Texas A&M hopes to continue their romp through the nonconference portion of the schedule as it begins the Legends Classic against a formidable Oklahoma State team.
The tournament, which also features Pitt taking on Penn State, is being played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Despite some roster setbacks to begin the season, Texas A&M has bulldozed its way to No. 16 in the AP poll by earning wins against West Virginia and UC Santa Barbara.
Now that the Aggies are at full strength, they’ll be tested by a solid Oklahoma State squad that has cruised to three wins against inferior competition.
The Cowboys are currently a top 50 team in KenPom’s early numbers.
Players to Watch
D.J. Hogg (Texas A&M)
Hogg comes into this season after recovering from an injury that left him sidelined for most of the 2016-17 SEC campaign.
The 6’9 wing can be used in a variety of ways, but he is best at stretching the floor for Billy Kennedy’s squad.
Through two games, he is 9 of 13 from 3-point range, which will only make it easier for arguably the league’s best big men—Robert Williams and Tyler Davis—to dominate inside.
Hogg is currently averaging 21.5 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers will be good enough for first-team All-SEC if he keeps it up.
Brandon Averette (Oklahoma State)
Averette found the hot hand in the Cowboys last game against Oral Roberts, connecting on four treys on his way to a game-high 21 points.
He’s shooting 50 percent from deep and dishing out six assists per game through three contests.
Mike Boynton’s offense is guard-oriented and so far the 5’11 Averette is leading the pack.
How Texas A&M Can Win
No one can “out-big” Texas A&M. With four players who could start at 6’9 or above, the Aggies will always be the tallest team in the gym.
Kennedy should look to use the shooting of Hogg and Admon Gilder (also making 60 percent from 3-point land) to create space for Williams and Davis to operate.
Oklahoma State is very thin up front, and it could cause trouble early if the Aggies attack the Cowboys at the rim.
How Oklahoma State Can Win
OSU is the fourth best defensive team in the country in terms of effective field goal percentage, and the Cowboys need to keep A&M off-balance by using multiple defensive looks.
If Boynton’s team can keep the 3-point percentage of Texas A&M around 30 percent or less, then Oklahoma State will have an opportunity to win the game and move on to the championship.
If not, it’ll be hard to keep up with the scoring pace of the Aggies.
Prediction
Texas A&M will continue to play well on both the perimeter and the interior on offense. They’ll score over 80 points and hold the Oklahoma State backcourt in check with the length of their players.
While Oklahoma State could finish the year around .500 in the Big 12 and possibly find its way into the NCAA Tournament discussion, there’s nothing about the Cowboys right now that makes me especially nervous for Texas A&M.
Phil’s Prediction: Texas A&M 82, Oklahoma State 67
Game Details
Date: November 20, 2017 at Barclays Center
Time: 6 PM CST
TV: ESPN 2