Texas A&M looking to prove itself on road against No. 17 Florida

Four wins in the past five SEC basketball games – including two on the road – have been something of an oasis for Texas A&M.

The Aggies' next aim is to prove it’s not a mirage.

That splash of success is tempered by the fact that it’s come against four opponents – LSU, Missouri, Georgia and Ole Miss – that have losing records in conference play.

A&M (13-6, 5-6) can add a large measure of validity to its recent climb with a victory over No. 17 Florida (19-5, 9-2) on Saturday morning in Gainesville. The Gators are also on a roll, with five straight victories by double-digit margins. That includes a 22-point victory over Kentucky last week.

An upset in Gainesville would not only give A&M a boost up the SEC standings; it could provide new hope for getting into the NCAA Tournament field.

“It gives us a legitimate chance to talk about postseason,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said on Friday. “You’ve got to beat a ranked opponent on their floor. If they don’t win the league, they’re going to finish in the top two or three. It’s a quality win.”

Alas, at this point reaching the NCAAs will take something dramatic for A&M – like a road victory over a ranked opponent. That’s because too many Aggies have been too inconsistent.

Sophomore guard Admon Gilder has played exceptionally and has scored at least 20 points in four of the past five games. Also, sophomore center Tyler Davis has been consistently effective, while freshman forward Robert Williams has recently emerged as a legitimate offensive threat.

But guards D.J. Hogg, J.C. Hampton and forward Tonny Trocha-Morelos have all struggled with inconsistency this season. Some games they’ve been excellent and other games they’ve been invisible.

For example, Trocha-Morelos scored 16 in a 73-70 win over Missouri on Wednesday, but managed just six in the previous game against LSU.

“We’re going to have to have our best performance,” Kennedy said. “We haven’t had a game where we’ve had all six or seven of our top guys play well.

“It starts with taking care of the ball. They’re going to press us. Kasey Hill, (Chris) Chiozza, KeVaughn Allen and Canyon Barry – those four guards are as good as any in our league. We’ve got to take care of the ball and get back on transition defense because they push the ball and attack the rim.”

Florida is among the SEC’s highest-scoring teams with a 79.4 average, but also is second in scoring defense. Kennedy said A&M must keep Florida below 70 points. That will require setting tempo, which could prevent the guards from parlaying turnovers into transition layups.

Allen leads the Gators with a 13.3 average, while Barry averages 12.7 and Hill averages 10.

“The two teams in the league which have beaten them – Vandy and South Carolina – were able to control the tempo and the game,” Kennedy said. “If we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”

That will put heavy responsibility on Gilder, the makeshift point guard who has played all but one minute of the last seven games. He’ll be challenged by a pressing Florida backcourt that has enabled the Gators to rank second in the SEC in steals and lead the conference in turnover margin.

It would seem difficult to play 40 effective minutes against that pressure, but Gilder thinks he can.

“I will try the best of my ability,” he said. “If coach believes I can play 40 minutes and help us win, then I can do it.”