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UK-Texas A&M Predictions

 Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky is riding a two-game winning streak and that might not seem like much, but it's the most momentum the Wildcats have had all year.

Building on that and stretching the win streak to three won't be easy with Texas A&M coming in to Rupp Arena on Saturday.

Here are CI predictions and takes on the UK-A&M game from site writers.

How do you view this matchup on paper?

Jeff Drummond: Texas A&M comes to town on a seven-game win streak, and while the style sometimes leaves something to be desired, Buzz Williams has the Aggies playing winning basketball. If you're into comparative scores and that sort of thing, the game that will probably jump off the page is A&M going to South Carolina and beating the Gamecocks 94-53 a week ago Saturday. That should be enough to put an ample amount of fear into Big Blue Nation, even though the Cats seem to have bounced back nicely from their stunning loss to South Carolina. The Aggies will likely defend Oscar Tshiebwe a little different than Georgia did, so I'm not expecting a repeat of his monster performance Tuesday night. It's more likely that that Cats will need Antonio Reeves or CJ Fredrick -- preferably both -- to have a big game from the perimeter. It will also be interesting to see how John Calipari continues to manage the Sahvir Wheeler situation. He may be a guy who can change the tempo in this one if it grinds to a halt.

Travis Graf: Wade Taylor is the guy Kentucky needs to keep tabs on at all times. He’s scored 15 or more points in 10 of 18 games so far this season and is the catalyst to their offense. The Aggies don’t do a good job of protecting the rim and this is set up for another monster game for Oscar Tshiebwe, as their biggest rotational big man is 6-foot-8. Texas A&M also doesn’t knock down a ton of threes, and gives up more than they make.

David Sisk: This is going to be a very interesting game. Texas A&M will attack Kentucky’s weaknesses when they have the ball. Julius Marble can pull Oscar Tshiebwe away from the rim, and the Aggies will probably put Oscar in a bunch of ball screens, and attack with Wade Taylor IV. Defensively they are giving up just 57.8 points per game in the SEC, but they haven’t played the top half of the league yet. Kentucky will have make some open shots, and make A&M pay for post doubles. Expect lots of defensive looks from the Aggies: zone press, zone, switches, hard force to the sideline and baseline at times.

What's your prediction for the game and how it plays out?

Drummond: Kentucky 68, Texas A&M 63 - I tend to think this will be saomething of a rock right unless the Cats come out smoking from the 3-point arc. Jacob Toppin could have a favorable matchup with all the attention Oscar will receive coming off his 37 & 24 effort Tuesday night.

Graf: Kentucky 71, Texas A&M 62. I think Kentucky comes out and takes care of business in this one and rides a steady lead throughout most of the game. The current rotation continues to work and Oscar Tshiebwe has a 20-point double-double.

Sisk: This will be a home team advantage, and fortunately for Kentucky it is in Rupp. SEC opponents have gotten to the foul line 19 times per game, and the home side usually gets the whistle. They don’t shoot well from deep. Kentucky needs to walk off the lane and hold them to one shot. Tshiebwe needs to win his one on one battle, and the Cats can’t get lost in the ball screen. Kentucky 73, Texas A&M 71.

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