Coming off of their big win in Germany over then No. 11 West Virginia, Texas A&M is looking to live up to its No. 16 ranking by starting the season 2-0 when it welcomes the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos into Reed Arena on Friday.
The Gauchos, led by former Arizona assistant and first-year head coach Joe Pasternack, are coming off one of the worst seasons in program history in going 6-22 overall, which led to the firing of 19-year head coach Bob Williams, who was the winningest coach in UCSB history.
UCSB comes into this showdown with the Aggies having defeated North Dakota State in its opener before losing at Pitt on Wednesday.
Let’s take a look into this non-conference matchup, including players to watch and keys to victory.
Players to Watch
Tyler Davis (A&M)
After dropping 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, Davis looks poised to take the next step in his development as the dominant big man that A&M needs.
Those numbers might be a little inflated due to the absence of Robert Williams, but it cannot be denied that Davis looked dominant against the likes of Sagaba Konate and Lamont West, especially in the second half, where he shot a perfect 7 of 7 from the field.
Look for Davis to continue that dominance on Friday night against a UCSB team that features only one player over 6’8”.
Max Heidegger (UCSB)
Heidegger, a 6’2” sophomore guard from Malibu, led UCSB in their season opener in scoring with 33 points while hitting eight 3-pointers and shooting 10 of 19 from the field.
He played off the bench his freshman season, averaging 7.6 points per game and 1.4 assists per game in 26 games, but he has definitely taken a step forward in his development, being the dynamic scorer that UCSB desperately needs to make some noise.
If he can maintain his high usage rate and high efficiency throughout their 2017-18 slate, look for Heidegger to be talked about as one of the better mid-major players in the country.
How Texas A&M Can Win
Defending aggressively and chasing shooters off the 3-point line will be key for the Aggies.
UCSB shot over 50 percent on 3-pointers in their season opener, which generated 42 percent of their points.
If A&M can limit the amount of shots and amount of makes from behind the arc, they should be able to handle the Gauchos’ high flying offensive attack.
How UCSB Can Win
USCB needs a really fast start.
If the Gauchos can take the air out of the building early with some shot-making by their guards, as well as making early stops by forcing turnovers and tough shots and potentially getting Tyler Davis into some early foul trouble by getting to the basket, they have a chance to make the upset bid.
It’s not as simple as saying those things will happen, but that’s one of the only ways to make A&M uncomfortable.
Game Details
Date: November 17
Time: 8 PM EST
TV: SEC Network+