Out in Front: Texas A&M leaves no doubt it's the class of the SEC

You’re hesitant to go all in.

You’ve held a full house before only to be left stunned and devastated by a four-of-a-kind.

• The clinching layup that rolled off the rim against Memphis.
• The buzzer-beating deep three-pointer against LSU.
• The uncalled foul against UCLA.
• The overtime loss to eventual national champion Louisville.

You’ve endured so much disappointment as a Texas A&M basketball fan that the mere notion of hoops grandeur seems like a pie-in-the-sky concept.

But go ahead, reach up and grab that pie. Cut out an enormous slice and put a big ol’ scoop of Blue Bell on it. In fact, make it two.

Texas A&M’s dominating 71-54 victory over LSU on Tuesday night should have removed any lingering reservations or doubts about just how good these 16-2 Aggies really are.

They blew out an LSU team that blew out Kentucky. They did it despite Danuel House having a poor shooting performance. They did it despite Alex Caruso getting in early foul trouble.

LSU has Ben Simmons, the best freshman in the nation. Yet, A&M had the best freshmen on the floor. Indeed, Tyler Davis and Admon Gilder both outplayed the heralded Simmons.

These Aggies have chemistry. They have depth. They got 37 points from freshmen. That’s freshmen who should get better. They’ve got four seniors, three of which have never played in the NCAA Tournament. Reaching that elusive goal should prevent complacency and egotism from becoming an issue.

“I told our guys just do your job,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “Don’t get caught up in the hype, the rankings. Just focus on doing your job and the rest will take care of itself.

“I was really proud of our guys. Danuel didn’t shoot the ball well, but having six assists and 10 rebounds, Admon (Gilder) and D.J. (Hogg) … really everybody gave us good minutes. Our bench was a big difference. When your freshmen are scoring 37 points in a game at this level, it’s pretty impressive.”

The Aggies are ranked 10th in the nation. They might be underrated. Bracketologists are projecting them as a third seed in the NCAA Tournament. That might be too conservative.

A&M hasn't captured a conference championship since the Shelby Metcalf era, but it’s time to clear space in the trophy case for a Southeastern Conference souvenir.

Don’t take my word for it. Heed the words of ESPN basketball analyst Seth Greenberg, who is lauding the Aggies these days.

“Texas A&M is the best team in the SEC because they’re the hardest-playing, toughest team,” Greenberg said. “If you break down their basketball team they’ve got a legitimate low-post player in Tyler Davis. He’s only a freshman, but he’s a wide body that demands the ball and runs the floor.

"They’ve got what I call book-end wings in Danuel House and Jalen Jones. They’ve got maturity in them. They’re tough, they’re physical. They attack the basket and they’re hard to keep off the glass. And then in the backcourt they’ve got Anthony Collins and Alex Caruso — they don’t turn it over. They’re very good passers. They see plays. Most importantly, they defend.

"This is the most complete team in the SEC. They’ve got toughness. They’ve got skill. They’ve got athleticism and they’ve got depth.”

At 6-0 in SEC play, they’ve also got a nice lead in the conference championship race. True, a dozen games remain. True, Kentucky and South Carolina — who are also nationally ranked — still loom.

Yet, both are vulnerable and both come to Reed Arena. The dangerous Ole Miss Rebels do, too.

Aggies get two games against struggling Missouri. They have another game against Mississippi State, which the Aggies beat in Starkville without House.

Sure, there’s plenty of work remaining, but these Aggies don’t mind working hard. They’ve got the tools to get the job done.

House and Jones are big-time scoring threats. Caruso is among the most versatile players in the country. Anthony Collins is a reliable point guard that makes minimal mistakes. Davis appears to be developing into a major force in the low post. The bench is solid.

So, don’t hesitate. Go all in on the Aggies. Go ahead and believe they’re the best team in the SEC.

Heck, by the end of January they could make an argument for being the best team in two conferences.

They’ve already beaten three teams from the Big 12 and have Iowa State coming in on Jan. 30.

No doubt, that day Reed Arena will be a full house as the Aggies look for four-of-a-kind.