Coogs stand in the way of Texas A&M's Tournament two-step

Click here to view Friday’s NCAA Tournament press conference.

OKLAHOMA CITY — In honky-tonks, a “two-step” is considered a rather simple dance. But in basketball arenas, executing a two-step has been difficult for Texas A&M.

In recent years, A&M has had difficulties taking the second step in the NCAA Tournament, which is commonly referred to as “The Big Dance.”

After posting an impressive 63-50 victory over Saint Mary’s in the first round, the No. 10 seed Aggies (22-11) aim for elusive second-round success when they face No. 2 seed Houston (29-6) on Saturday at Paycom Center at 5:10 p.m. CT.

In each of the last two seasons, the Aggies have tripped in the second round.

Last year, they lost to Michigan 91-79 in Denver. Two seasons ago, A&M fell in overtime to Houston, 100-95, in Memphis.

But those A&M teams were under former coach Buzz Williams. Maybe the results will be different with first-year coach Bucky McMillian leading the Aggies.

Callie Garner, TexAgs

Thursday was the first NCAA Tournament victory of Bucky McMillan’s career.

Still, getting past Houston — which overwhelmed Idaho, 78-47, to open March Madness — won’t be easier.

“Well, they look like five Tyrannosaurus rexes out there,” McMillan said about Houston on Friday. “They’re long, big, athletic, well-coached and tough.

“Ball screen defense is good. One-on-one defense is good. Post defense is good. They rebound really well. (They) Bring back three starters from their Final Four team last year. So (they’ve) got experience.”

Forward Joseph Tugler and guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan started for the Cougars in their 65-63 loss to Florida in the national championship game last year.

Sharp and Uzan average in double figures, while Tugler averages more than eight points per game.

They’ve been joined by freshman guard Kingston Flemings, an All-Big 12 selection who averages 16.4 points.

Containing the guard trio of Sharp, Uzan and Flemings will be the Aggies’ primary task.

“Obviously, they got one of the best guard groups in the country,” A&M guard Rylan Griffen said. “Arkansas is up there. Alabama is up there, too. They're right there with those guys when it comes to guards.

“We all know they have guards who can pass, dribble and shoot. They can get downhill, and they're really, really fast guards. They can shoot from anywhere. They're going to be a really tough matchup.”

Of course, A&M can cause problems, too. All-SEC forward Rashaun Agee is a force inside. He also has the ability to come out and score from the 3-point line. He had 22 points and nine rebounds in the win over Saint Mary’s.

Also, Rubén Dominguez had a trio of 3-pointers vs. Saint Mary’s. Griffen, guards Pop Isaacs and forward Zach Clemence have the ability to score in bunches, too.

But the Aggies’ high-pressure defense is arguably their greatest asset.

A&M faced a tough inside matchup against St. Mary’s, which had a roster infested with 7-footers.

The Aggies mounted a spectacular defensive effort to force 18 turnovers, neutralize Saint Mary’s posts and dominate scoring in the paint.

Callie Garner, TexAgs

Ali Dibba led the Aggies with three steals vs. Saint Mary’s on Thursday.

They must duplicate the energy, but will have to change the game plan vs. the guard-oriented Cougars.

That’s fine with McMillan.

“They're strong. They're tough. That's just the way, when you get deep in the Tournament, good guard play is,” he said. “But, you know, you still got to be us. Saint Mary's obviously had good guard play, a low-turnover team, and we were effective in containing those guys as much as we could. We've got to be us and let it rock.”