Autumn chills usually mark the beginning of the hunting season.
For head coach Buzz Williams & Co., Monday marks the start of a hunted season.
Fifteenth-ranked Texas A&M hosts Texas A&M-Commerce for a 7 p.m. non-conference basketball game at Reed Arena to open the 2023-24 campaign.
For the first time in Williams' College Station tenure, the Aggies begin the season among the AP's top 25.
"We need to be better on the things that we can control, and we need to realize that in the same way we used to play with an edge, people are playing with an edge against us now," Williams said. "That doesn't mean we need to lose our edge. It means we need to have more of an edge."
What is the third-highest preseason ranking in school history is certainly warranted.
The task is to validate those expectations.
"Try not to let the number in front of our name put an expectation on us because we know what we need to do as a basketball team to be better every day," forward Solomon Washington said. "What we can be, we know what it is and what we need to do."
A year ago, A&M finished second in the SEC at 15-3. At 25-10 overall, the Aggies earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2019.
With 88.4 percent of their offensive production back, A&M is projected to place second in the league. SEC Preseason Player of the Year Wade Taylor IV and All-SEC guard Tyrece Radford lead a wildly talented and experienced group.
Such excitement and anticipation still come with some apprehension as another slow start is possible. Last Sunday's exhibition loss to Texas Tech serves as a reminder.
"Yes, it didn't count, but it did count," Williams said. "We would be foolish not to interpret the lessons in the right way.
"We got hit in the face on Sunday at North Texas. It didn't count, but it does count only if we take the lessons and apply them over what's about to happen."
Monday begins a stretch of eight games in 23 days, and with a marquee clash at Ohio State set for Friday, A&M is refusing to overlook Commerce — which finished 13-20 a year ago.
"I think we're taking it one day at a time. I don't think we're looking forward," forward Henry Coleman III said. "We want to be good today so we can be great tomorrow, and that's something that we've preached throughout this whole year."
And rightfully.
Last season, the Lions upset both Air Force and Hawaii early. They also beat NCAA Tournament participant A&M-Corpus Christi on the road.
Under Williams, the Aggies have also shown struggles in "guarantee" games, even at home.
Reed recently witnessed close calls with Louisiana Monroe, Troy, Tarleton and Abilene Christian. There was the Wofford debacle.
While focused on rebuffing a trend of early-season struggles, the Aggies are maintaining the same mindset.
"We've kept the same mindset of being the hunters still," Coleman said. "Before every game, Wade still breaks the huddle down, and he still says, 'Hunt!' I think that's what we have to continue to do. If we get content with being hunted, then this team won't have any success, so we have to continue being the hunters."
The hunt officially begins on Monday.
