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Texas A&M Basketball: Aggies Hope to Play David Against Goliath West Virginia

By Matthew Bartlett

Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies center Tyler Davis (34) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies center Tyler Davis (34) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Texas A&M basketball team officially has their first winning streak in 2017. Their reward? No. 18 West Virginia in Morgantown.

Texas A&M is fresh off back to back wins against Ole Miss and Georgia. The last time the Aggies won back to back games was December 7 and December 10 against Denver and South Carolina State. That was also the Aggies only three game winning streak of the year. They beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on December 5.

Aggies Hit the Road to Take on the Mountaineers

It’s going to be a much taller task if the Aggies are to match their longest winning streak of the season on Saturday. West Virginia currently sits at 29 in RPI. The Aggies have played five teams in the current Top 30 RPI rankings. They are 0-5 in those games.

The Mountaineers bring a 16-4 record into their showdown with Texas A&M. The Aggies are just 11-8 on the season and 1-3 in true road games. Their first win came Wednesday in Oxford against Ole Miss. West Virginia is 3-0 against RPI top 25 teams including wins over No. 1 Baylor and No. 2 Kansas.

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There hasn’t been one hot hand that has carried West Virginia, rather a collection of experienced starters. The Mountaineers have four starters averaging double digit points: Esa Ahmad (12.1), Jevon Carter (11.9), Nathan Adrian (10.7), Daxter Miles Jr. (10.2). The team has one underclassman playing more than 12 minutes per game, sophomore Ahmad .

In contrast, the Aggies have four underclassmen playing signifcant minutes. That includes three starters: DJ Hogg, Admon Gilder, and Robert Williams. While the Aggies might have the edge in star power, the Mountaineers have the upperhand in experience.

Keys for the Aggies to Beat West Virginia

If the Aggies are going to pull the upset they’re going to have to keep West Virginia out of the paint. As a team they hold a .537 shooting percentage from inside the three point arc. When they miss, they crash the boards like no other team. West Virginia is averaging 15.5 offensive rebounds per game, third most in the nation.

When the Mountaineers are forced outside they don’t fair very well. Their collective .358 team shooting percentage from beyond the arc is tied for 144th in the country. There hasn’t been any word on the status of injured Aggie guard DJ Hogg. if he is able to go and has a good shooting day, the Mountaineers could be in for trouble.

Next: Aggies Start SEC Win Streak with Win Against Ole Miss

Texas A&M and West Virginia are the opening game in this SEC/Big XII Challenge at will air at Noon Eastern Time on ESPN. The conferences will play ten games on Saturday with the final contest tipping off pitting No. 2 Kansas against No. 4 Kentucky on ESPN at 5:15 PM Eastern Time.

***Stats from ESPN.com***