Vanderbilt's desperation brings added motivation for No. 12 Texas A&M
Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s Tuesday press conference.
Aggie angst is rising amid a two-game slump.
So, a reminder may be needed that Texas A&M is still in the midst of a remarkable basketball season.
The Aggies (20-7, 9-5) can alleviate some angst on Wednesday at Reed Arena when they face Vanderbilt (18-9, 6-8) in a 6 p.m. CT Southeastern Conference clash.
It won’t be easy, though. Few games are in the treacherous SEC race. Six of A&M’s SEC games have been decided by two possessions or less.
Facing Vanderbilt, which on Saturday defeated then No. 24 Ole Miss, figures to be another down-to-the-wire struggle.
Consecutive hard-fought SEC losses at Mississippi State and to Tennessee — both nationally ranked opponents — made those frustrated forget that A&M is:
- Ranked No. 12 in national polls
- Projected as an NCAA Tournament No. 3 seed by “bracketologists”
- Ranked 17th in the NET rankings
- Tied for fourth place in the strongest conference in college basketball
“What we’re doing is historical,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said on Tuesday. “If that’s not enough, I completely understand. We need to win every game. We need to make every shot. We need to recruit better players. All those things.
“I do think our organization is built for this time of the year. I do think we have an incredible group of competitive players, who have great maturity and great character.
“Some of the ups and downs and the thin lines that you’re competing against, I think our organization has been able to grow from and improve. I’m thankful to be a part of it.”
The Aggies have suffered back-to-back losses only one other time this season. They fell to Alabama and Kentucky in consecutive games in early January. Then, they won seven of their next eight.
Quite frankly, Vanderbilt “needs” a victory much more than A&M does.
While the Aggies are a shoo-in for March Madness and virtually playing for the highest possible seed, Vanderbilt needs to enhance its NCAA resume.
Vanderbilt is No. 43 in the latest NET rankings, and a “Quadrant 1” road win would certainly boost the Commodores’ resume.
Therefore, the Aggies know they’ll get Vandy’s best shot. They know because the Aggies were in a similar position a year ago.
“Last year, we didn’t know if we were going to make the tournament at this time,” A&M guard Jace Carter said. “We kind of know the feeling they’re playing with.
“We need this game. We can’t go three losses in a row, especially at the house (Reed). We need this game just like they need this game. Just having the right mentality and going about it and having a good practice (on Tuesday) is going to be important.”
Vanderbilt has a balanced lineup with four players averaging 9.9 points or more. Junior guard Jason Edwards, a transfer from North Texas, averages 17.3 points to lead the way. He had 15 in the victory over Ole Miss, which was his 12th straight game in double figures.
In fact, Edwards has scored in double figures in every game except the SEC-opening loss to Mississippi State in which he sustained a thigh injury and played just 11 minutes.
Behind Edwards, Vandy averages 79.6 points, which is the sixth-highest in the SEC.
But the Aggies are probably more concerned about themselves than anything Vanderbilt does.
The Aggies had 19 turnovers in the loss to Mississippi State. They converted just five of 30 shots from 3-point range against Tennessee.
Improving in those areas is a top priority, but matching Vanderbilt’s desperation is just as vital.
“I remember being in the back of class trying to watch March Madness,” A&M forward Henry Coleman III said. “If you’re a basketball fan, if you’re a basketball player, it’s the best time of year. There’s nothing else like it.
“So to have a game that could solidify yourself into March Madness, you will play with a different level of confidence, hustle, togetherness.
“I think everybody in the (A&M) locker room knows that Vanderbilt is going to come out and play unbelievably hard because of the circumstances that they're in. For us, we have to remember that and play even harder.”
