We wouldn't be a championship-caliber team without the walk-ons on the scout team, "Dylan Cardwell said. "They give us a great look at the opposing team."

"Sometimes we get them on some stuff," Patterson said. "And then we'll run the play again, and our team will guard it correctly."

During games, they know precisely what a team will do once they see the formation and call. That's when they slap each other on the arm and help out their teammates on the floor.

"We'll call it out sometimes like he'll backdoor if he's close to us," Patterson said. "Or if they run this set, they're gonna go this way certain way, they'll run this screen. So it's pretty cool."

So, how did these three get to Auburn, and why did they turn down offers from smaller programs where they could have been the ones going against the scout team and seeing time on the floor? For Patterson, it was due to an injury.

Others had different reasons.

"Just the opportunity, honestly, to play for a program that's big is enticing," Williams, who started his career at Texas Tech, answered. "And then being able to play for a coach that's a legend, going to be in the hall of fame, Bruce Pearl, to be a part of something special and a winning culture was just something I couldn't pass up on."

It didn't take long for Muschlaek to make up his mind about where he wanted to go.

"I visited here and then decided on the way home I was gonna come here and then moved here two or three weeks later," he said. "So it was really quick. I just kind of fell in love with it, fell in love with the place, and then I'm just so blessed with the opportunity to play for a school like this."

Now, they are players on the No. 1 team in America alongside National Player of the Year candidate Broome and a team deadly and deep enough to be considered one of the two favorites for the national title.

So, how has that ride been?

"It's pretty sweet," Patterson said. "It's been atmospheres like I've never seen before. Obviously, at Duke, it's crazy, but Ole Miss was wild. Those fans are crazy. I mean, every game, there are people camping out waiting to see you, which is just wild."

And even though they weren't likely to get into the game against the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the three found that the Cameron Crazies had researched them, making their way onto the infamous cheat sheet for taunting.

"It's pretty funny seeing your name," Patterson said. "It's like, dang, it's a bit personal. I don't know what I did to deserve that."

It wasn't anything new to the Knoxville native, though. Asked for some of the biggest insults thrown his way, he mentions an opposing fan calling him a rec league player once. Before the matchup in Athens against Georgia last month, one Dawg fan told him he looked like a middle schooler.

"It's really just going in there, being number one, embracing that," Muschalek said. "Kinda embracing being a villain."

One of the highlights for Patterson and Muschalek came last March. As the Tigers had put away Florida in the SEC Tournament Championship game, Pearl emptied his bench to get large rounds of applause for the players who put it on the Gators and to reward those on the scout team for their work helping Auburn get in that place.

Patterson even recorded a rebound.

"You're getting on the stat sheet in the championship game," he said. "That's pretty cool."

The 5-foot-11 guard scored his first career points in November in the win against Vermont. Twelve days later, Patterson recorded another milestone by nailing a three in the waning moments of Auburn's victory over North Alabama. His first points in SEC play came in the conference opener versus Missouri.

"First game of the season, the crowd was they were really into it, and I hadn't really got much experience at scoring," Patterson said." It was just like, okay, check that off the box."

"I love for them to get rewarded," Cardwell said. "They're working just as hard as us, actually even harder. They're required to be at the gym before practice sometimes. They deserve all the recognition in the world."

Muschalek's first points came in an even more emphatic way than his reverse layup on Tuesday. Against Alabama A&M last season, he slammed the ball through the basket for his first Auburn field goal.

"That was not how I expected to score my first college points whatsoever, but it was open and it was a thrill I haven't experienced in a long time," he said.

With the Tigers rolling and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament expected, the question had to be asked: tie game in the national title, clock running down, who would these three want the ball in the hands of for the game-winning shot?

Much like Auburn's spot atop the polls, the answer was unanimous.

"Broome," all three said almost in unison.

While it will be Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and those who the college basketball world has become familiar with throughout the season who will get the headlines as Auburn tries to bring home its first national title in program history, Patterson, Muschalek and Williams love the role they have on what is the best team in the country, even if they don't get time on the floor, and even if Patterson doesn't get to play against his hometown Volunteers.

"We hope for a big win every time, but, I mean, that game was personal," he said. "I'm just happy we got the win. If I played zero minutes, if I played two, I really don't care. As long as we get the win, I'm happy. Everyone goes home happy."

These three have a good chance of walking out of the Alamodome in San Antonio the happiest they've ever been on April 6.