I know most of you won’t be able to see this live tonight, but I want you to know WVU is wearing its black uniforms for this one. That’s a first this season, and that makes me think the Mountaineers are feeling frisky this time of year.

Also, I’m sorry I didn’t get this going earlier, but let’s just say the Longhorn Network thing you’re enduring is not the full extent of the inhospitable nature afforded to outsiders.

Of note: Texas forward Jonathan Holmes, who missed Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma State with a knee injury, has been cleared to play. WVU did a pretty good job on him last game — 2-for-7, nine points — but the 6-foot-8 Holmes was part of the problem on the boards. He had 12 as Texas finished plus-19.

Who intrigues me most is Javan Felix. The Mountaineers couldn’t keep him out of the paint last game — to be fair, many teams have that problem — and that was a big reason the Longhorns were “only” 4-for-9 from 3-point range — they didn’t need jumpers. Felix is the team’s leading scorer in Big 12 play (15.2) and he was 6-for-8 from 3-point range Tuesday. That had to skew the scouting report for WVU, but that can’t be the norm, right?

Then again, you probably hope Remi Dibo’s 6-for-8 against Iowa State is the norm, or at least closer to the expected outcome than the 1-for-7 against Kansas. He’s looked good for a while. I thought he had the look early against Kansas before the fouls got to him, and he definitely had it going against the Cyclones. Huggins started leaning on Dibo when the team started to find a groove against Baylor and he’s started the past four games.

I think he’s a key tonight because he’s a guy who can pull a defensive rebounder away from the basket, but he’s also that potentially reliable third scorer WVU is constantly trying to identify. You can reasonably assume Juwan Staten and Eron Harris are going to find their way to 35 or so points. Terry Henderson might be the other guy on a given night, but a lot of that depends on if he believes in it.

Dibo believes in it. He’s going to put the shots up from 3. He’s going to find his seat on the sofa on left of the basket along the baseline. It doesn’t matter if the first one or two go in or not. They’re going up.

And before we begin, I’d like to ask you a question because I prefer absolutes and I have an interesting one for you to consider …

Is this West Virginia’s most relevant basketball game since joining the league?

What I mean is have the Mountaineers played a more meaningful game relative to current events, the immediate aftermath and the postseason scene? I would argue no and probably arch my brow at a counter.

There were only a few interesting candidates last season (Gonzaga because of the “Was that NCAA Tournament game a fluke?” curiosity, Michigan because of Mr. Beilein, Kansas Part II because the Jayhawks had never been in the Coliseum). There are a few possibilities this season, and I know peaking WVU just played at Kansas, on national television no less, and gave the Jayhawks trouble.

But I think it’s hard to go into that game feeling as optimistic about a win as you might tonight. This is not the Phog, but Texas is No. 19 and second to Kansas in the Big 12 and a win here answers a bunch of questions. Best case scenario: Kansas State loses at Baylor(and by the way, the way the Wildcats are going, that’s certainly set up to happen) and WVU walks out of here tonight in third place in the conference standings and tied with Oklahoma. The Mountaineers would have eight conference wins in their pocket and in need of two more to guarantee a winning record in Big 12 play.

As for other games remaining that might be big for WVU, eh. Baylor, Iowa State, TCU and Oklahoma aren’t ringing bells for me, though Iowa State has potential for the spectator’s appeal, and a lot of work that could be done at home against Kansas could be accomplished tonight.

I don’t know, maybe there isn’t much debate because the history is so short and largely forgettable, but I have a hard time thinking there’s a bigger occasion this season than what the Mountaineers have tonight.

I’ll hang up and listen.