Two of the most talented teams in the SEC square off Saturday in College Station, as the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers will battle at Reed Arena in an important contest for both teams.
The Aggies have struggled out of the gate in SEC play, losing their first five games by an average margin of 11 points per game, but picked up a big win at home on Tuesday over Ole Miss.
The Aggies play three of their next five at home, so stringing together some wins to boost the overall confidence level of their team will prove very crucial to their success down the line, as well as their NCAA Tournament chances.
The Tigers have been up and down to start conference play, posting a 3-2 conference record, but not being able to string together a winning streak so far.
They are coming off of their best win of the season thus far, defeating No. 21 Tennessee on Wednesday night. The Tigers are firmly in the tournament at this point, but if they slip up and lose games that they shouldn’t, they could fall out of the picture.
However, they can also improve their résumé by winning those games that they might not be expected to, and potentially move into the upper echelon of tournament seeds.
Let’s look at players to watch, the keys to victory, and a score prediction for Saturday’s matchup.
Players to Watch
Kevin Puryear (Missouri)
Puryear, the first player off the bench for the Tigers, has seen a reduction in role this season, but he still ranks third on the team in both points and rebounds per game.
However, Puryear was the difference in the Tennessee game on Wednesday, leading the team in scoring and rebounding with with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He was second on the team in scoring last season,886 but with the influx of talent that Missouri has seen this season, he’s taken a back seat to other players in Cuonzo Martin’s rotation.
Even still, Puryear can make an impact in multiple ways off the bench, so look for him to have a solid performance against the Aggies, who aren’t exactly known for their depth.
Tyler Davis (Texas A&M)
Davis has been other-worldly for the Aggies this season, averaging 14.9 points, pulling down 8.3 rebounds, and blocking 1.3 shots per game, all career highs in his junior season.
He has been the most consistent player for the Aggies this season, especially with all of the injuries and suspensions that they have had to endure, and has had a major part in keeping Texas A&M competitive throughout the season.
Missouri has a good amount of size on their front line in Jontay Porter and Jeremiah Tillmon, but Davis, combined with Robert Williams and Tonny Trocha-Morelos, are one of the best frontcourt trios in the conference if not the country.
Look for Davis to produce at a high level in this matchup against the Tigers.
How Missouri Can Win
The Tigers need to limit that frontcourt trio that the Aggies employ, which can feature three seven-footers on the floor at the same time.
It will be very important for the Tigers’ frontcourt to limit that height advantage by packing it in on defense and not allowing the centers to get easy looks around the basket, as well as keeping them off of the offensive glass.
If the Tigers can successfully limit Davis, Williams, and Trocha-Morelos, they have a great chance to win this game on the road.
How Texas A&M Can Win
The Aggies will need to find a way to control how Kassius Robertson gets his touches, as well as how open his shot attempts are.
Robertson is the most dangerous player on the Tigers roster due to his ability to score the ball at will, so it will be important for Admon Gilder and Duane Wilson to lock him up from outside in order to give themselves a great chance to win this game and improve to 2-5 in conference play.
Perhaps more importantly, it’ll help the Texas A&M backcourt gain confidence going into their future matchups with lead guards, with their next three games consisting of LSU’s Tremont Waters, Kansas star Devonte Graham, and the Arkansas combo of Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford.
Prediction
The Aggies and Tigers are both talented teams, and both teams are rounding into form as they progress through the conference slate.
The Aggies are playing at home, which gives them the slight edge in this matchup, but don’t be surprised if this game goes either way.
Give me the Aggies close because of the home edge, as well as the high-level play of Robert Williams and Tyler Davis.
Prediction: Texas A&M 65, Missouri 60