By: Andrew Gribble – OA News

It’s a big day for Auburn basketball and, perhaps, an even bigger one for Jeff Lebo.

As you read this, I’m currently en route to Nashville for today’s first-round game against Florida. I’ll be blogging and tweeting a bunch from Bridgestone Arena, so make sure to start following the blog on Twitter if you haven’t done so yet.

I have a big story for you in today’s Opelika-Auburn News, which thoroughly examines a number of factors surrounding Lebo’s cloudy job status. I won’t ruin it for you, but it’ll probably be less of a surprise if Lebo is fired—based on recent, comparable situations around the SEC—than if he’s retained heading into the first season at Auburn Arena.

Here are the finer details of tonight’s matchup.

Auburn (15-16, 6-10) vs. Florida (20-11, 9-7)
What: SEC Tournament; first round
Where: Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, Tenn.
When: 6:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: SEC Network/WKKR 97.7 FM
Scouting report: Auburn had major issues with foul trouble when it faced the Gators last month, allowing them to attempt 40 free throws in the 78-70 loss in Gainesville, Fla. Both teams have had their ups and downs ever since, but the Gators have much more to lose today. Florida, like it was last year when the teams met in the SEC quarterfinals, is on the bubble. The Gators definitely can’t afford to lose to Auburn and would probably need to score a victory Friday against Mississippi State to feel safe. The Gators provide a tough matchup for Auburn because their two forwards, Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus, can do work inside and outside the paint. Auburn and Florida have split their six meetings at the SEC Tournament.
Projected starters Auburn: F Lucas Hargrove (12.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg), F Johnnie Lett (1.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg), G DeWayne Reed (16.1 ppg, 4.3 apg), G Frankie Sullivan (12.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), G Tay Waller (15.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Projected starters Florida: C Vernon Macklin (10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg), F Chandler Parsons (12.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg), F Alex Tyus (11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg), G Kenny Boynton (13.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg), G Erving Walker (12.7 ppg, 5.0 apg)