Texas A&M basketball is hosting the Florida Gators tonight in a big time showdown in College Station. This is the Aggies' first Quad 1 opportunity within the friendly confines of Reed Arena, as all of their toughest games thus far have been on the road or at neutral sites.
The winner of this game claims sole possession of first place in the conference. Here are three reasons to believe that that team will be the Aggies by the time the final buzzer sounds tonight.
Aggies light it up from three
Proficiency in the three ball is something this Texas A&M team has that none of the Buzz Williams squads we saw over the last few years possessed. Rylan Griffen, Ali Dibba, Zach Clemence, and Ruben Dominguez are all players who shoot above 40% on the year from beyond the arc; Griffen and Dominguez do so on 4.6 and 7.2 attempts per game, while Clemence and Dibba take far fewer.
When you factor in Pop Isaacs (39.3% from three) this is a team that can really hurt opponents from downtown, and they had better take advantage of that against the Gators. Florida is not exactly a team known for their three-point barrages; the Aggies average almost six more three-point attempts per game than the Gators, and have a team percentage twelve points higher than UF.
The three ball can be the great equalizer if you play your cards right. UF's dominance comes in their ability to control the boards, so if the Aggies can neutralize that with some hot shooting, it could be a long night for the Gators in Reed.