Texas A&M basketball finally knows their first opponent in the SEC Tournament. The Aggies have a solid record over the past three years in Nashville, and the Maroon and White faithful are hoping that that same trend continues in Thursday's game— even more than they would against a regular opponent.
That's because the Aggies are not only facing off against their bitter rival in the Texas Longhorns, but they are seeking some sweet revenge. The Aggies fell to Texas on a last-second bucket by Tramon Mark in Austin the last time the two teams met, and A&M will be looking to right that wrong.
A&M triumphed in the first matchup by a solid margin, beating the Longhorns by nearly 20. That said, Texas is playing a little better basketball of late, and outside of the past two games, A&M has been on shaky ground. Those trends could make for some interesting basketball in this one.
Texas A&M basketball needs to take care of business in SEC Tournament against Texas Longhorns
Following the profiles of the teams, though, this should be a contest in which the Aggies are favored. If they don't go on one of their sadly-too-common extended offensive dry spells, and Texas doesn't make a host of contested jump shots, A&M should be fine.
Even so, this is a game that will be followed closely by any fan of SEC basketball. Rivals meeting up in the conference tourney is always a lot of fun to watch; neither will have the rabid home-court advantage that would usually accompany such a matchup, so it will be all about the basketball.
Another factor that has to be considered is that the Longhorns are attempting to play for their NCAA tournament lives right now. Their resume doesn't stack up at the moment, so they're hoping for a big performance in Nashville to buoy them into the field.
Even though there's plenty of reasons for confidence, I have no doubt that the Aggie faithful will be white-knuckling this one. Even if A&M loses, their seeding is all but secured in the NCAA tournament— but going down against a rival always leaves a bitter taste.