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Basketball preview: Auburn vs. Mississippi State

This deep into the basketball schedule, Auburn is still looking for its first SEC road win. The Tigers have come close a couple of times, most notably against LSU and Arkansas, but an inability to score down the stretch has hampered Auburn (13-9, 3-5), and the task gets no easier on the road today against a Mississippi State team that’s arguably the best team out of the SEC West schools this season. Between these two teams, there is very little love lost because of the circumstances surrounding the transfer of former UTEP center Arnett Moultrie, who took an official visit to Auburn as a transfer, but ended up going to Mississippi State, and he is now the Bulldogs’ most profductive player.

Mississippi State (17-5, 4-3) has one of the biggest, most athletic front lines in the SEC this season, and today’s game story highlighted the problems that could cause for an Auburn front line that has largely gotten beaten up on the boards in SEC play. In addition, if Auburn is going to upset the Bulldogs on their home floor, the Tigers are going to need to make Mississippi State play to their pace. The Bulldogs score 69.3 points-per-game. Auburn hasn’t scored more than 69 points in SEC play yet, so to have a chance, the Tigers are going to have to make Mississippi State play to their level.

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Auburn vs. Mississippi State

  • When: 4 p.m. ET
  • Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.
  • TV: SEC Network
  • Last time out: Auburn 59, Georgia 51; Florida 69, Mississippi State 57.
  • Series: Auburn leads 71-64.

Matching Up

  • Center: Coming of three rough performances in his last four, Auburn center Rob Chubb faces a sizable task in posting up 6-10, 285-pound bruiser Ricardo Sidney. At 285 pounds, Sidney has the bulk to knock Chubb out of the lane, and his averages — 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds — mimic Chubb’s despite playing next to another powerful post player in Moultrie. Edge: Mississippi State.
  • Forward: Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel continues to be one of the SEC’s best glue guys — a player who may not be a leading scorer-type who finds a way to get stuff done in other ways — and he’s averaging 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks right now. But Moultrie has the potential to be a program-changing type player, a fact Tony Barbee admitted on Monday. Moultrie is averaging 16.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and has been one of the most dominant post-up forces in the SEC. Edge: Mississippi State.
  • Forward: Whether or not Josh Langford is healthy could play a key role in this game. Freshman guard Rodney Hood, a 6-8 perimeter player, is averaging 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds, and Langford’s combination of length, bulk and defensive ability could be what Auburn needs, but he hasn’t played in two games since suffering a concussion. If Langford can’t go, the task falls to Allen Payne, who has been solid defensively but offers little on offense. Edge: Mississippi State.
  • Guard: A lanky player know better for his shooting touch, the Bulldogs’ Brian Bryant is a solid complementary player, but his SEC high in points scored is only 11. For the most part, he’ll be matched up against Frankie Sullivan, who will not have to shoot over a taller player in this one. Sullivan, who is averaging 11.9 points and Auburn’s leading scorer, should have no trouble getting his shot off. Edge: Auburn.
  • Guard: Part of what makes Mississippi State so dangerous is that the Bulldogs have one of the SEC’s best point guards running the show in Dee Bost, who is averaging 15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists. With a bigger body, expect Barbee to start Varez Ward at the point. Ward has scored 12 and 17 points, respectively, in his last two games, but he’s got a tough matchup in Bost. Edge: Mississippi State.
  • Bench: Chris Denson has been in a bit of a scoring slump for Auburn lately, and without Langford, the Tigers’ perimeter depth isn’t what it could be, although Adrian Forbes provides nice hustle minutes off the bench in the post. When Sidney or Gabriel need a breather, Mississippi State can turn to 6-9, 260-pound bruiser Wendell Lewis, and guard Jalen Steele, a 3-point bomber, has scored 13 points a game over his last three outings. Edge: Mississippi State.

My pick: Mississippi State’s ability to score makes for an awfully bad matchup for Auburn. On the road, the Tigers probably will not be able to keep up with the Bulldogs’ pace.