A&M not 'banking' on previous win vs. Kentucky in Nashville rematch

Focusing on a goal can be difficult if looking back.

That appears to be the message Tyrece “Boots” Radford sent to his Texas A&M basketball teammates.

Though the No. 7 seed Aggies (19-13) remain on the proverbial “bubble,” they enter a 6 p.m. clash with No. 2 seed Kentucky (23-8) in the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a chance to bolster their case for inclusion in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky is ranked No. 9 in national polls. The Wildcats have a No. 18 NET ranking, which would qualify as a Quadrant 1 victory if the Aggies win.

A&M could find encouragement from a 97-92 overtime victory over Kentucky in January. Except, Radford tells his teammates not to look for it there.

“It was a big game for us, but we can’t bank on that game,” Radford said. “We’re passed that. We’re a different team now. They’re a different team. We just can’t think about that.”

To Radford’s point, A&M has had significant changes since that win over Kentucky.

Wade Taylor IV scored 31 points and Radford had 28 in that win. But Manny Obaseki managed just five points.

Obaseki recently has emerged as an offensive threat. He has scored in double figures in each of A&M’s last five games.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

The reigning SEC Player of the Week, Manny Obaseki has reached double figures in five straight games. He scored only five in the January win vs. Kentucky.

Also, forward Andersson Garcia had just five points and eight rebounds in that game. He has grown into a rebounding machine and has had 10 rebounds in eight of the last 11 games.

That includes his double-double performance in A&M’s SEC Tournament-opening 80-71 victory over Ole Miss on Thursday night. Garcia had 11 points and 14 boards against the Rebels.

Kentucky, too, has had notable changes.

The biggest, quite literally, is the addition of 7-foot-2 Croatian center Zvonimir “Big Z” Ivišić, who was not eligible when Kentucky played A&M.

Ivišić is averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13 games. He has blocked 17 shots.

Though Ivisic can be problematic on defense, Taylor said A&M wouldn’t alter its game plan for him.

“Our game plan will change based on what we need to do,” Taylor said. “I’m not sure that ‘Big Z’ will determine if we change our game plan. I’m pretty sure he’s a great player, but we’ll focus on what we need to focus on to win the game.”

That’s a wise approach. Kentucky is second in the nation with an 89.5 scoring average. Five Wildcats average in double figures, led by guard Antonio Reeves, who averages 20.2 per game.

He had 22 in the first game against A&M. Guard D.J. Wagner had 18, and guard Rob Dillingham had 15.

Yet, the Aggies still found a way to win. If they find a way to win again, they may find themselves in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.