Texas A&M basketball opened as a sizeable underdog to the Houston Cougars immediately following Thursday night's slate of NCAA Tournament games, and though Aggie fans hoped to see some positive movement since that point, things have not improved in the slightest. Whereas Texas A&M was a ten-point underdog at first, lines around the country have now moved to favoring the Cougars by 11.5 points as of Saturday morning.
This is further confirmation of the extremely tough challenge that the Aggies have facing them in the Cougars. Kingston Flemings is likely set to be one of the top players in the upcoming NBA Draft, and he's surrounded by a lot of talent and a suffocating defense.
Bucky McMillan is no stranger to long odds, and the fact that the Aggies are here at all is a testament to his ability to conquer them. However, this will be his biggest challenge yet in the Maroon and White.
Texas A&M will have to conquer the odds to defeat Houston in second round of NCAA Tournament
Kelvin Sampson's Cougars are the highest-rated 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament field, which means the Aggies are essentially taking on the no. 5 team in the country in this game. That's a tall task without a doubt, but if the Aggies play their game, especially early on, they can fluster even the best teams in the country.
The main focus for Texas A&M should be taking care of the ball. Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, and so the Aggies need to be that much more careful when executing on the offensive end of the floor. Extended stretches of turnovers will spell doom for the Ags.
The fact remains that Houston simply has not seen a press like the one that the Aggies will be rolling out against them. The relentless pressure, when done well, can break down any team, so hopefully Texas A&M can come out with the right energy here.