Aggies must find better shots - and shooters - in SEC opener at Arkansas
As Texas A&M’s perimeter shooting struggles continue the solution seems to get clearer. A&M doesn’t need better shots. A&M needs better shooters.
The Aggies (6-5) have the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the nation (23.5) as they enter Southeastern Conference basketball play on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Arkansas. Arkansas (11-1) leads the nation in 3-point defense. The Razorbacks have held opponents to 21.9 percent shooting from behind the arc.
A&M’s roster isn’t going to change, and injured freshman sharpshooter Cashius McNeilly apparently won’t play. Therefore, the Aggies must work harder and smarter to get the basketball through the hoop.
“We need to be able to shoot the ball better. Some of that has to do with the talent on the roster needing to be able to make open shots,” coach Buzz Williams said. “But also some of it has to do with the types of shots we’re shooting. We’ve improved in that regard. Like any other statistic that you would study, there are other meanings behind it.
“Our turnover rate has been so poor sometimes we just want to get the ball on the rim so we have a chance to get an offensive rebound as opposed to having a live ball turnover.”
Getting the ball to the rim means getting the ball to 6-foot-9 senior post Josh Nebo, who leads the Aggies in scoring at 11.4 points per game and with a 67.2 shooting percentage.
“Everybody knows we should probably throw the ball to Nebo,” Williams said. “So, the (opposing) defense is wired to not allow you to do that. The pressure on the ball and the pressure on the pass we don’t do a great job of handling. We’re working on that, too.”
The Aggies, who are on a three-game winning streak, have made progress on defense. They’re allowing 60.8 points per game to rank 29th in the nation in that category. Their last four opponents have managed just 60 points or less.
Arkansas, which is coming off a 71-64 victory over Indiana, will test the A&M defense. Behind the guard trio of Mason Jones, Isaiah Joe and Jimmy Whitt, the Razorbacks average 74.8 points.
“The only chance we have is to shorten the game, make sure that at most the opponent only gets one shot,” Williams said. “So our priorities have to be defense-based first.”
That is unless the Aggies suddenly find their long-range shooting touch. Junior guard Jay Jay Chandler, whose 12 three-point goals tie Chuck Mitchell for the team’s second-highest total behind Savion Flagg’s 17, remains confident the Aggies can become more accurate on 3-point attempts.
“We’re all working on them,” Chandler said. “We have to keep shooting threes. They’re going to eventually start falling.”
The Aggies certainly hope so.
