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Sometimes you want to make a quick pit stop, empty the bladder, grab a bag of salty snacks and limber up the limbs before hitting the open road again. For the fast-minded who enjoy simple $2 scratchers hoping to uncover the jackpot-winning image, here are quick thoughts and the lean on Texas A&M vs. Kentucky.
No. 11 Texas A&M (13-3, 2-1) at No. 8 Kentucky (13-3, 2-1)
Date: Tuesday, January 14
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
The pick — SGP: Kentucky ML, Texas A&M +12.5 (+112, FanDuel)
Defense travels, fools.
Yes, it isn’t a completely foolproof axiom, but, generally speaking, it also isn’t some inherently misguided presupposition.
Take a look at the current top five of the NET rankings — Auburn, Duke, Houston, Tennessee and Florida. The schools are a combined 13-3 away with an average ranking of 7.4 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Texas A&M has only participated in two true road tests this season, losing its season opener at UCF and coming from behind to win at Oklahoma.
The Aggies did drop their most recent matchup, a 94-88 shootout in College Station against SEC title contender Alabama. Some will mistakenly write off the misstep as a spoiled opportunity, but without star guard Wade Taylor, who was sidelined due to an undisclosed injury for a second-straight game, TAMU battling until the bitter end was impressive nonetheless.
Against the Crimson Tide, Zhuric Phelps and Pharrel Payne combined for 47 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks. And ‘Bama needed every one of Mark Sears’ 27 points to put the pesky home team away.
Like a fly fluttering around the dinner table, Buzz Williams’ bunch presses, contests and annoys. Each time Texas A&M’s reserves take the floor, a thick grime is applied.
Similar to prizefighters who repeatedly bludgeon opponents over multiple rounds, the Aggies bloody faces with planted jab after planted jab in the halfcourt. At No. 220 nationally in adjusted tempo and top-40 in five different defensive categories, Texas A&M relishes wearing teams down over every precious tick in each 35-second possession.
Outages, however, do occur on offense. Gig 'Em is 259th in the country in effective field-goal percentage offense, shooting a paltry 49.9% from 2-point range and 30.9% from 3-point distance. Its 69.2% free-throw rate also leaves much to be desired.
The Aggies make up for it in other areas. Similar to another Lone Star State rep, Houston, they attack relentlessly on the glass. Currently No. 1 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, they also generate a second chance on an absurd 44.4% of their possessions.
The culture instilled in Lexington under first-year head coach Mark Pope is night and day compared to the previous regime. Whether witnessed via the team’s performance on the court or Pope’s interactions with Big Blue Nation off it, the tide has already shifted dramatically from the program’s lame-duck years under John Calipari.
Thanks in large part to Lamont Butler’s efforts, the offense continues to hum, but defensively, Kentucky is a highly suspect No. 253 in effective field-goal percentage defense. Also during that stretch, the Wildcats have been pounded by paint patrollers, giving up a crippling 62.8% on 2s and ranking well north of No. 200 in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.
Yes, Rupp Arena is always an intimidating environment. Kentucky is 4-1 against A&M in its past five home meetings. Still, Williams’ crew is a covering machine. At 7-2-1 against the spread in their last 10 games, the Aggies should hang tough in enemy territory.
Obviously, Taylor’s availability is critical — he scored a combined 63 points in his last two meetings against Kentucky — but Texas A&M’s stout defense and sizable interior advantage suggest it won’t get walloped.
Knowing Taylor’s now OUT status and UK’s offensive firepower (No. 3 in offensive efficiency nationally), the above SGP tinkering feels like a sound approach.
Guard your tails off, Aggies.
Season record: 14-11, +2.87 units