BTHO Mizzou!
Photo by Will Huffman, TexAgs
Click here to view Texas A&M’s Tuesday press conference.
Transitive properties do not apply to basketball.
Texas A&M can be thankful for that.
Transitive properties would suggest that because Missouri defeated Florida and Florida defeated Texas A&M, then Missouri (16-7, 6-4) should defeat A&M (17-6, 7-3) in Wednesday’s 8 p.m. CT Southeastern Conference clash at Reed Arena.
The Aggies are aiming to rebound from back-to-back losses to Alabama and Florida, but they acknowledge it won’t be easy against Missouri.
“They’re obviously a very capable team,” Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan said of Missouri on Tuesday. “They’re long. They’re big. They have shot makers. A dangerous team that can beat anybody.”
To his point, Missouri has also beaten Kentucky and Auburn. But the Tigers have also lost to struggling SEC rivals Ole Miss and LSU and escaped an Oklahoma upset bid by a mere one point.
There goes the transitive properties theory.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Texas A&M has won its last five meetings with Missouri.
“Alabama is a very good team, and they got pounded by 30 (actually 23 in a loss to Florida),” McMillan said. “Missouri beat Florida. Vandy is a great team, and Oklahoma goes in there and gets them (last weekend).
“It’s just the way it is.”
Indeed, that’s life in the SEC. Anybody can beat anybody. That’s a message McMillan has for the Aggies.
Message received.
“This league is crazy,” guard Jacari Lane said. “Anybody can beat anybody. That’s why we have to come out and just play our game and don’t take no game for granted. Come out and do what the coach is giving us in the scouting report.”
The book on Missouri should show 6-foot-9 guard Mark Mitchell, who averages 17.6 points, can be a dominant force. He has scored at least 18 points in seven of the last nine games.
The book should also show guards Jayden Stone and Jacob Crews are 3-point threats.
“This league is crazy. Anybody can beat anybody. That’s why we have to come out and just play our game and don’t take no game for granted. Come out and do what the coach is giving us in the scouting report.”
However, since falling to Florida on Saturday, the Aggies have probably spent as much time on self-reflection as they have on Missouri.
“We’ve just got to worry about playing our best basketball,” McMillan said. “Usually things work out when we do that.”
Obviously, that wasn’t the case. Though among the nation’s leaders in 3-point shooting, A&M converted just one of its first 19 attempts from behind the arc against Florida.
Consequently, A&M was held 23 points below its scoring average.
“We have to have the humility as a program to know that just like every other team every night it’s not going to be perfect,” McMillan said. “I watched North Carolina State play Louisville (Monday) night. North Carolina State has been a great defensive team, an NCAA Tournament team and got beat by about 40 and gave up 120 points.”
NC State fell 118-77, but McMillan’s point is made.
“That just shows what you can expect in the SEC,” A&M forward Rashaun Agee said. “You never know what team you’ll get from each team.”
A&M’s team-leader in scoring (14.0), rebounding (8.8) and vocalizing, Agee also had a message for his teammates.
“Y’all didn’t expect us to just sweep the SEC — Just come out and win every game or play a perfect game all year,” he said. “Things happen. All we can do is learn from it, grow from it and continue to become a better team.
“I feel like the great teams always bounce back.”
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