Bucky McMillan and Texas A&M Basketball travel to Baton Rouge tomorrow to finish out their regular season against the Tigers of LSU. The Aggies enter the contest with a 20-10 overall record, 10-7 in the SEC, and 43rd in the NET rankings. The Tigers are currently sitting on a 15-15 overall record, 3-14 in the SEC, and 75th in the NET rankings.
This game is currently a quad 1 opportunity for the Aggies, but the likelihood that the Tigers fall out of the top 75 in the NET is pretty high at this point. Either way, the Aggies need a win tomorrow. A win should all but guarantee themselves an NCAA tournament spot. Most bracketologists have the Aggies on the 10-seed line, a loss could move them back to an 11-seed.
Texas A&M needs to close out regular season strong with win over LSU
On paper, the Aggies have the edge going into the game. The Aggies come in with a big advantage in points per game, and other slight advantages in rebounds per game and 3-point shooting percentage. The Tigers do have the edge when it comes to free throw shooting percentage, but outside of that, any advantages are negligible.
Defensively, the Aggies will need to worry about the LSU trio of Max Mackinnon, Mike Nwoko, and Marquel Sutton who combine for 42 points per game. They get the vast majority of LSU's minutes and will be the focal point in the LSU offense. LSU is a tall team, which could pose a problem defensively for the Aggies. Agee and Clemence will certainly need to hold their own down low if the Aggies want to come out victorious.
The Aggies have a clear identity offensively, and I would expect them to rely on their consistent pieces. Agee has been as consistent as it gets and is the workhorse in the paint. Marcus Hill and Pop Isaacs provide a good mixture of passing, taking the ball to the basket, and perimeter shooting. If Ruben Dominguez and Rylan Griffen can get going from 3 again, I have no doubt the Aggies can win the game. Zach Clemence has struggled a little bit on Saturday's, but if he can get some to fall, the Aggies will be in a very good position.
The Aggies still have a chance at the 5 seed in the SEC with a win and some help. Either way, a win tomorrow will put them in a great spot as they head to Nashville next week for the SEC tournament. Check back after the game tomorrow for my full reaction and analysis of the hopeful win over the LSU Tigers.