No. 20 Aggies' SEC title chase facing final road test against Auburn

Above: Watch Billy Kennedy and Alex Caruso look ahead to the Auburn game following Monday's practice.

Perhaps still feeling the buzz of a successful weekend, Texas A&M basketball fans undoubtedly are looking ahead.

An A&M victory over Missouri combined with losses by Kentucky and South Carolina put the Aggies in position to potentially win the SEC championship when they play Vanderbilt on Saturday. It would be their first conference basketball title since 1986.

However, first there is a matter of defeating Auburn on Tuesday night.

“At the beginning of the season we talked about it being 30 years and what a great opportunity it is for us to win a conference championship,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said on Monday. “All we wanted to do was put ourselves in position to win a championship. We’re in that position. But it’s all about tomorrow and the Auburn Tigers. That’s all we’re focusing on right now.

There may be temptation for the Aggies (22-7, 11-5 SEC) to look ahead to Saturday. That’s especially the case considering Auburn (11-17, 5-11) is 13th in the SEC standings, is coming off a 65-57 loss to arch-rival Alabama and recently lost leading scorer Kareem Canty, who left the team on Feb. 12.

But there are four factors that should cause some uneasiness as the Aggies venture out on the Alabama plains.

• A&M has been inconsistent on the road. The Aggies are 4-5 on opponents’ home courts.
  
  
• Auburn has been upset-minded at home. The Tigers have posted home court victories over Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia.
  
  
• Auburn has converted an SEC-leading 254 goals from three-point range. Opponents have hit at least eight three-point field goals in six of A&M’s seven losses.
  
  
• Auburn upset A&M in the first round of last year’s SEC Tournament, which likely knocked the Aggies out of the NCAA Tournament.

“Auburn really hit their stride late last year,” senior guard Alex Caruso said. “I had a terrible game and the team didn’t play well as a collective unit. This is a different (Auburn) team. They have a couple of the same guys, but their guards are a lot different.

"They’re kind of finding their stride after a couple of guys were dismissed from the team. They’re starting to play better. They’re dangerous. Any time in March Coach (Bruce) Pearl has them riled up and ready to go.”

Still, A&M has reasons to feel optimistic despite those factors.

The Aggies were without guard Danuel House when they lost to Auburn, 66-59, last season. House is averaging 15.4 points and has scored at least 13 points in four of the past five games.

Also, these Aggies are much better and deeper than a year ago.

Seven players average more than six points per game. That includes true freshmen Tyler Davis (11.0) and D.J. Hogg and Admon Gilder (6.7). Senior forward Jalen Jones averages 15.7 points, while Caruso averages 8.0 points, leads the SEC in steals per games and is fifth in assists.

Despite its road struggles, A&M is a respectable 4-4 on the road in SEC play. Further, the Aggies are 2-0 at Auburn under Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Canty was responsible for 69 of Auburn’s three-pointers. When he left he was leading the Tigers in threes. Freshman guard Bryce Brown now leads with 74.

Indeed, Auburn may need A&M to be looking ahead to Saturday.

Caruso said the Aggies won’t.

“We have to win that game, too,” Caruso said. “There is no wiggle room for us. This game is just as important to take care of business and win an SEC championship as the game against Vandy at home on Senior Night.

“If we don’t take care of this one the one against Vandy doesn’t really matter much. That’s how we’re going into it. We’re focused on beating Auburn before we do anything else.”