Slumping Aggies ready to prove they're far from folding vs. No. 1 Auburn
Not even the slickest card shark could arrange a stacked deck as daunting as the one Texas A&M is facing.
The Aggies (15-9, 4-7) are in the midst of a seven-game Southeastern Conference basketball losing streak.
They next face No. 1-ranked Auburn (22-2, 10-1) at 11 a.m. on Saturday. On the road. And after Auburn just sustained only its second loss of the season.
That’s a tough hand to be dealt. Folding might appear to be the best option.
However, despite their recent struggles, the Aggies have not yet given up. They say they won’t either. Not even after scoring just 16 points in the first half of a 76-68 loss to LSU last Tuesday.
And not even with Auburn having won all its SEC home games by at least nine points.
“We’ve played in sold-out arenas. We’ve played in packed places. We’ve played on the road,” sophomore forward Henry Coleman III said after the LSU loss. “I think the guys are composed. We’re gritty. We’re hard-working. Hopefully, that will pay off. Going into that environment, we’ll be a calm team in certain situations.
“If we can play the way we played in the second half for a full 40 minutes, I think we’ll be a really good team.”
The Aggies will have to be good on the defensive boards, which has been their Achilles’ heel.
A&M is last in the SEC and 329th in the nation in defensive rebounding. Complicating matters, Auburn averages almost 13 offensive rebounds to rank 21st in the country.
“I think they understand who they are,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said of Auburn. “They play with complete understanding with what they’re trying to accomplish on both ends.
“There’s a reason why they’ve only lost two games.”
Several reasons, actually.
For starters, there is the inside duo of 6-foot-10 freshman Jabari Smith and 7-foot-1 sophomore Walker Kessler. Smith averages 15.5 points, while Kessler averages 11.6. Smith also leads Auburn in 3-point percentage.
The Tigers also have threats from the perimeter. Guard Wendell Green has converted 44 times behind the 3-point arc. Guard K.D. Johnson has hit 37.
They all figure to be seeking redemption for an 80-76 overtime loss to Arkansas, in which Auburn shot just 25 percent (8-of-32) from 3-point range and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the free-throw line.
Williams can cite examples, though, that show the Tigers are not invincible.
The loss to Arkansas — a team A&M has defeated — is certainly an example. So, too, was a narrow 74-72 victory over Georgia last week and a 55-54 escape from Missouri last month.
Further, the last time the Aggies visited Auburn, they upset the No. 17 Tigers 78-75 on March 4, 2020.
As usual, A&M must minimize turnovers and maximize defensive boards. The Aggies must also shoot more accurately and give more overall effort than they did in the loss to LSU.
Indeed, Williams said the Aggies focus more on what they need to do than what Auburn does.
“I think relative to what we show our team, it would be what is it we need to do in order to have success?” Williams said. "When we show clips, we show clips from league play not necessarily certain games.”