Texas A&M determined to maintain momentum in Fayetteville

A thrilling Southeastern Conference basketball victory over Kentucky has Texas A&M flying high.

The Aggies (10-6, 1-2 SEC) just have to make sure they’re not flying like a boomerang.

Translation: They don’t want to go back to where they were before their 97-92 win over the then-No. 6 Wildcats.

To maintain their upward trajectory, the Aggies must refocus and prevail at Arkansas (9-7, 0-3 SEC), where victories have been historically scarce for A&M.

Since joining the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have won just once in Fayetteville — an 87-80 victory in 2019.

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A&M is 49-62 all-time against Arkansas and 11-39 in road meetings, last winning in Fayetteville in February 2019.

A&M showed they’re capable of beating any opponent in their impressive showing against Kentucky. The backcourt combination of Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford combined for 59 points and offered a not-so-subtle reminder they’re among the most dangerous guard combos in the country.

But it should also be remembered that previously A&M had lost four of its last six and opened SEC play with consecutive losses to LSU and Auburn.

However, the win over Kentucky has the Aggies back on track. Maybe.

Beating Kentucky is difficult. Winning after beating Kentucky can be just as hard.

The Razorbacks can attest to that.

Last February, Arkansas trounced Kentucky, 88-73, in Lexington. The Razorbacks then lost their next two. They fell to Mississippi State 70-64 and then lost at A&M, 62-56.

That Arkansas team eventually went on to reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

This season’s Razorbacks are in a desperate situation. Although they posted an 80-75 victory over Duke on Nov. 29, they’re just 4-4 since.

That includes three consecutive SEC losses by double-figures. They fell to Auburn 81-51, lost at Georgia 76-66 and last Saturday were blown out at Florida, 90-68.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Andersson Garcia leads the Aggies in offensive rebounding this season, averaging 4.2 per game.

The Razorbacks' biggest problem has been scoring defense. They’re allowing opponents an average of 77.6 points, which is ranked No. 312 in the nation.

They also struggle on the offensive boards, a category in which Texas A&M leads the nation.

Arkansas also hasn’t gotten the expected production from its backcourt. Houston transfer Tramon Mark is off to a great start with a 16.7 average, but guard Davonte Davis’ scoring average is down to 6.6 points. He averaged 10.9 last season.

Also, Washington transfer Keyon Menifield Jr. missed the first 10 games. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 2.3 assists. But at 6-foot-1, 150 pounds, he’s had trouble matching up against bigger guards.

The Razorbacks also have been inconsistent inside. Forward Trevon Brazile, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Duke on Nov. 29, but has averaged just seven points since.