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Texas A&M Basketball

5 Thoughts: Texas A&M 85, Central Arkansas 59

December 30, 2021
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1. Quenton Jackson - Buzz has talked about the team's inconsistency so far this year, but Quenton Jackson has consistently improved his ability to lead the team in scoring with every game.

His 31 points against UCA last night is a career high and he accomplished the feat in a very efficient manner, making 11 of his 18 shot attempts and going 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Although the Ags were favored by 20+, the score was within three points for nearly 3/4 of the game. Jackson was the only Aggie to carry the scoring load throughout the game until the Maroon and White was able to make the final scoring run and build an insurmountable lead.

The Bears missed 28 shot attempts on the night. The Ags grabbed 22 defensive rebounds and only allowed six second chance opportunities.That is very high level rebounding, no matter who the opponent is.

2. Aaron Cash - Although Cash hasn't been the focal point of any one game in particular, he's changed the momentum and the outcome of numerous games in a matter of minutes. His ability to rebound and out-hustle the opponent has been the necessary spark off the bench in a handful of games and the hope is for him to continue to perform in such a manner during SEC play.

3. Rebounding - The Bears missed 28 shot attempts on the night. The Ags grabbed 22 defensive rebounds and only allowed six second chance opportunities. That is very high level rebounding, no matter who the opponent is, for a team that struggles with rebounding. A&M will have to continue to get better on the boards and try to replicate the rebounding effort in this game.

4. Three-point defense - The Ags had poor closeouts against Central Arkansas, which allowed the Bears to make 58% of the three-point shot attempts taken in the first half. The Aggies' helpside rotation was a step slow, which made for long distance closeouts to the shooter, and in turn, wide open attempts for UCA. This error in defensive rotation will have to be corrected if the Ags expect to make a run through the SEC.

5. SEC - Speaking of the Southeastern Conference, Arkansas lost to Mississippi State (a little bit of a shock), Kentucky beat Missouri (no shock in this outcome), Alabama beat Tennessee (somewhat shocking, but not considering they played in Tuscaloosa and not Nashville), and Auburn beat LSU (no shock in this outcome considering the location of the game). 

 
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