The Alabama Crimson Tide is looking to stay hot and keep its winning streak going as it heads to College Station to face off against Texas A&M. Read more for an Alabama vs Texas A&M prediction and preview.
Alabama basketball is coming off another dominant SEC win on Wednesday. It dominated for 36 out of the 40 minutes over South Carolina, winning 88-68. Alabama looks to remain unbeaten in conference play against the Texas A&M Aggies.
“This is one of the better teams in the SEC. This is the first time two top-10 teams are playing at A&M,” said head coach Nate Oats.
Game Information:
Teams: Alabama (13-2, 2-0) and Texas A&M (13-2, 2-0)
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST)
Where to Watch: ESPN
How to Listen: Tide 100.9
Latest on Texas A&M basketball:
The Texas A&M Aggies are off to another good start under head coach Buzz Williams. In his sixth year with the Aggies, Williams and company are currently off to a 13-2 start and carrying a nine-game winning streak.
So far this season, Texas A&M has been tested in the non-conference with a big-time marquee win over Purdue 70-66, whom the Tide also matched up with. The Aggies also have victories against Texas Tech and Creighton. In their last time out, the Aggies overcame an 18-point deficit on the road against Oklahoma, winning that game without Wade Taylor IV, where Zhuric Phelps scored a career-high 34 points to get the win 80-78.
The Aggies are a veteran team with seven returning players from a season ago where Taylor IV leads the team in scoring yet again, averaging 15.7 PPG and assists at 4.8 APG. Solomon Washington leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.3 RPG, and the whole team as a whole is a very good rebounding team and a threat on the offensive glass at all times.
Per KenPom, the Aggies are ranked 27th in offensive efficiency numbers and just outside the top 10 at 12th in defensive efficiency. The team is the fifth-ranked team in its conference in the rankings by the numbers. The team averages around 76.7 PPG and shoots 31.4% from the three-point line.
Taylor IV is out for this game, and the Aggies would love to have their go-to scorer against one of the best offenses in the country.
Last year, the Aggies were 21-15 (9-9 in conference play). The Aggies got bounced by Houston last season in the Round of 32.
Latest on Alabama basketball:
Alabama is coming off a game in which the team scored over 85 points again and Mark Sears led the way with 22 points and six assists.
The Tide have started out SEC play strong, with two wins by 20+ points, and are currently riding a seven-game winning streak.
Alabama has struggled with starting out the first four minutes of the game/half when it is away from home, but looks to come out firing on all cylinders in this matchup.
Sears continues to lead the team in scoring and is up to 18.5 PPG on the season, which continues to climb up slowly closer to 20. Grant Nelson continues to be a force around the glass in the rebounding department and leads the team in averaging 8.7 RPG. Sears leads the team in assists at 4.5 APG, whereas the team averages 17.5 APG.
Per KenPom, Alabama is in the top 5 in offensive efficiency at 3 and defensively, with an efficiency ranking of 37, which is up seven spots from the last game. Alabama is averaging 90.9 PPG while shooting 32.1% from three. Alabama averages the most points per game in the country.
Alabama will be without Houston Mallette, who had a flare-up in his knee from an offseason injury.
Alabama vs Texas A&M prediction: CrimsonTide by 4
Alabama will be in for its biggest test so far during SEC play, and without Wade Taylor, the Aggies will not have enough firepower offensively to keep up with the Tide winning this game by a score of 76-72.
[…] Basketball went into Aggie land and got a top-10 win over the red-hot Aggies, in a 94-88 win, in a game that lasted just under three hours and had 54 fouls […]