Texas A&M basketball takes on Tennessee tonight in its final best shot to get on track.
The last time Texas A&M basketball won a game, Aggie supporters regarded it as evidence that the season had turned around. The Ags had gone from barely eking out victories against mediocre opponents to thrashing a top-5 squad at home. That squad was, of course, the Tennessee Volunteers.
Near the end of the game, Rick Barnes lit into the officials for what he felt should have been a technical foul call on Buzz Williams, as the Aggie head coach had come out onto the court to call a timeout. I am not entirely sure, but I would not be surprised if this was also a tactical decision, knowing that the two teams would be matching up again in Knoxville in a short time, in order to bring a little juice when the Aggies came to town.
Juice is what the Vols were lacking last time the two teams played. Under a barrage of scoring from the Aggie guards, the Volunteer defense was never quite able to settle in. Now, though, I think the Vols will come out of the gate focused and ready to play.
The Aggies could be bringing some confidence into this matchup as well, however. Blowing out the Vols beforehand helps, but I think it’s hard to imagine that the Ags come into this one overlooking their opponent due to the previous result.
Texas A&M basketball is on a three-game losing run and desperately needs a win. That, paired with their apparent lack of fear of what the Vols would offer, may be a positive omen.
That does not mean that this will be an easy game. There’s a reason Tennessee leads by double digits. With Selection Sunday approaching, the Vols really want this game, especially given their own seeding. They aren’t in danger of missing the tournament, but a top-3 seed might be on the line.
This is not the Aggies’ final chance at the Big Dance. However, it is fairly close.
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