Ahead of No. 14 Auburn's road matchup with Texas A&M, The Plainsman posed questions for Alex Miller, Texas A&M writer for the Dallas Morning News. Here's how sees the action shaking out tonight in College Station (6 p.m. CST, ESPNU).
1. In last year's A&M win, Robert Williams and Tyler Davis had their way with the Tigers down low. Now, it seems Auburn has gotten bigger and the Aggies have gotten smaller. What has been A&M's primary source of halfcourt offense this season?
A&M definitely isn’t relying on its bigs on nearly every possession this season. Instead, guard TJ Starks and forward Savion Flagg are the key contributors on offense. However, Starks has been rather sloppy and sporadic, and is a player who the Aggies lean on heavily, but also gives the team plenty of grief at times.
2. What were expectations like in College Station before the season? Are things going as most projected?
Most knew coming into the season that a return trip to the Sweet 16 would be tough, but this season has gone a little rougher than some likely assumed. A&M is sitting 7-7 overall, and the road won’t get any easier.
The biggest reason the Aggies are likely underachieving is because their best player, Senior guard Admon Gilder, has missed the entire season, and likely won’t return, due to medical issues. That was a tough blow for the team and likely kept them from winning close games early in non-conference game which has put A&M down a tough path for the rest of the year.
3. Who needs to have a breakout game to seal an Aggies win?
If A&M wants to upset Auburn, guard Brandon Mahan needs to have a solid game from the 3-point line. A&M went 3-of-19 from behind the arc on Saturday against Alabama (but made the one that mattered at the buzzer). That can’t happen again to beat a ranked team like Auburn.
Mahan was one the Aggies were eyeing to lean on to pose as a perimeter shooter, but he’s only 3-of-10 in SEC play. If he can knock down a few treys, that’ll help A&M’s offense play more well-rounded in a game they really want to win.
4. Game prediction?
I think A&M will continue to play competitive, as the Aggies have in all three of their conference games thus far, but Auburn is too fast and too talented for A&M. I’ll take the Tigers, 83-75.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
