Texas A&M hopes to atone for recent struggles against No. 22 Tennessee
Whether the Aggies are overachievers or underachievers on the basketball court has become uncertain.
Did Texas A&M (15-6, 4-4) overachieve in starting 4-0 in the Southeastern Conference race and then taking Kentucky, Arkansas and LSU down to the wire in close losses?
Or did the Aggies grossly underachieve in a 74-63 loss to South Carolina on Saturday?
The answer may be revealed on Tuesday night when the Aggies travel to face No. 22 Tennessee (14-6, 5-3) at 6 p.m. at the Thompson-Boling Arena, a venue where A&M has often overachieved.
The Aggies are 4-1 in SEC trips to Knoxville. Most recently, they defeated the Volunteers 63-58 in 2020.
But this version of the Volunteers, which is ranked No. 33 in the nation in scoring defense, won’t be easily beaten.
“They are really, really good. Have great players. Great depth,” Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams said about Tennessee. “(They) Can beat you from the perimeter and inside. They’re really, really good offense, particularly on the weak side. That keeps you stressed.
“We will have to be our absolute best. We’re going to have to defend a lot better than we did in the second half (against South Carolina). We’ll have to finish the possession with a rebound at a much higher clip than we did on Saturday.”
The Aggies appeared uncharacteristically lax on the defensive end in the second half of the loss to South Carolina.
They also struggled to connect from 3-point range. In fact, in their current four-game losing streak, the Aggies have shot just 23 percent from behind the arc.
Poor shooting and inconsistent defense have been major factors in the Aggies failure to close strong in their losses.
“Our problem has been the last two road games, for sure, is we have been fouling too much,” Williams said. “We haven’t been finishing the possession with a rebound enough.”
Despite that, the Aggies are incredibly close to being near the top of the SEC standings. One or two plays down the stretch could have resulted in victories over Kentucky, at Arkansas and at LSU. They’re aiming to make those plays against Tennessee.
“If you beat Kentucky, you’re 16-2. If you beat Arkansas, you’re 17-2. If we beat Kentucky and Arkansas, I’d say we’re ranked,” Williams said. “That’s how invisible the line is in closing a game out and making a shot and finishing a possession with a rebound and not fouling.
“We’re fouling too much and giving too many points away when the clock is not running. That’s how thin the line is. You’re 15-2. Yep. Now, you’re 15-6. That’s how thin the line is.”
That’s also how thin the difference between overachieving and underachieving is.
