Feline Fluster: A&M stuns No. 2 seed Kentucky in SEC quarterfinal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Buzz Williams lied on Friday night. Twice.

First, he said Texas A&M can't play basketball like Kentucky and expect to win.

"We can't play the way Kentucky plays," Williams said. "They have a Hall of Fame coach (John Calipari), and it's arguable they have the most talented roster.

"For us to try to play the way they play, we have zero probability of winning."

Lies.

Later, he said the Aggies’ style of play is never aesthetically pleasing. More lies.

Posting their fifth consecutive victory, the Aggies (20-13) beat ninth-ranked Kentucky (23-9) at its own game with long-range shooting and clutch free throws in a scintillating 97-87 SEC Tournament quarterfinal performance.

Wade Taylor IV hit a half dozen 3-pointers on his way to 32 points. Tyrece Radford scored 23, Manny Obaseki scored 17, and Solomon Washington scored 11.

And it was all beautiful.

The Aggies struck 11 times from 3-point range. They shot 42.3 percent behind the arc. Kentucky, which leads the nation in 3-point percentage, shot 40.7 percent.

A&M worked inside for swooping layups from Radford, and Obaseki made power moves over Kentucky's 7-footers.

"It's crazy," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "There were times we weren't bad defensively. They just made tough shots."

The Maroon & White clinched their brilliant victory by converting nine of 10 free throws in the final 100 seconds.

The Aggies turned 13 offensive rebounds into 26 second-chance points, while Kentucky had nine. They forced 14 turnovers, which they parlayed into 18 points. The Wildcats managed just four points off six A&M turnovers. They scored 18 points on fast breaks, while Kentucky had 14.

A slack-jawed Kentucky-dominated crowd at Bridgestone Arena couldn't believe A&M blew out Big Blue. Maybe it was a bourbon-infused illusion.

No such luck.

A&M trailed for just 41 seconds. The score was 1-0. The Aggies led by as many as 16 points. Every time the Wildcats tried to rally, the Maroon & White held them off.

The Aggies have several big wins this season. Six Quadrant 1 victories, to be exact. Yet, this one was the best performance.

Wasn't it?

"I don't know," Williams said. "Obviously, I'm exhausted after two games in two days and incredibly thankful that we have a chance to play again tomorrow.

"Grateful for the synergy and consecutiveness of our guys. Not just the five games in March, but I think the five-game losing streak in February for them to stay connected speaks to who they are.

"I also think it's scarring our heart in a good way to overcome a lot of what's transpired. When you lose five in a row, a lot of things are revealed."

Oh yeah … the five-game losing streak.

That skid, which extended from Feb. 13 to 28, put the Aggies squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. One more loss would've burst that bubble.

But now the Aggies are riding a five-game winning streak into a Saturday SEC semifinal clash with Florida. That game will provide more opportunity for A&M to make its case for the NCAA Tournament. It would be a chance to perhaps add to their six Quad 1 victories.

Denny Simmons/The Tennessean

The Aggies are making their third-straight appearance in the SEC Tournament semifinals with the win over the Wildcats.

Calipari said the Aggies can already rest their case.

"I think they're fine," Calipari said. "They've done enough to be in the Tournament. And the way they played today — if they shoot the ball the way they shot it today — they're going to win games. They're a good team."

Alas, good typically isn't good enough for A&M.

Two years ago, it wasn't good enough to get into the NCAA Tournament after the Aggies reached the SEC final.

Last year, the Maroon & White's charge to the SEC title game warranted only a No. 7 seed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

Who knows what it will take to convince the selection committee this year?

"In truth, whatever it is, we have to do more," Williams said. "If you go 9-9 in the SEC for Texas A&M, that's not good enough. If you play 13 Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, that's not enough if you're at Texas A&M. There's always something that you have to do more."

Williams speaks the truth.

That's what Buzz does. Well, except after posting a beautiful victory by beating Kentucky at its own game.