Texas A&M moved to 5-0 on the season in scoring a 81-65 victory over Pepperdine at Reed Arena.
The Aggies held Pepperdine to just 38.7 percent shooting from the floor and posted 11 blocks to pick up the win.
D.J. Hogg paced Texas A&M with 16 points and knocked down four 3-pointers, while Tyler Davis added 16 points and eight rebounds.
5-0
Next stop California to take on USC#DoMore #12thMan pic.twitter.com/TVduX4yTPC
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) November 25, 2017
Freshman point guard J.J. Caldwell, who made his official debut after sitting out the first four games due to suspension, scored four points and and added three assists in 16 minutes of action.
Kameron Edwards scored 20 points for Pepperdine.
Lovell’s Analysis
Nothing really stood out in this victory for the Aggies, but getting Caldwell back is certainly a nice boost going forward.
Adding a playmaker of his caliber to go along with Duane Wilson, who played well again in this game in scoring 15 points, gives Billy Kennedy a great set of options at point guard.
Texas A&M is going to have an advantage in the paint against nearly every team it plays due to Davis, Robert Williams, and Tonny Trocha-Morelos manning the lane, but consistent guard play is what will make this team an SEC title contender.
Taking care of the ball is what will determine how far Texas A&M can go, and with Caldwell and Wilson both in the mix, that should be easier to accomplish than it was a year ago.
And after already beating a Top 15 team once this season, the Aggies will get a shot to add another one of those wins when they travel to USC on Sunday.
Considering that both teams have Final Four aspirations, I’d say that might be a game worth watching.
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