Kentucky has manage to string together a nice stretch of wins in SEC play lately and now the Wildcats will look to survive another road test at Texas A&M.
The Aggies have had a rough year but right now A&M is playing its best basketball of the season.
Here CI staff writers offer thoughts and predictions on the game.
David Sisk: John Calipari and Buzz Williams have done the two best coaching jobs in the Southeastern Conference. I thought early on that they were one of the three worst teams in the SEC, but now, low and behold, they are 8-6 in league play. Texas A&M will have to play really well to win, but that is what they’ve done the last three games. A team that averages 64.7 points has raised that to 78.3. 39.8% shooting has went up to 49.9%. 27.6% three point shooting is through the roof at 42.9%. The concerning thing is the Aggies get to the line and covert. They are 58 of 74 the last three games. The Cats will have to defend hard without fouling. On the other end, I also worry about their changing defenses. This caused UK problems against Ole Miss and Florida. A&M is not deep. It will be starting five against starting five. This will be a tough place to win, but I think Kentucky does that in a rugged game. Kentucky 68, Texas A&M 63.
Jeff Drummond: It sounds like Texas A&M is able to do some things that could potentially give Kentucky some issues on Tuesday night in College Station. The Aggies are really adept at drawing fouls, which could test UK's depth. They also mix up some "junk" defenses, including some full-court pressure, that has frustrated the Cats in their last two games. Still, when you look at their season stats, you see a team that shoots 39% from the floor and 27% from the arc. It's hard for me to envision how bad the scenario would be for Kentucky to lose that game, at this juncture in the season, with a league title within grasp. It will probably be another close one into the final five minutes, but give me Kentucky 74, Texas A&M 66.
Travis Graf: When I look at this game, I can’t envision it playing out in any way other than a rock fight. Texas A&M doesn’t have a player who is a household name on their roster, but they’re a typical Buzz Williams team, and that’s a compliment. They know who they are and they play hard every single time they take the court. I think Williams and the Aggies will try to make this game as ugly as possible and that they will keep Kentucky from pulling away, which has been pretty status quo for the Wildcats during SEC play. Kentucky should dominate the glass, but the Aggies will throw many different defensive looks at the Wildcats, something they’ve struggled with all season long. Kentucky hasn’t rebounded as well offensively against the zone, either. I’ll be shocked if either team breaks 70. Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey and Nick Richards combine for 50 points. Kentucky 67, Texas A&M 61.
Justin Rowland: Isn't it fairly obvious how we should view this game? Based on these predictions and mine, it seems like there's something close to a consensus. It's a somewhat dangerous game because like some of Kentucky's other opponents in recent games (UF, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt), the 'Cats catch this opponent when they're playing some of their better basketball of the year. It's only dicey because it's a road game. But Kentucky has played fairly well on the road. It would be a surprise if Kentucky wins a blowout, and it would be a surprise if they lost. So a close win or a victory by a moderate amount are the most likely scenarios. But I'm also expecting Immanuel Quickley to make big plays late. As others have said, A&M's ability to draw fouls -- but also their ability to avoid fouls, leading to a huge free throw discrepancy in their favor this year -- should be concerning to Kentucky's coaches and fans. Nick Richards and Ashton Hagans have been the two main contributors most susceptible to foul issues. Richards in particular has to stay on the court for at least 25 minutes or this becomes pretty tough. Kentucky 67, Texas A&M 62.
