Preview: Texas A&M Looks for Three-Peat Against LSU

Returning home, Texas A&M hopes to add to their winning streak
Preview: Texas A&M Looks for Three-Peat Against LSU
Preview: Texas A&M Looks for Three-Peat Against LSU /

COLLEGE STATION - Take one look at the Texas A&M basketball bench, fun should be a word to describe. Tangled up into the emotions of first-year head coach Buzz Williams, the Aggies have been a roller coaster team entering the start of the decade. 

When hired by Ross Bjork, Williams promised to bring a change to the culture up in Aggieland. With eight victories, competitive play and an above .500 record, the former Hokies coach has lived up to those expectations at Reed Arena. 

Improvement has been the base for A&M this season and Williams has seen the team grow both on and off the court early in conference play. 

“It’s another rep for them to have a comprehension level of the storyline of the game,” he said Monday on his weekly radio show. “Now, can we take the next step, relative to the opportunity, of how we handle that.” 

With back to back victories against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, the Aggies (8-6, 2-1 SEC) should feel confident heading into the second half of the month. Perhaps fans will gain a better picture of the team's outlook when Will Wade's LSU Tigers enter Reed Arena on Tuesday night. 

First-half struggles have lead to second-half success for Williams' squad. Known for their theatrics, the Aggies have led a total of four times heading into halftime this season through 14 games. Two games away from home, A&M has lead in minutes. One of those games was in the Orlando Invitational against Fairfield. 

They would end up falling short, losing 67-62. 

“We’re better in the second half because we’re embarrassed of the first half,” Williams said. “How many times do we have to be embarrassed the first half, before we go, ‘Oh, we don’t look very good?’”  

A 16-point lead over the Commodores last Saturday certainly gave A&M the confidence needed to remain in control. So did active play from young talents such as freshmen Emanuel Miller and Andre Gordon. Gordon would score 15 points for the second time in three games while Miller tallied six points and seven rebounds in the 69-50 victory at Memorial Gymnasium.

Although the Tigers (11-4, 3-0 SEC) have seen struggles this season, a perfect record in conference play could speak volumes for the future of the program. After dropping a pair of losses to East Tennessee State and USC, LSU rebounded to pick up close victories over Arkansas and Mississippi State to remain undefeated in the SEC. 

The Aggies must prepare for the likes of Skylar Mays, who will be the center point for the Tigers' offense. In his final year with the team, Mays continues to improve, leading the Tigers with 15.8 points and 2.7 assists on the year. Wingman Trendon Watford, played a crucial role in the 79-77 victory over the Razorbacks last week. 

The small ball tactic should be beneficial for the Aggies, who shot 53% from the field last Saturday against Vanderbilt. Along with better ball movement and fewer turnovers, the Aggies continue to improve with Williams during his first season. Although not every game ends with a win, the team continues to fight down to the wire, making plays and holding teams back on their way to the buzzer. 

Perhaps Williams will know where he sits in the SEC after Tuesday's outcome. With a three-game win streak, A&M would rank third in the SEC. And perhaps that could lead to a rising percentage when it comes to the committee voting. 

“We’re redoing it, and can we redo it and can we figure out a way to just get a little bit better relative to these things?” Williams said.

Tipoff will take place at 6:00 p.m. at Reed Arena. The game will be nationally televised on SEC Network. 


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Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson