Intensity pivotal to Texas A&M's Sweet Sixteen bout with Michigan

LOS ANGELES — The route from College Station to San Antonio requires a winding drive on Highway 21 and a turn due south on I-35.

But for Texas A&M — at least this week — the road to San Antonio goes through Michigan and perhaps western Washington or the Florida panhandle via Los Angeles.

It’s a trip the Aggies are confident they can make.

A&M (22-12) faces Michigan (30-7) in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA basketball tournament on Thursday night. If the Aggies advance they’d next vie with Gonzaga or Florida State for a berth in the Final Four in San Antonio.

During a Wednesday press conference at Staples Center, the Aggies acknowledged how close they are to reaching San Antonio and how attainable that goal is.

“We do understand that because we’ve talked about that from spring on,” Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said. “My phrase to the guys the last couple of days has been: ‘Keep your eyes on the prize.’ In doing that we’ve got to beat Michigan, so everything has to be about Michigan. We’re not here just to win one game. It’s another two-game tournament.”

Jeremy Brevard/USA Today Sports

Center Tyler Davis has been key to Texas A&M's two tournament wins, posting 32 points and 24 rebounds.

A&M excelled in its previous two-game tournament. The seven-seed Aggies advanced from out of Charlotte by defeating Providence, 73-69, and then destroying defending national champion North Carolina, 86-65, with an orgy of blocked shots and inside scoring.

Meanwhile, Michigan has been less impressive.

The Wolverines muddled through a 61-47 first round win over Montana then needed a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to escape Houston, 64-63.

The Aggies know they must carefully guard Michigan forward Moritz Wagner and guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman. They also know they must guard against overconfidence. They cannot afford take for granted duplicating the performance against North Carolina.

They say they won’t.

“Our guys all year long have felt like we can beat anybody,” Kennedy said. “We know when we’re locked in and focused on what we need to do we can beat anybody. I don’t think they’ll be afraid. It’s about staying within the system, which we’ve done a good job of the last two games.

“I think that’s the biggest thing. Not to get the big head because you’ve won a couple of games. You’ve got to stay humble and keep focused on what got you there. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Junior center Tyler Davis, who has scored 32 points and snatched 24 rebounds in the Tournament, said the Aggies cannot just assume they will follow up the North Carolina win with another stellar performance.

He should know, too. He started as a freshman when A&M staged a historic comeback to beat Northern Iowa and advance to the Sweet Sixteen only to be blown out by Oklahoma.

“We can’t take it for granted,” Davis said. “We’ve just got to bring it. We’ve got to scout teams. It’s another team. It’s another day. At the end of the day, we’ve got to focus on playing hard.”

That seems so easy. But it hasn’t been the case. In mid-February the Aggies endured consecutive losses to Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi State in which their effort was subject to scrutiny.

“We’ve always tried to (give great effort),” junior guard D.J. Hogg said. “I don’t know if we were always as focused as we are now. But I think it’s showing we are pretty focused now.”

Star forward Robert Williams is a prime example. Obviously motivated in Charlotte, he’s hit 9 of 12 field goal attempts, grabbed 27 rebounds and blocked four shots in the Tournament. Yet, Williams admitted that he hasn’t always given 100 percent effort.

“I just tend to take plays off sometimes,” he said. “My coaches stressed that to me. My teammates stressed that to me. They just told me when you’re at 110 percent effort we follow you. I’ve been trying to keep that up. We’re rolling from here on out. I can’t let up.”

They won’t. Not when they’re this close to San Antonio.

No doubt, Michigan is a major roadblock. The Wolverines are on an 11-game winning streak. That includes victories over Michigan State and Purdue, which is also in the Sweet Sixteen.

The 6-11 Wagner causes matchup problems because he’s adept at the three-point line. Abdur-Rahkman has scored in double-figures in six of the last seven games. Point guard Zavier Simpson is an exceptional passer and strong defender. He’s a big reason the Wolverines are among the nation’s stingiest defensive teams, allowing just 63.1 points per game.

The Aggies aren’t overconfident, but they aren't scared.

“I think we’re more focused on our effort,” Hogg said. "When we play hard and play together we’re unbeatable or very tough to beat.”