Texas A&M Basketball: Why Aggies’ matchup @ Alabama is so important
It’s crunch time for the Texas A&M basketball team. The Aggies currently sit at 18-11 on the year and still have a chance at reaching 20 wins. In order to get there, they’d have to win out against their final two opponents.
The second of those games will come against Mississippi State in a season finale that is completely winnable for the Aggies. The Bulldogs are currently 2-8 away from home this year — Buzz Williams and company will not plan to let that record improve in any way.
The real challenge ahead for A&M, however, is their upcoming contest against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Much like this was an important game for the Aggies during the football season, this will be vital for A&M’s postseason chances in college basketball. Here’s why.
The Texas A&M basketball team’s contest against Alabama is a must-win game
For Texas A&M, there’s no room for another losing streak. The Aggies all but played their way out of the tournament conversation during their eight-game losing streak that featured more than a handful of close losses. But can they play their way back in?
While a win against Mississippi State could potentially even the Aggies’ conference record to .500, it’s a contest that A&M should win. Anything less than a W would be considered a massive disappointment for Buzz Williams’ squad.
The game that really matters here is their contest against No. 24 Alabama on March 2nd, which could give this team its first and only ranked win of the year — an area where A&M has struggled recently. The annoying part about this is that the Aggies have played well against ranked teams. Look at these games.
- No. 12 Kentucky: L, 64-58
- No. 19 LSU: L, 70-64
- No. 22 Tennessee: L, 90-80
- No. 1 Auburn: L, 75-58
As you can see, each of these games has resulted in a loss, though none of these losses have looked particularly bad. In fact, it’s a stretch, but the argument could be made that A&M’s loss against top-ranked Auburn could be its best resume piece this year. The Aggies will stay competitive with any team you put them against.
That is, for obvious reasons, not a good thing. A&M will have two more regular-season games and the SEC Tournament to build their resume.
Free-throw success is vital for Texas A&M. dark. Next
If Texas A&M wants to make the tournament, they have to win the next two games. Specifically, they have to get their first ranked win against Alabama.