A basketball game of large importance to be played in Starkville this evening

STARKVILLE, Miss.—That face coach Jeff Lebo is making up there is nearly the same look we had on our face when we hopped onto the spiffy, fancy schmancy beds here at a brand new Hilton Garden Inn.

We’re told that the ever-so-smart mattress adjusts to your body type, which “provides perfect support for a restorative night’s sleep.“

Whatever. The first few moments are a bit painful. Think planks of wood on top of concrete.

Anyways, we aren’t just here in StarkVegas for nothing. The Auburn five will be taking on Mississippi State in a few hours a couple miles up the road at Humphrey Coliseum.

There’s plenty at stake. An Auburn win puts the Tigers in sole possession of second place in the SEC West with two games to play. Remember, the top two teams in each division get a first-round bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament. We’re pretty sure landing that spot would make Auburn a lock for the NIT. Winning out and a strong run in the conference tournament might put the Tigers in conversation to receive an at-large to the NCAA Tournament.

At this point, that’s still a pipe dream. Let’s take a page out of the CoachSpeak bible and go one game at a time.

“It’s nice being able to play meaningful games at this time of the year,” said Lebo, who has yet to take the Tigers to the postseason in his five years on the Plain. “They have put themselves in the position with their play to do that. It is fun.”

Read the rest of our newspaper story here.

(Photo credit: Todd Van Emst)